Time for a PH Controller

So our calcium reactor has been chugging along since the later part of October. Playing with bubble count, ml/min and Ph have been kind of challenge to dial in, but after yesterday, I will be ordering a Ph controller.

I was @ the computer for a couple hours...5-7ish and always check temp, SG and Ph on wall by our 55g, which just left of our GEO reactor. I have one Ph meter/probe....a Pinpoint that I've had for a long time.



For a month or so I ran the probe in the reactor and eventually set the Ph in there to 6.25. The effluent rate @ ~ 15ml/ 10sec. That rate seemed to be comfortable and after our last Sunday Ca test, our calcium had risen to ~400 from ~350. Alk & Mag...were within Red Sea Parms. [Don't recall the exact #s].

So I come back into he room just before noon, I noticed the 55 was a bit cloudy, and the reactor was thick fog cloudy and the recirculation pump was gurgling every few seconds. Crap...... I shut it all down. Had to run ~ 15 gallons out to clear up water in the reactor. I presume that the effluent line got semi-plugged and the Ph in the reactor dipped enough to cause a huge release of calcium from the media.



Anyway, I have been monitoring the tank system Ph...and it has been hovering @ 8.38 - 8.45. High I know, and so I came up with the brilliant idea to up my bubble count in the reactor to help keep the system Ph below 8.4.



Errrrrrrrrrrrr....not a good idea.



So no deaths or off cooking livestock. The 400 never really got cloudy and I assume the extra Calcium got used.



So I'm not going to wait until September to get Ph controller with then APEX....I'm ordering a Pinpoint controller today.

At the very least, it will stop the Ph from dipping below 6.25 or wherever I set it.



I'm not sure what would have happened if we had left for the day.