calcium reactor effluent degassing

[bcjm]

I have a single chamber ca reactor. I want to raise tank ph by degasing the effluent. Which one of the following is better?

1. add second chamber with ca media.

2. add second chamber using air pump/air stone overflow into sump

3. drip into skimmer from the skimmer top lid.

4. drip into skimmer water pump intake

I am leaning toward #4 since it is easiest to do but not sure if the pump needs too much maintenance due to ca buildup.

Edited February 7, 2013 by bcjm

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

What helped me was putting the drip in my skimmer intake section and then having it run through my refuge. I also added a second chamber but the big difference for me was moving the drip to have it run through the fuge and skimmer before hitting the return and going back to the display.

[Der ABT]

get a kalk reactor....if your demand is high enough.....works great for me.

 

or run you skimmer intake outside to fresh air.

 

or id go with a second chamber...just get a media reactor used and repurpose.

[bcjm]

I have a kalk reactor but my ph is between 8.02 to 7.8. I tried run the air from outside with no oh difference.

 

Piper27, do you need to clean your skimmer pump often due to calcium buildup?

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

I clean it twice a year never noticed a difference. Then again i switched skimmers and I just put the drip in the general area not in the water by the Pump intake. Don't chase ph if yours is that high! That's perfect and you won't get any better with a calcium reactor, at least that I am aware of. Mine ran 7.6 to 8 all year.

[Chad]

When I ran a calcium reactor, I preferred to run the effluent through a second chamber with media.

 

Using an air pump adds more equipment that takes a plug (always a liability in my mind with salt tanks... minimize equipment as much as possible) and putting enriched effluent through your skimmer means some of the content may precipitate out of the effluent and onto skimmer surfaces, which will cause additional maintenance to clean up.

 

That's why I made the choice I did.

[bbyatv]

I run a kalk stir and a calcium reactor.

 

I do step numbers 1 and 2 (a third chamber with an air stone) above.

 

I then add another step by dripping the effluent in to the sump directly above an air stone I have in the sump.

 

My pH runs 8.1 in the morning to 8.3 at night.

 

Good luck, Bruce

[dandy7200]

1.

 

If you cam get more cal/alk out of your reactor and at the same time buffer the effluent, you will run your co2 less while attaining the same levels, this will lead to higher ph over time.

[basser9]

I find if i have a really big skimmer like a ETSS1000 or larger i never have ph below 8

but i tried a couple of neddlewheel skimmers on my 150 and had constant ph swings.

Anybody running a really large skimmer having ph problems.......I have never seen a really

large neddlewheel skimmer on home systems only on lfs systems....anybody run one...whats ph.

If running the effluent over a airstone raises your ph it seems to me so would a very large skimmer.

Edited February 8, 2013 by basser9

[davelin315]

I wouldn't run the effluent into the skimmer itself - this will work to cancel out some of what you're trying to put into your system and will become counterproductive. I would suggest putting the effluent into the effluent from your skimmer. I added a Y valve to the output of my skimmer and dripped it into there. It mixes with highly oxygenated water that's really churning and helps to bring it back to normal pH without being stripped by the skimmer. If you add a nozzle to the effluent as well that causes it to come out in a fan spray (micro sprinkler heads would work for this) you'll also further defuse the CO₂ in the water. I believe there might be a picture towards the end of my build thread with that attachment. I put it on the horizontal part of my skimmer.

[bcjm]

Why does adding the effluent into skimmer body will strip out the ca/alk? The water in the body is highly Oxygenated also and the contact time is much longer.

[davelin315]

Studies on skimmate show high concentrations of calcium and other valuable trace elements. We had a speaker awhile back that spoke of this and I believe there are also publications. This doesn't diminish the value of a skimmer to me as I had contemplated dripping the CA reactor effluent into the skimmer myself, it just meant to me I would be defeating the purpose of the CA reactor by doing so.