Calcium Reactor tuning...

[maurod]

I recently switched from ARM (which I have begun to hate) to Gen-x media.

Here are some questions I have after 6 months of running my reactor.

What media are you running?
What ph do you run the chamber at?
What is your effluent rate?
What is your effluent ph?
What is your bubble count? or co2 volume/min?
What is your tank volume?
What is your tank pH range, day/night?
Do you dose Kalk?
Is your tank heavily stocked with SPS ?
Have you tried other media ? What kind?

My stats are:
Media - Gen-X media (reefbone style)
Chamber pH - 6.5
Effluent rate - unknown, steady 2-3mm stream out of 1/4" tubing
Effluent pH - 6.5
Bubble count - 1.75bbs
Tank volume total 300gal, 180 display
Stocked with lots of small colonies.
Tank pH range - 8.0 - 8.1

I am finding that I am able to keep decent growth (constant white tips on montipora corals with this rate.

I am concerned that I may be running more CO2 than needed.
I am also concerned about not having a good grasp on my effluent rate.
How do you guys control yours?

[besl]

Media - Gen-X (reefbone style)
Chamber pH - 6.5 - 8.5
Effluent rate - 50 ml/min
Effluent pH - don't measure (but must be same as chamber ph, I think?)
Bubble count - 52 bpm (was 60 bpm - I turned it down last nite)
Tank volume total 140gal, 125 display
Stocking - mixed reef
Tank pH range - 8.1

I measured my tank last night and alk was 10 and ca was 480... a little higher than i'd like so I wll be decreasing the effluent rate later today. My bubble count was 60 and I turned that down to 52 last nite and didn't want to make multiople changes at one time - so tonite we decrease the effluent rate.

[Greg Hiller]

What media are you running?

ARM

What ph do you run the chamber at?

Don't know, probably close to 7

What is your effluent rate?

Don't know eye ball it. Maybe 15 ml in 5 seconds.

What is your effluent ph?

close to 7

What is your bubble count? or co2 volume/min?

Don't really know....eyeball it.

What is your tank volume?

With associated tanks total volume is about 500 G.

What is your tank pH range, day/night?

Runs around 7.9 to 8 I belive.

Do you dose Kalk?

Yes.

Is your tank heavily stocked with SPS ?

Yes.

>Have you tried other media ? What kind? <

Used Super Calc Gold years ago, also just a brand of crushed coral. Used limestone chips from a quarry in RI as well for a while. All worked but needed lower pH to get some to dissolve.

[maurod]

I didnt like how dirty ARM is, it has seaweed and mud in it. I may get some crushed coral/shells from my sister that lives near a beach....and try that sometime.

[maurod]

Also does anyone know what PH the heavier media melts at?
M.

[Jim Tansey]

Media..........ARM (Mine did not come with mud and seaweed)
pH chamber..........6.8 (8" dia. single chamber)
Effluent rate..........48ml/min.(broken stream 1/4" OD .15" ID tube)
Effluent pH..........6.8
Bubble count..........64/min
Tank volume..........150 gal total
pH range..........8.1-8.3
Kalk?..........yes with auto top off (nights)
Stocking..........Small SPS's in 90 display, 30 SPS frags in 40 breeder


ARM is the only media I have used, I purchased it after seeing that many in BRS were using it, it has worked well for me but I don't have anything to compare it with. My Ca runs 400+, I could lower my effluent pH a bit but I don't want to turn the ARM to mush.

My recirculation pump is an Eheim 1048, and I run the feed tee'd off my Mag-5 skimmer pump, the system is totally trouble free and could not be more stable (bubble rate, effluent rate, pH ect.).

Jim

[this is me]

What media are you running?
ARM, but the Shuran style. More pure and won't turn to mush

What ph do you run the chamber at?
6.5, the shuran style requires slightly lower PH to dissolve.

What is your effluent rate?
Don't know, I usually goes by the PH and ALK of the effluent only. In that case, my effluent ALK is 18-20dkh. PH numbers are below.


What is your effluent ph?
6.7 coming out of the second chamber. 6.5 in the main chamber

What is your bubble count? or co2 volume/min?
Don't know, I listen to the hissing of the Co2 to adjust the rate.

What is your tank volume?
Total of 40gal.

What is your tank pH range, day/night?
Runs around 7.8-8.1 in the winter. Around 7.9-8.2 in the summer

Do you dose Kalk?
NO, it's too messy and complicate the set up.

Is your tank heavily stocked with SPS ?
For a 37gal cube, I woluld say yes. But I do also have LPS which requires lots more of ALK and Calcium than people realize. I also Have 5 clams which are ALK suckers.

>Have you tried other media ? What kind? <

Yes, the regular ARM media but didn't like the mush at the bottom of the chamber. I just switched to the ARM shuran style media about two weeks ago. It's a little too early to say if there's mush or no mush at the bottom.

[maurod]

It's good to know that ARM is making thicker media, I really was surprised at what I got for my money when the last bucket came, it was full of seeds and stems :)....

Does anyone know of cheaper "reefbones" ? I found pacific coast imports seem to sell it by the 40lb bag, but are wholesale only.

[jimmyj7090]

ARM
Effluent PH at 6.75-6.95 (not counting somewhat old probe error?)
bubble count - not sure, it's controlled by the PH controller (darn aquamedic regulator is super hard to tune precisely)


*another question*
How long are you getting out of your Co2 tank?

I get about 6+ months out of a 10lb tank.