Juiceman Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 Did you change the CaRX settings dramatically? I usually just turn up the pH and leave the drip rate the same, always. That way when I need to reset it back, I just get it back to the same pH I had it set at before and viola, instantly calibrated again. Main reason I do that is because I actually have a reading for the pH that I can gauge my adjustments with versus the flow rate, where I would have to measure the change in flow each time manually with a cup and timer. I like option 1 better. With all the mess that's been happening yes. I had to turn off the CO2 for a long time and manually dose ALK to let the CA come down. Then once it came down, I turned it back on and it kicked my ALK up from 7.5 to 10 in one day. I turned it off for a few days to let it settle back down, and raised the PH from like 6.55 to 6.8. Once back on, it raised the ALK again, so I went through that whole cycle again. Just recently in this past 2 weeks, it hasn't been keeping up and i'm turning it back down again. The flow has stayed the same. just lowering the PH. IDK where i'm at stability wise yet, so I don't want to jump waaay down too fast and shock anything. that and I want to get it to where it should be, then tune it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Well that makes sense if it's all over the place with your tank's needs. Dialing the CaRX is such a pain in the butt but once it's there, it's like SPS nirvana. You didn't have any losses with the 7.5 dKh to 10 dKh jump? I can picture your tank area littered with used bottles of alk reagent like a war zone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 Well that makes sense if it's all over the place with your tank's needs. Dialing the CaRX is such a pain in the butt but once it's there, it's like SPS nirvana. You didn't have any losses with the 7.5 dKh to 10 dKh jump? I can picture your tank area littered with used bottles of alk reagent like a war zone! I keep on getting in trouble for white powdery spots on the floor around the tank and kitchen... haha (Spilled ALK solution) no loses that I know of. almost everything is coloring back up or better than it was before. My Red Planet is Halfway RTN'd but it was a nub to start with so idk if it's gonna be saved or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Hilarious! I saved my ORA red planet from just two polyps... fight the good fight Juiceman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 23, 2015 Author Share Posted September 23, 2015 Figured out the problem. The bubble rate wasn't high enough to get the carx to the correct ph so it never got to the ph I was setting it at, thus not maintaining the alk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 Figured out the problem. The bubble rate wasn't high enough to get the carx to the correct ph so it never got to the ph I was setting it at, thus not maintaining the alk I'd highly recommend you try to tune your CaRX without the solenoid needing to function if possible. I aim to do that and actually turn off my solenoid. Once it can keep a consistent pH that matches my alk/Ca consumption, then I program my high/low setpoints for pH to turn on/off the gas if it ever goes above/below what I want it to do. I usually give it a 0.10 buffer... like if I wanted to keep 6.55 pH, I'd make sure it can maintain that number without a solenoid, then once it holds steady, I program my Apex to stay between 6.45-6.65 pH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 23, 2015 Author Share Posted September 23, 2015 Figured out the problem. The bubble rate wasn't high enough to get the carx to the correct ph so it never got to the ph I was setting it at, thus not maintaining the alk I'd highly recommend you try to tune your CaRX without the solenoid needing to function if possible. I aim to do that and actually turn off my solenoid. Once it can keep a consistent pH that matches my alk/Ca consumption, then I program my high/low setpoints for pH to turn on/off the gas if it ever goes above/below what I want it to do. I usually give it a 0.10 buffer... like if I wanted to keep 6.55 pH, I'd make sure it can maintain that number without a solenoid, then once it holds steady, I program my Apex to stay between 6.45-6.65 pH. For sure, my goal is to always have the Solenoid be a fail safe and not a tool. Now that its going to the correct PH i'll make sure the range is right and then tune the bubbles as needed! ON the up and up 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 You're all over it as always sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 24, 2015 Author Share Posted September 24, 2015 Alk was at the same level it was yesterday which means it didn't keep up. (Since I added about 15oz of Alk solution) so I lowered the ph a bit more and dosed some more Alk solution. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 Alk was at the same level it was yesterday which means it didn't keep up. (Since I added about 15oz of Alk solution) so I lowered the ph a bit more and dosed some more Alk solution. