troubleshooting CalRX

[hzheng33]

it's been roughly a year since i last did anything to my calcium reactor and the media has depleted overtime. so it made sense when my trident was telling my that my alk was dipping below 8dKH (i usually keep it around 9)

so two weeks ago i took it out, gave a nice rinse to the remaining media, toss out half of it, top off the media (i use two little fishies. i bought whole bunch before they ran into the supplier issue)

reconnected everything back and pegged my regulator to a pH of 6.7-6.8 (it's always been like this).

effluent volume: 30mL/min

for whatever reason, my effluent alk is at 17.9dKH (tested using Hanna, collected a day or so after everything was reconnnected)

i lowered the pH setting to 6.5-6.6. my effluent is then 20dKH...WTH.

i use 2 Versa for feeding pumps. Each calibrated and the tubing assemblies replaced this past weekend.

so what am i missing?

 

[bhodges82]

What is it that you are seeing as the issue? Effluent too low alk?

One thing to note for possible lower overall alk reading in the tank is coral growth, I know you've been adding a bit lately.

 

[hzheng33]

What is it that you are seeing as the issue? Effluent too low alk?

One thing to note for possible lower overall alk reading in the tank is coral growth, I know you've been adding a bit lately.

yeah. effluent should be 25 or higher right?

the overall alk could be low because i added some sps recently but i really doubt it, since they are small frags.

this whole low alk issue started around the time that i replaced the media....sigh...

 

[Shawn]

When I was dialing mine in I had my CalRX chamber ph set to 6.4 and I was getting too much alk and not enough calc. Maybe try reducing chamber ph?

 

[hiimsean]

Is it a different brand media?

 

[Shawn]

When I was dialing mine in I had my CalRX chamber ph set to 6.4 and I was getting too much alk and not enough calc. Maybe try reducing chamber ph?

I use ReBorn as well.

 

[hzheng33]

Is it a different brand media?

The same media, two little fishes reborn

 

[Adam]

Did you let the reactor run with no co2 and no effluent running for a day? Shut it off and then burp off any excess air that came out of the media. I like to tap the reactor on the floor to force up any trapped air in the media. If you're using your Apex to control it, this is also a good time to calibrate it. Then I start the co2 and let the pH drop till the Apex shut the co2 off, let it sit an hour or two then start the effluent running. Once it's running the way I want I adjust the system Alk & Cal back to where I keep it with 2-part.

 

[Dmitri]

My effluents was 24dkh, I had to lower ph to 5.7-5.8 I’m guessing ph probe isn’t correctly calibrated and also I lowered the drip rate

ideally dkh should be in mid 30s

 

[hzheng33]

My effluents was 24dkh, I had to lower ph to 5.7-5.8 I’m guessing ph probe isn’t correctly calibrated and also I lowered the drip rate

ideally dkh should be in mid 30s

The ph probe was calibrated maybe within the last 2 weeks as well

 

[hzheng33]

also @Dmitri at pH of 5.7-5.8, how are you not turning your media into mush?