CA reactor adjustment

[7thheaven ZEO&SPSaholic Find all posts View Profile Close 7thheaven]

Hi all~

I started to use new schuran PICO reactor...

NOW the co2 bubble number is 12 per a minutes. PH of CA outlet is 6.25

and current KH of my tank is 5.6..

In this status..What can I do?

I wanna maintain my KH level to 6.5~7

increase outlet water in CA reactor?

PH of CA outlet is OK?

Thanks...

[fkadir ZEOhead Find all posts View Profile Close fkadir]

Vince, you will need to adjust the Kh of your tank to 6.5~7 first using buffers and then see if the CR can maintain the KH of the tank. Main objective of a CR is to maintain the CA/KH and not to be used to increse the CA/KH. HTH

[7thheaven ZEO&SPSaholic Find all posts View Profile Close 7thheaven]

Vince, you will need to adjust the Kh of your tank to 6.5~7 first using buffers and then see if the CR can maintain the KH of the tank. Main objective of a CR is to maintain the CA/KH and not to be used to increse the CA/KH. HTH

Thanks fkadir~
but I set my KH level in 3days ago...(KH6.8)
and installed my reactor in 2days ago
The current low KH is because I could not adjust CA reactor well.
so just wanna know the skill of Reactor adjustment,
If not, my KH level will be decreasing continuously....

Sometimes My Bad english makes me crazy... :flame:

[fkadir ZEOhead Find all posts View Profile Close fkadir]

Hahahaha, dunt worry Vince

Ph of 6.25 is ok. Try increasing your Bubbles per min and also the flowrate thru the reactor and maintain the ph of the effluent. This will deliver more CA/KH to the tank and will help to maintain the KH better.

[barky ZEOhead Find all posts View Profile Close barky]

I agree with Farish above Vince, do small adjustments and then check your parameters also. Brian

[CAReefer ZEOhead Find all posts View Profile Close CAReefer]

My understanding of CA reactor adjustments is that you need a Kh value in the effluent, of approximately 3 times the desired level in the tank. Personally, my dual chamber runs a final ph of 6.75 with a dKh of 24. As already mentioned, don't try and raise your CA or Alk with the reactor. Try and get the tank alk to stay consistant, then raise with buffers. HTH

CAReefer

[CAReefer ZEOhead Find all posts View Profile Close CAReefer]

Oh, and don't worry too much about the Ca levels, get the alk set, and the Ca will fall into place.

[7thheaven ZEO&SPSaholic Find all posts View Profile Close 7thheaven]

Thanks.. all~~!!

[rjf ZEOhead in Training Find all posts View Profile Close rjf]

I have to run my reactor at about 60 dkh ph 6.65 to keep my kh at 7. I know the kh effulent is really high but any lower and the tank kh will drop. I have tons of sps though and large clams.

[skeletor _______________ Find all posts View Profile Close skeletor]

Vince, you never mentioned the flow rate through the reactor ?

The basics on reactor tuning in a nutshell (as I know them):

disclaimer: I have no experience with schuran PICO reactors or the media they run, but...

1. Ca Rx media has a pH working range, drive it to low and it will turn to mush, to high and not much happens (this is anywhere from 6.20 to 7.00 approx, depending on the media).

2. Flow through the reactor must be constant.

If you are driving the pH to the low end of the range of the media, and are unable to meet Alk/Ca demands of your tank you need to increase flow through the reactor until you are within the pH range, and meeting the demands of your tank.

therefore, if you are already driving the pH to 6.25 you need to at least double the flow through the reactor and back the pH off some. For example, I was driving my Rx at 6.30 @3ml/min and I went to a 15ml/min pump, pH is now 6.90 and I am maintaning Alk at 8.

Make small adjustments (ie. lower pH by 0.05) and let it sit for a day, taking measurements in Alk at the same time every day (I never bother testing Ca when tuning). expect to spend a week or three tuning it :-)

If you get to the point where you're adding media every week it might be time to consider a larger reactor, unless the media is easy to change and you don't mind changing it.

rich.