Low PH, CA, and ALK. Help please!

[ErikH]

My PH is 7.8, Alk is 8, and CA is 370. I run a CA reactor at 1 drop per second. The PH inside the reactor is 6.1 I have turned the effluent drip off and have done a 20% water change. PH is still low, but I am making more water. I also dosed a tsb of kalk into my overflow box. Any other ideas??? Any idea why my PH, CA, and Alk dropped so low? Do I need more than 1 drop per second with my effluent? The CO2 canister's left gauge reads about 48 psi and the right gauge reads about 70 psi. I am running a 70w Viper on my fuge with an opposing light schedule. I am going to change another 40g tommorrow.... What does each gauge indicate?

I don't understand the calculators all that well... :)

[hobogato]

you need to get the alk and calc up where you want them with additives like b - ionic and then use the reactors to maintain those levels. it can be a bit tricky at first.

[Hamp]

I am not really sure if this applies or not, but I have had similar problems recently, especially after large water changes....ends up my batch of ree crystals has ca-360, mg-980 and I forget the exact alk and ph but both were really off. Took a lot of supplements, and time and effort before I thought of checking my salt.

[aquasport24]

What are your parameters before all this happen? What kind of regulator do you have on the co2 bottle? one gauge is reading your psi volume in the bottle and the other gauge is reading the psi that going into the reactor. At either 48psi or 70 psi is too high for the reactor (i run from 1-3psi into my GEO 612 reactor) i am supprise your reactor has not blow up. Are you sure it's the psi # that you reading?

[aquasport24]

Remember, it takes about 24hrs after you do any adjustment for the reactor to give the right readings.

[Texreefer]

Yeah, you shouldn't run more than 20 psi to your reactor.. Like Ace said. add a goog two part buffer to get those levels up,, also with Ph that low. try sticking an air stone in the sump for a couple of days

[Bill S]

OK, I'm not one to give advice here - 'cause I've had my fair share of problems.

As noted above, the Ca reactor will only maintain Alk & Ca levels.

Also noted, if your pH in your reactor is really 6.1, you MIGHT be close to a meltdown. Ace would know better than I ;)

To raise pH AND alk, dose ANHYDROUS sodium bicarbonate.

To raise calcium, dose dow flake.

In addition to your Ca reactor, you should be dosing Kalk with your makeup water. Don't add dry kalk to your tank - 1 tsp/gallon of RO/DI is supposed to be saturated. But, seawater won't take 1 tsp/gallon - the Ca will precipiate out. Kalk will raise your pH as well.

[hobogato]

that is low, unless you are using a media that dissolves at a lower pH. i use arm and other media that dissolve at 6.5, so that is where i keep my reactor.




Also noted, if your pH in your reactor is really 6.1, you MIGHT be close to a meltdown.

[ErikH]

I'll start dosing Kalk in my makeup water. I only skipped one water change, which I have done in the past with no ill effect. That is why I am puzzled. One day, my CA reactor was kicking on three times a day, then it just stopped and the PH dropped to 7.8.... I am working from home, so it gets checked often.?.?

[fishn]

I have the same problem with the low PH, but have been told by to many reefers to mention that I should not mess with it. My cal (450) and alk (8) are good and the Cal reactor is running great the tank PH hovers between 7.8 and 8.0 with no ill effects on any livestock. I have not dosed kalk in my topoff water as it makes for a bigger PH swing IMO. and also only IMO that is worse than the low PH. Good Luck

[Bill S]

Well, yes. Your pH ranges are PROBABLY ok. However, dosing kalk WILL help in the long run. If you are running a Ca reactor, you need to be running a kalk reactor. Just MO.

[JimD]

There should be very little Ph swing if you learn how to top off with kalk at night when the Ph is at its lowest. That and reverse fuge lighting are the best ways to stabalize Ph.

[ErikH]

Ok, my reactor's effluent smells like rotten eggs. I am going to assume that it is not working correctly and take it offline. Any ideas?

[ErikH]

Ok, so what I am doing to remedy the problem is this.
I flushed my CA reactor with 10 gallons of water. The first bucket stunk, the second did not. I am now dripping into a bucket at my normal drip rate of 1 drop per second.
The ph in the tank has risen a whole point since doing this. I am going to try and continue this overnight and see if my PH stabilizes. I have been using the three part supplements for CA ALK and Mg. Each are coming back into balance accordingly.

[mikedelgado]

my tank runs at about the same parameters as fishn's. I do use a kalk reactor for my top off. despite the lower ph #s everything seems to be doing fine. I was told the co2 from the calcium reactor is going to drop your ph a little. I dont think it is going to hurt anything. reverse lighting the fuge and kalk reactor are supposed to help keep ph up. tje rotten egg smell is suspicious though.

[JimD]

Sounds like the Ca media is channeling causing no-flow areas within the chamber. No-flow = stagnent water = PEEYOO!

[ErikH]

PH is now 8.3 but CA is still low at 370, in the first post I was wrong. It was originally 270. The dKH is now at 12from 8. My halides run for 12 hours and my fuge light (70w Viper) runs the opposite. I am dosing kalk again through my ato and have slowed my drip rate from the CA reactor to 1 drop per 3 seconds as per Ace's recommendation. The stagnant water has been flushed out, no big deal. I will keep updating to keep a little record for myself and for future amusement. :) The effluent from the CA reactor smelled like rotten eggs, it was pretty gross...

[fishn]

I have also added my Kalk reactor back to my system, but have not seen a big diffrence in the PH. Although it dose not get to dangersly low now.