I have a new dual chamber calcium reactor on my 215 gal reef tank and have been having a hard time regulating the calcium and now pH. Here are my numbers:

1. Temp-81
2. SG-1.024
3. pH-7.8
4. HC03-3.0 meq/l
5. Ca-250
6. Mg-1050
7. Bubble Rate-45 drops/min
8. Effluent ph out of 2nd chamber-7.0

I have just done a 25 % water change and added Pro-Buffer DKh to try to bring pH up slowly. I have turned off the reactor.

My question is what is the problem with my tank and the reactor. Is the Arragonite gone bad? Where do I start the troubleshoot?

Raise bubble count to 60 bpm, have afluent rate just faster than a drip. ( thin stream)
Get some calcium addatives use the method found on this page http://www.kademani.com/reefchem.htm to raise it then your reactor should be able to maintain it.

Allen I have had the exact same issues!

Mafia
( Chris)

I appreciate the fix but I really want to understand what is wrong. I fear that the fix will be temporary and will recur without attention to the underlying cause.

1) consumption, If you are calcium need heavy like I am it may just be being used up

2) unballanced, If you ran your alkalinity to high it may have caused your calcium to percipitate out, (often known as snow storm)

3)Never was high enough, If your calcium was VERY low when you started your reactor it would take it a long time to catch up.

4)Reactor not set right (see first responce)

5) faulty reactor.

I assume you will have seen the ARC newsletter for Nov 2004. There is an article on adjusting a calcium reactor.