oversized calcium reactor and relatively high pH effluent

[rwb500]

I have read a lot about calcium reactors, and I have seen that one pound of CO2 will dissolve about 1.5 pounds of media. But I have also read, from far fewer sources, that the optimum pH for the chamber is 6.5, and that anything higher is a less efficient use of the CO2. I plan on getting an oversized reactor and just running it with a low feed rate and a very low co2 bubble rate.

Is it important to limit the flow (water feed rate) enough to keep the reactor pH down around 6.5? Or can I just leave the flow at a reasonable rate and only worry about the bubble count?

thank you

[Vinny Kreyling]

Try this ;
www.reefdiesyst.com

[ridetheducati]

Reactor pH is adjusted to account for tank consumption of alkalinity. Set the effluent to a steady flow between 60-80 ml per min. Once set, do not touch the flow rate. Set the bubble counter to 20 bubbles per min and adjust according to tank consumption. Do not worry about reactor pH until you gain more reactor experience.

[rwb500]

Originally Posted by ridetheducati

Set the bubble counter to 20 bubbles per min and adjust according to tank consumption.

yes, i understand this. my concern is that my bubble rate will be so low that i will be using co2 very inefficiently. I was hoping that someone who knows could comment on co2 efficiency at relatively high pH.

[ridetheducati]

Originally Posted by rwb500

...co2 efficiency at relatively high pH.

Please clarify. Media will not dissolve until reactor pH gets below 7.

[rwb500]

Originally Posted by ridetheducati

Please clarify. Media will not dissolve until reactor pH gets below 7.

yes. i was hoping someone could comment on how much co2 is wasted when the reactor is run barely acidic enough to dissolve the media. say, pH 6.9.

for example, if i was running a reactor at pH 7, I would be using co2 and dissolving no media. I am wondering how wasteful it is to be closer to 7 than 6.5.

[mc-cro]

I would say all of it is wasted if your not actually disolving media.

[rwb500]

Originally Posted by mc-cro

I would say all of it is wasted if your not actually disolving media.

i would too. i am wondering how much co2 it takes to get down to 6.9 vs how much it takes to actually dissolve the media. because if it doesnt take much to get down to 6.9 then i wont worry about wasting it.

[sirreal63]

I ran mine like his for about a year because the all demand was low. The media will begin dissolving at around 7.4 but just barely, remember the pH controls rate of dissolution, the more acidic the faster it will dissolve. It will be slightly more inefficient on gas usage but you need to remember you are using the gas either way, gas usage is more of a reactor efficiency thing than a media efficiency thing. If you are not dissolving the gas efficiently and it is blowing out the effluent then you will use more gas, no matter what the pH.

The effluent flow rate will also impact gas usage, a higher effluent rate naturally uses more gas. Don't worry about the gas usage, worry about the tank demands being met, gas is cheaper than corals.