PH Computer question from Newsalt

Brucey · 06-14-2005, 05:24 PM

Hi Guys, Newsalt emailed me with the following question, so thought Id post the reply here in case it helps anyone else
Brucey

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Hi Brucey:
I recently purchased a pH Controller form Milwaukee Instruments. I want to use it to maintain my pH at 8.4 like you do. Can you show me your set up for that? You're using kalk right? Are you using a kalk reactor? My LFS says that he maintains his pH using a Ca Reactor. Do you think that's over kill for me? Appreciate your help.
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REPLY

HI NS . . . . . hows things going buddy

Well, how to use a PH computer. Now there's a question. OK, first things first. Can the PH computer be used to turn on/off when the PH drops below a point and turn on/off when the PH rises above a point. If so, it's a true computer, rather than a controller that most devices on the market are.

OK, lets get this out of the way, You CAN NOT use a Calcium reactor to control PH at a high level. The best PH for our reef tanks is 8.3 - 8.4. The effluent from a calcium reactor has to be approx 6.75 to dissolve the media inside the reactor. Therefore, it is generally true that aquariums that run Calcium reactors run low PH. Using a Ca reactor can only lower the PH in a tank, although it could be argued that a Ca reactor adds Alk to our tanks and in that form, helps stabilise PH at higher levels.

I USED to run my PH computer on my kalk stirrer, as you rightly said to maintain the PH at 8.4. But as you add more and more corals and the demands on the system become heavier and heavier, the kalk is unable to keep up with demands of the tank and you end up adding more kalk solution that you can evaporate. Therefore it becomes a dangerous game of flooding the system in an attempt to keep up with PH demands. You can try it and if your stocking levels are low, then it can work VERY VERY well. For over a year I managed to maintain my PH 24 hours a day between 8.25 and 8.4. Which is a pretty tight variance.

However, as I said above, you end up adding more kalk than you can evaporate. So I ended up adding Kalk in line with a top up computer, therefore taking away the risk of flooding. The PH variance becomes greater, but you lose the risk of flooding the system.

Now I use my PH computer to control my calcium reactor. As I said above, the effluent of calcium reactors is very low and it can become dangerous on systems with poor PH balance, by driving down the PH to levels undesirable to corals, and to a certain extent, fish. So now the PH computer turns OFF the calcium reactor when the PH drops below 8. My PH fluctuations these days are much higher (8.00 to 8.3) but the very nature of my SPS dominated tank controls this. I've added another Kalk reactor, a reverse light schedule refuge etc etc etc in an attempt to balance the PH but it really is a difficult game to get on top of.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ASK more questions

Brucey

victorcan · 06-15-2005, 06:08 PM

I too have just baught a ph controller for my 125 gallon reef tank
I have approxiamtly 25 corals everything from soft ,sps,lps, xenia xenia and the some more xenias. I too have purchased a ca reactor and was mis informed by my lfs on its operating mechanisms, and thus alked up to like 24 dkh. Ive currently shut off my gas and lowered the effluent to 50ml p/m. and am awaiting the dkh to drop on its own.
but i too am trying to find the perfect balance and not sure if this will do the trick or not. I baught a milwaulkee ph controller, should i have got a computer??

06-14-2005, 05:24 PM	#1 (permalink)
Brucey Reef Lobster Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Reading, England Posts: 1,292 View Gallery Karma Komment	PH Computer question from Newsalt Hi Guys, Newsalt emailed me with the following question, so thought Id post the reply here in case it helps anyone else Brucey =======> Hi Brucey: I recently purchased a pH Controller form Milwaukee Instruments. I want to use it to maintain my pH at 8.4 like you do. Can you show me your set up for that? You're using kalk right? Are you using a kalk reactor? My LFS says that he maintains his pH using a Ca Reactor. Do you think that's over kill for me? Appreciate your help. =======< REPLY HI NS . . . . . hows things going buddy Well, how to use a PH computer. Now there's a question. OK, first things first. Can the PH computer be used to turn on/off when the PH drops below a point and turn on/off when the PH rises above a point. If so, it's a true computer, rather than a controller that most devices on the market are. OK, lets get this out of the way, You CAN NOT use a Calcium reactor to control PH at a high level. The best PH for our reef tanks is 8.3 - 8.4. The effluent from a calcium reactor has to be approx 6.75 to dissolve the media inside the reactor. Therefore, it is generally true that aquariums that run Calcium reactors run low PH. Using a Ca reactor can only lower the PH in a tank, although it could be argued that a Ca reactor adds Alk to our tanks and in that form, helps stabilise PH at higher levels. I USED to run my PH computer on my kalk stirrer, as you rightly said to maintain the PH at 8.4. But as you add more and more corals and the demands on the system become heavier and heavier, the kalk is unable to keep up with demands of the tank and you end up adding more kalk solution that you can evaporate. Therefore it becomes a dangerous game of flooding the system in an attempt to keep up with PH demands. You can try it and if your stocking levels are low, then it can work VERY VERY well. For over a year I managed to maintain my PH 24 hours a day between 8.25 and 8.4. Which is a pretty tight variance. However, as I said above, you end up adding more kalk than you can evaporate. So I ended up adding Kalk in line with a top up computer, therefore taking away the risk of flooding. The PH variance becomes greater, but you lose the risk of flooding the system. Now I use my PH computer to control my calcium reactor. As I said above, the effluent of calcium reactors is very low and it can become dangerous on systems with poor PH balance, by driving down the PH to levels undesirable to corals, and to a certain extent, fish. So now the PH computer turns OFF the calcium reactor when the PH drops below 8. My PH fluctuations these days are much higher (8.00 to 8.3) but the very nature of my SPS dominated tank controls this. I've added another Kalk reactor, a reverse light schedule refuge etc etc etc in an attempt to balance the PH but it really is a difficult game to get on top of. Good luck and don't hesitate to ASK more questions Brucey __________________ 160UK Gallon. (192US Gallon). 400Lbs LR. Aquamedic Turboflotor 5000 Shorty skimmer. Arcadia 3Series pendant (3x250W 14,000'K MH & 2x58W 60" actinic) (DIY cooling fan). Tunze 7095 Multicontroller & 2xTunze 6100 Streams. Redsea 100 Aquazone Plus ozonizer and redox computer. Aquamedic Ocean Runner 6500 return. TMC Vectron 30W UV sterilizer. Aquamedic Aquaniveau auto top up system through Deltec 500 kalk stirrer. PurityOnTap RO/DI. Deltec FR509 (ROWAPhos). Aquamedic PH computer controlling KNOP HD Calcium Reactor. Setup Nov 2002 See my tank here http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...&threadid=4486

06-15-2005, 06:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
victorcan Tunicate Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: wpb fla. Posts: 7 View Gallery Karma Komment	I too have just baught a ph controller for my 125 gallon reef tank I have approxiamtly 25 corals everything from soft ,sps,lps, xenia xenia and the some more xenias. I too have purchased a ca reactor and was mis informed by my lfs on its operating mechanisms, and thus alked up to like 24 dkh. Ive currently shut off my gas and lowered the effluent to 50ml p/m. and am awaiting the dkh to drop on its own. but i too am trying to find the perfect balance and not sure if this will do the trick or not. I baught a milwaulkee ph controller, should i have got a computer??

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