How do YOU control your calcium reactor?

[Delphinus]

Manual control for me.

[TheReefGeek]

I used to control it manually, but I cant stand sitting there and counting bubbles all the time. So now I use a pH probe in the effluent and set the controller to 6.5 to 6.7, then adjust effluent flow up or down as necessary. Only took a couple days to tune this way.

This is what I have been leading towards. Why do you need a Ph probe and controller though?

[christyf5]

Manual.

[Bill]

I use a controller to turn my CO2 solenoid on and off. The cheapest I found for continuous monitoring cost $110. For $10 more, I got the controller.

[Ruth]

I have controllers for both of my calcium reactors and still do it manually and just use the controller as a monitor. Jeezz one of these days I am going to have to hook them up. I will monitor the effluent - my gro-tech calcium reactor has a port to insert the PH probe right into the body of the reactor to get a really accurate reading too!

[StirCrazy]

#1 for me, I usaly adjust bubble and flow to get my output Alk about 3X higher than my desired tank Alk, then after that I just adjust the flow through the reactor to fine tune the tank Alk.

Steve

[vanreefer]

similar method but I shoot for a Ph of 6.7-6.9 then adjust the effluent rate to control the tank ALK

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

#1 for me, I usaly adjust bubble and flow to get my output Alk about 3X higher than my desired tank Alk, then after that I just adjust the flow through the reactor to fine tune the tank Alk.

Steve

[Jaws]

If you want your alk to be about 10 in the display tank, how do you measure effluent with an alk of 30 when the test kit charts only go half that? Do you just keep adding more reagant and continue to follow the same scale?