CA Reactor problems - low pH and CA

I recently switched from dripping kalkwasser to using a koralin C-1502 CA reactor (I'm using the Caribsea media).

Here are my last tested parms before the switch (kalkwasser)
pH: 8.0-8.2
Alk: 10 dkh
temp: 78-82
Ca: 400-420
Mg: 1300-1350

Here are my parms a week after setting up the CA reactor:
pH: 7.8 - 8.0
Alk: 9.8 dkh
temp: 78-82
Ca: ~350
Mg: 1300

The reactor is currently set to 10 C02 bubbles/min and 40 effluent drips/min. My effluent pH is 6.8.

What can I adjust to fix this low pH and CA problem and not affect the Alk? Please don't tell me the solution is to switch back to dripping kalk.

 

Well first off a calcium reactor will only maintain your current cal,alk levels. What you will have to do first is get your cal, and alk and mag to where you want them, then your cal reactor will maintain your levels from there. Now to increase your ph you can let your effluent drip into a cup and add an air stone and this will burn off any extra CO2 which will inturn raise your ph

 

You'll probably still want some 2-part on hand to make adjustments to calcium/alkalinity/magnesium while you're tuning the calcium reactor. It's not exactly plug and play and isn't very good at raising parameters, especially not just one or the other. Once it's dialed in you shouldn't have to do much manual adjustment but during the tuning process it's probably going to make your life a lot easier.

Did you doublecheck your tests because it's somewhat abnormal from what I've heard for just calcium to drop and not alkalinity. I imagine there is some margin of error in your testing/test kits. Can you get consistent results from your test kits with two samples of the water 2 times in a row?

Here's a basic/general guide to calcium reactors if it helps.
A Guide to Using Calcium Reactors by Simon Huntington - Reefkeeping.com

And a good source for 2 part chemicals while you're tuning if you need it.
Calcium, Alkalinity & Magnesium Supplements for Aquariums - English

Also some chemistry stuff in general as well just in case.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php

 

Yes, you definitely need to add Ca or alk to make those 2 levels where you want it. it is a fine line with those 2, but once you get it, the reactor will keep those levels there.

Now for ph, you either need a second chamber to capture the excess CO2 that obviously is being released into the tank, (or your ph would not go down like it is) or use a kalkwasser reactor/ nielsen reactor to make up the difference in ph.

 

I have a spare phosban150 reactor (from 2LFs), I'm thinking of adding some reactor media and using it as a 2nd chamber, or is that overkill and will just lead to problems....what do you guys think?

My other option as someone else here recommended is to drip the effluent into a cup and add an airstone, or add some reactor meadia...what r u guys that r running single chamber reactors doing to avoid this problem?

 

I would try the phosban reactor filled with the media.

I have a single chamber reactor, but it is a very efficient design that does not waste CO2, thereby not altering the ph of the tank. Most reactors are not as efficient as the GEO's are, so adding a second chamber is almost a requirement on those reactors.

What ph is your effluent at now? test that, then add a second chamber and re test the effluent for ph then.

 

Use your spare reactor as a second chamber. I run a second chamber and I let the efflueint discharge in a container I have two air stones in. I also run a kalk reactor because I can't keep my Ca in the lower 400's with a reactor alone.

 

Thanks guys...you know the old saying "if it ain't broken don't fix it"? I should have just stuck with dripping kalk...I never had a problem with my parms and all my corals were growing like crazy...now I spend the $$ for the CA reactor to make things a bit easier and it sucks, most of the reviews I read before getting a reactor said the Korallin C1502 CA reactor is one of the best and very efficient with CO2.

So if I add the Phosban reactor as a second chamber, do I just take the effluent line that comes out of the Korallin CA reactor and feed that into the inlet of the Phosban reactor (with CA media), no pumps or anything on the Phosban reactor? The flow in the 2nd chamber would be very slow since it's just dripping at ~40 dripps/min. Just want to make sure I wouldn't be causing additional problems. thanks.

oh, the pH of the effluent coming out of the reactor is ~6.8, 6.9...that's why this doesn't make too much sense to me.

 

Keep in mind you're still learning about how the reactor works so of course there's going to be a transitional period that might be tricky. Once it's up and running and you understand how it works it should be pretty simple.

 

Trying to keep that in mind...but I'm also trying to speed up the learning process so my parms could be back to normal How do I hook up the second champer (spare phosban reactor), just feed the line-out from the CA reactor to the line-in on the phosban reactor filled with media? I don't know anything about this but wouldn't the flow in that second chamber be too slow since only ~40 dripps/minute are going into it? There wouldn't be any pumps or anything on the 2nd chamber to circulate the water....just want to make sure I fully understand how the 2nd chamber should work before I set it up.