I have a Versa (single head) pump that is feeding my calcium reactor. I've had it running for months. Recently, it appeared that the calcium reactor's effluent was flowing at a lesser than usual amount, and I checked for any obstructions. All was well. In theory, nothing was clogged. I didn't remove the reactor for a full cleaning, I just checked some of the obvious points.
Since 2004, I've used a calcium reactor to maintain alkalinity and calcium in my reef tanks. It's a semi-simple setup, with a few necessary components. I have an article about how it is set up here: https://www.melevsreef.com/articles/how-set-calcium-reactor
I've been running an AquariumPlants Carbon Doser on my calcium reactor since 2010. At the time I thought it was expensive, but I was tired of buying a new regulator annually. They were costing me about $100 a year in replacement gear, so this one seemed like a better choice since it came with a three year warranty, and apparently I got free shipping too.
I wanted to share this item with y’all, because we all learn and relearn things daily. I’ve been testing alkalinity like clockwork, but the tank has been running lower than I like. I adjusted the black knob on this controller down slightly, but the number on the screen has pretty much been sitting at 7.5 (pH) for days. I thought that was odd that the number never changed, so I investigated further this afternoon.
This past weekend, I seized (cough - forced myself - cough) the opportunity to do some necessary maintenance. This blog will be a tad lengthy because while it may appear like my reef is run by magic, it's actually the effort I apply that makes it look its best. Let me break it down now.
