Sulfur DeNITRIFIER and advance water chemistry questions

[AgioNiko]

So here is the story. Any input would be greatly appreciated

Specs of the tank
Ca 425 ph 8.3 Alk 8.5 MG 1400

Nitrates .02

So I hook up the sulfur Denitrifier to get a true level of zero nitrates, and be able to feed my sps…all that good stuff

So after 2 weeks….. everything is going great, and the colors of the corals are looking amazing. Growth is looking good.

After 3 weeks tank looks weird. So I measure my alk, and it is 6.8. Very unusual as I have dosing pumps and it’s been stable for at least a year at current dose. Ph was 8.3

So add 30ml’s of part 1 solution, and check the next day and the alk is 8.0. I adjust the dosing pumps adding an extral 4ml’s a day of part 1 spread over 2 times. Boost with an additional 20 ml’s of Part 1 to get it a little bit above 8.0. FYI all other parameters normal as above

Go away for three days, and I notice that my corals are having some slow tissue necrosis from the top…. So I test the alk again, and it is 6.8…. So add 30 ml of part 1, and I increase dosing pumps by 4 ml spread over 2x a day…….. Get it to 8.0 but my pH is 8.52. Lower the amount of drops coming out of the de-nitrifier to 1-2 drops a sec versus several (3-4) drops a sec….. Also the outtake tube goes into the chamber of the protein skimmer….maxamize O2 absorption for water flow that is coming out of de-nitifier that has low o2 levels.

So next day add 20 ml’s of part 1 ph is goes to 8.5, but then following day pH is down to 8.42 alk is 8.6 again all other parameters are the same.

So what is going on in….. Is this due to the sulfur de-nitifier. Thoughts??
What are the negatives of this reactor?

 

[MisFit]

Are you running calcium reactor media in the sulfur reactor as well? In a single chambered reactor you should have the the water flow through the sulfur, a filter pad and then some calcium reactor media like ARM before exiting the reactor. In a two chamber reactor the first chamber should be sulfur and the second should be calcium reactor media.

 

[AgioNiko]

2 chambered model water flows throught the sulfur, and then through the calcium.

 

[AgioNiko]

Here is the link to the model I have
http://www.midwestaquatic.com/PRODUCTS/sulfur_denitrifier.htm

 

[MisFit]

Maybe when flowing through the calcium reactor portion you are actually adding too much calcium and carbonate and you are causing the calcium and carbonate to precipitate out? Check the calcium and alk of the water flowing out of the reactor. Although you did state your calcium levels were ok... Im kind of at a loss here.

 

[AgioNiko]

I am at a loss as well....... Today it was at 8.4 with 17ml of part 1 still to be dosed later so it looks relatively stable..... You brought up a great point. When I intially set up the reactor I lowered the amount of CA being entered into the aquarium.... Dont think that would do anything?

 

[AgioNiko]

Any one else on this subject. I just recalibrated my pH probe, and it was off a little it said 8.46, and now is 8.3 so I guess I have a little more wiggle room. I spoke to the maker of the denitratification system and he said it normally lowers pH