Strange pattern noticed

[Emac909]

So I was looking at my logs and noticed a strange pattern with my calcium reactor and co2. I was wondering if someone else has noticed something similar. I’m betting it a water chemistry thing but I don’t know why this is happening.

Around 11am my calcium reactor pH acts way different during a 3 hour period. Normally it takes about 15 min from when the solenoid opens for the ph in the reactor to go for hi to low points. But around noon time the solenoid stays open for a good 3 hours.
The lights schedule is 9am-8pm. Halides run 12pm-4pm. Return pump runs all but turns off at 2pm for 10 min during pellet feed. Here’s what I’m talking about

Here’s my co2 solenoid settings

Here’s calcium reactor settings

I was thinking maybe the reactor was turning of but no. I started logging the reactor when I started noticing the trend

Also I noticed a trend with the tank pH around the same time too. These 3 pics highlight the times and pH dips that all occur around the same time

 

[djrice69]

are u pulling or pushing?

 

[Emac909]

The reactor pulls water in. But I tried feeding it off the return from the manifold too and was still getting this results. Ive been noticing this pattern for about a month now.

 

[Emac909]

Anyone have any suggestions? I’m puzzled by this.

I’m thinking it’s from the pH in the tank being so high. What could cause pH in a tank to be so high tho. I don’t does anything. Only run a calcium reactor. I even turn the skimmer off during the day to help not inject fresh air into the water.

 

[five.five-six]

Lower your bubble rate.

 

[Emac909]

Lower your bubble rate.

It’s all ready at a bubble every 3 seconds. I don’t think I can get the bubble rate much slower. I’m using a home made regulator at the lowest psi

Here’s the bubble rate

 

[Emac909]

Looks like I’ll be filling my tank soon too

 

[jake_francis]

Looks like the bubble rate is not consistent based on your video.


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[Emac909]

Looks like the bubble rate is not consistent based on your video.


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True but if it was the bubble rate wouldn’t you think I would have the Irregularities at any time. Not at the same time every day.
I’ve even slowed down the effluent rate and still got the same spike in pH in the reactor. If been noticing the spike for a month now and it’s at the same time every day.

Look at the bottom of this pic. It’s like clockwork everyday

 

[jake_francis]

Have you tried turning your calcium reactor off to see if you get the same pattern?


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[Emac909]

Have you tried turning your calcium reactor off to see if you get the same pattern?


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See that spike on may 15th. That’s what that way.

 

[bvysochin]

Do you have any timers or any other equipment that turns on around 11am? Mechanical timers, wavemakers, skimmers, refugium lights, etc?

I have a cheap LED refugium light that I had on a mechanical timer that would cause the apex to get funky temperature readings during the time it would go on. Some type of electromagnetic interference.. it would cause the nearest temp probe (I have 5 total) to read 2 degrees low. Only that probe. Like clockwork. I even replaced the temp probe, and later realized it was happening at the exact same time every day. Disconnected the cheap light and the problem went away.

When our halides turn on, it sometimes causes electromagnetic interference and kicks on a nearby AC unit as well. Like clockwork.. 10:59pm.

Weird stuff.

Also, when your lights come on, your coral photosynthethizes and causes the ph in your system to rise. You can see that in your graph, at around the time your lights come on. Not sure why it dips a tiny bit at 11am, but then you can see it continue to rise as your lights are on. Do you have a refugium and if so, do you run a reverse light cycle that turns off shortly after your lights start to come on?

 

[Emac909]

Do you have any timers or any other equipment that turns on around 11am? Mechanical timers, wavemakers, skimmers, refugium lights, etc?

I have a cheap LED refugium light that I had on a mechanical timer that would cause the apex to get funky temperature readings during the time it would go on. Some type of electromagnetic interference.. it would cause the nearest temp probe (I have 5 total) to read 2 degrees low. Only that probe. Like clockwork. I even replaced the temp probe, and later realized it was happening at the exact same time every day. Disconnected the cheap light and the problem went away.

When our halides turn on, it sometimes causes electromagnetic interference and kicks on a nearby AC unit as well. Like clockwork.. 10:59pm.

Weird stuff.

Also, when your lights come on, your coral photosynthethizes and causes the ph in your system to rise. You can see that in your graph, at around the time your lights come on. Not sure why it dips a tiny bit at 11am, but then you can see it continue to rise as your lights are on. Do you have a refugium and if so, do you run a reverse light cycle that turns off shortly after your lights start to come on?

No, so here’s my list of equipment on apex

Return pump is always on except from 2pm-2:05pm it turns off for feeding
Skimmer runs from 10pm-11am. I just recently added the time code to see if it would help with tank pH not going up and seeing if it would help keep reactor stable.

