CO2

[Verbalkint]

Whats the purpose of a CO2 reactor in a SW tank setup?

I could understand (from biology class in High School) That if you have plants in a tank, you'd want CO2 for their 'air', so to speak, but in a reef / fowlr tank, is there a purpose for having a CO2 system?

Thanks

 

[reefrunner69]

In a reef CO2 systems are used in conjunction with calcium reactors to lower the ph in the media chamber to disolve the media. CO2 reactors are also sometimes used in conjunction with heavily dosed kalkwasser systems, they are used with a ph controller to add co2 when the ph is going too high.

 

[Verbalkint]

So bascially, unless I have a PH problem, I have no need for a CO2 system.?

I know that kalkwasser is basically calcium, which corals, etc need, so If I use kalkwasser in my reef tank, I assume it'll mess with the pH, requiring the use of CO2?

Many Thanks Reefrunner.



Dave

 

[reefrunner69]

o bascially, unless I have a PH problem, I have no need for a CO2 system.?

And then...only if it was very high, CO2 lowers the ph of the water.

I know that kalkwasser is basically calcium, which corals, etc need, so If I use kalkwasser in my reef tank, I assume it'll mess with the pH, requiring the use of CO2?

Only if VERY heavily dosed, I have dosed all evaporation in a 20g tank (and encouraged evaporation, about 1g per day, that's 5% of the gross volume, probably closer to 7% of the net volume per day) with kalk and not had any ph issues. If anything using with a float switch dosing 24/7 it stabalized my ph.