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk What pH are you at now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 24, 2015 Author Share Posted September 24, 2015 Alk was at the same level it was yesterday which means it didn't keep up. (Since I added about 15oz of Alk solution) so I lowered the ph a bit more and dosed some more Alk solution. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk What pH are you at now? It's set at 6.55. It was at 6.60 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 25, 2015 Author Share Posted September 25, 2015 Alk...... 5.88 Nitrate...... 5 ppm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Man, I'd dose back to 7 dKh and drop that pH in the reactor even more. When's the last time you calibrated the pH probe in the CaRX? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 25, 2015 Author Share Posted September 25, 2015 Man, I'd dose back to 7 dKh and drop that pH in the reactor even more. When's the last time you calibrated the pH probe in the CaRX?Been dosing 15 oz of alk every morning and night.Trust me... I'm trying! I dropped it to 6.50 last night. I'll test when I get home today and see if it made a difference. I'm glad this is my problem vs nitrates. And I calibrated about a month ago Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 That's crazy! Because when you dropped it to 6.50 last time, it spiked your alk. Guess the consumption caught up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 25, 2015 Author Share Posted September 25, 2015 Growing coral! Yesssss! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 Soooo....... my ALK reagent was no good...... I went to test my ALK Friday Night before I left for Dallas and I'd ran out of reagent. Popped open my new box that I had ready and tested, the results were a blinking 300..... WTH! Upon looking that up, it means its too high to be read. So... I tested again.... Same outcome. WTH I pulled out an old Salifert Kit and tested..... out of Range...... I was leaving for Dallas in 20 mins so I text Ty ask him for a huge favor. Ty goes by in the midst of his busy schedule while i'm gone to pick up some water to test with his kits to see if i'm getting the correct reading, and it confirms that my ALK is off the chart. The good news is everything looks good right now except for my Setosa. I was adding ALK solution everyday over the last 2 weeks or so since it kept saying it was low, so it wasn't a sudden spike or anything, now I just have to get it back down. I'm going to do a 30G water change today do try to at least get it back to a level I can test at, then let it slowly come down on it's own. Hopefully no other issues come from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 The minute the reagent hit your water, I could already tell before putting it in the Hanna meter... This stuff is screaming high! I'd still look into the muriatic acid option to lower your alk slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BornToHula Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Wow, so with the bad reagent it was giving you consistently low readings? I wonder if it got diluted somehow. Hopefully if you bring it down slowly it wont cause any issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 I want to get it to a testable level before i do any other additive options. Because it may not stay high for long, idk Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Mine drops about 2.0 dKh/day without any supplementation if that gives you any reference for usage. 2.0 dKh is too much for a daily drop in my opinion but I'm going to assume yours probably uses about 1.0-1.5 dKh/day, just ballpark guestimation from your water volume and your population of corals that uptake Ca/alk. In that case, if it were my tank, I'd feel comfortable letting it just drop naturally with coral uptake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 Mine drops about 2.0 dKh/day without any supplementation if that gives you any reference for usage. 2.0 dKh is too much for a daily drop in my opinion but I'm going to assume yours probably uses about 1.0-1.5 dKh/day, just ballpark guestimation from your water volume and your population of corals that uptake Ca/alk. In that case, if it were my tank, I'd feel comfortable letting it just drop naturally with coral uptake. Yeah, I have water ready at home. I'm going to test when I get home. With the salifert test, I can keep adding more reagent past what the test normally reads and see what it says. I'll make a decision from there Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckyuv Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 That's crazy! Dang test kits! How high is off the chart for the test kit? It's this like 20dkh or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 16.8 dkh + Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Ok, tested! I'm at 13.66 not that horrible. Think I should do a water change still or leave it? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.