Next heaters they haven’t turned on much or if at all in the last few weeks
Then fan that is in the stand, it’s pretty much running 24/7 right now
Then UV light runs along the side of return pump. Here’s the setting

Stand lights is the led light that turns on when I open my stand doors

Then cal reactor and co2
Lights are the MHs they run from noon-4pm

The can fan is the fan that runs on the MHs it turns on and off with halides and if the stand fan is on.
Then the qt stuff is everything on the qt tank. The qt tank has only been setup for a little over a week now and I’ve been noticing the reactor pH swing for over a month now.
My fuge light is a maxspect ethereal and has an internal timer and it runs from 9pm-9am

I’m running radions on ESL for sup light and they run from 8am-8pm
Then mp10 on the back wall. Here’s is schedule

Here’s the M1 on closeloop system

Last is 2 ai Nero5s running on this schedule

 

[bvysochin]

I see. Doesnt look like interference. So it's only your carx ph probe acting strange between about 11am and 2pm ? Your tank ph looks pretty good. Unless I'm missing something-your tank ph varies less than .2 between the peak and low.

You mentioned youre pulling water into the carx, do you know what the flow rate is ? How large of a carx is it ? Your solenoid comes on/off a lot.

 

[joseserrano]

I think you should narrow your melting rate, 6.7-7 is too big for me. Check the status of your CO2 tank. Recalibrate your PH probe, 8.5 seems inaccurate or are you running some kind of co2 scrubber? Has the flow coming out of your unit changed?

 

[Emac909]

I think you should narrow your melting rate, 6.7-7 is too big for me. Check the status of your CO2 tank. Recalibrate your PH probe, 8.5 seems inaccurate or are you running some kind of co2 scrubber? Has the flow coming out of your unit changed?

I’m running my reactor at a high effluent rate, close to 100ml per min. I do this so it doesn’t clog. When I first started the reactor in jan I was running it in between 6.9-7.0. Then when the demand of alk went up I dropped it to 6.8-6.9 and the alk climbed up fast, not to fast to do damage but to fast for my liking. So I went to 6.8-7.0 and alk slowly climbed at .2 a week. Then when demand grow as I got more frags and growth I dropped it to 6.7-6.8 again I saw the alk climbed higher then I like. So I went 6.7-6.9 the alk was still climbing at that rate but it wasn’t fast. When the alk got to 9dkh I set the pH at 6.7-7.0 and the alk has been constant at low 9ish range. Then when frags grow I’ll go from 7.0 to 6.9.
I was thinking 8.5 was way too high too. But I’ve just recalibrated all pH probes and tried different probes the first week I started noticing this swing.
No co2 scrubber but the intake for the skimmer runs outside of the stand. I also have crazy amounts of surface agitation in the tank. So much surface agitation that I get micro bubbles in the tank. Also the signs I believe the pH is high is great oxygenation and coraline algae growth in this tank has been insane sense I seen the tank pH has gone up. Plus look at the night when all the tank pump cut power in half the tank pH goes to 8.3. Then when all the pumps ramp up, causing more surface agitation the tank pH starts climbing.

 

[joseserrano]

I’m running my reactor at a high effluent rate, close to 100ml per min. I do this so it doesn’t clog. When I first started the reactor in jan I was running it in between 6.9-7.0. Then when the demand of alk went up I dropped it to 6.8-6.9 and the alk climbed up fast, not to fast to do damage but to fast for my liking. So I went to 6.8-7.0 and alk slowly climbed at .2 a week. Then when demand grow as I got more frags and growth I dropped it to 6.7-6.8 again I saw the alk climbed higher then I like. So I went 6.7-6.9 the alk was still climbing at that rate but it wasn’t fast. When the alk got to 9dkh I set the pH at 6.7-7.0 and the alk has been constant at low 9ish range. Then when frags grow I’ll go from 7.0 to 6.9.
I was thinking 8.5 was way too high too. But I’ve just recalibrated all pH probes and tried different probes the first week I started noticing this swing.
No co2 scrubber but the intake for the skimmer runs outside of the stand. I also have crazy amounts of surface agitation in the tank. So much surface agitation that I get micro bubbles in the tank. Also the signs I believe the pH is high is great oxygenation and coraline algae growth in this tank has been insane sense I seen the tank pH has gone up. Plus look at the night when all the tank pump cut power in half the tank pH goes to 8.3. Then when all the pumps ramp up, causing more surface agitation the tank pH starts climbing.

Makes sense. I wouldn’t freak out too much over this. Many ppl who run ca reactors will see significant swings through the day. Just double check all your, lines (both co2 and water), how much co2 is left in the tank, and test alk daily

 

[Emac909]

Ok I figured out the problem. The old calibration solutions I was using were bad, they were 10oz bottles from the hydro store that my brother gave me. I decided to order new packet of Milwaukee ph calibration packets last weekend. They came on Thursday but with work I wasn’t able to calibrate till yesterday. Now everything is reading perfect.

After I calibrated the probes I tested the old solutions I had and the 7 solution was reading at 7.98