Just purchased a reef keeper lite to control my co2/pH lvls. Has anyone had any success hooking this system up? Seems complicated and instructions are lacking. Any help is welcomed.
Reef keeper lite
- Thread starter Oddballs
- Start date
Is this for a planted tank? I have a RKL, just upgraded to a RKE for a new build I'm doing.
My RKL was on a planted tank to control pH/CO2. So you have the reefkeeper lite, one of the power strips and a module that can measure pH with the probe? I believe both SL1 or 2 can read pH and will work for this.
Solenoid for the CO2 regulator gets plugged into one of the outlets. You then need to set up that specific switch. If your pH is normally 7.5 most people want a 1 point drop for planted tanks, so you'd aim for 6.5. So you set it up saying, if pH is above 6.5 the outlet is powered which opens the solenoid and flows CO2. Below 6.5 it cuts power which closes the solenoid.
You'll need to test your range a bit, tanks can all take different amounts of CO2 before the fish start gasping, but that is the general idea. I found setting it up using a computer to be much easier than trying to use the interface. Hopefully this helps, feel free to ask if you have some more questions. I had mine doing a few different functions and struggled for a while working it out.
Edit- I forgot to mention, when you are setting up the outlet you can set it so it only functions during certain hours, like when your lights are on. You can also set it so if pH drops too low it sets off an alarm.
My RKL was on a planted tank to control pH/CO2. So you have the reefkeeper lite, one of the power strips and a module that can measure pH with the probe? I believe both SL1 or 2 can read pH and will work for this.
Solenoid for the CO2 regulator gets plugged into one of the outlets. You then need to set up that specific switch. If your pH is normally 7.5 most people want a 1 point drop for planted tanks, so you'd aim for 6.5. So you set it up saying, if pH is above 6.5 the outlet is powered which opens the solenoid and flows CO2. Below 6.5 it cuts power which closes the solenoid.
You'll need to test your range a bit, tanks can all take different amounts of CO2 before the fish start gasping, but that is the general idea. I found setting it up using a computer to be much easier than trying to use the interface. Hopefully this helps, feel free to ask if you have some more questions. I had mine doing a few different functions and struggled for a while working it out.
Edit- I forgot to mention, when you are setting up the outlet you can set it so it only functions during certain hours, like when your lights are on. You can also set it so if pH drops too low it sets off an alarm.
Thank you for the response. My main concern is dropping the pH to low during the day and then when the light switch off it bounces back up. Could I set it where it just naturally keeps the pH lower with out the co2 being hooked up to the lights? And if the alarm is triggered depending on the alarm it turns the co2 on or off correct?
From what I understand, the pH drop due to CO2 is not the same as the pH changing rapidly due to dissolved solids. It does not stress the fish to have CO2 drop the pH so long as you do not go too low.
Most people set up the CO2 come on a half hour to hour before their lights then turn off a half hour to hour before lights go off so that CO2 has time to build up then be used up. Plants dont use CO2 at night, so you want the water be as oxygenated as possible when the lights are off.
So to answer your question, yes, you can have CO2 flowing 24/7 however you will be using more than double the CO2 that you really need to.
As for the alarm, if the CO2 gets too low it should turn off on it's own if you have it set up properly. If the pH keeps dropping below that chances are your solenoid is stuck open to keep flowing CO2. The alarm would just alert you to this fact, it wouldn't be able to close it since it was stuck. Does that make sense? I hope lol
Most people set up the CO2 come on a half hour to hour before their lights then turn off a half hour to hour before lights go off so that CO2 has time to build up then be used up. Plants dont use CO2 at night, so you want the water be as oxygenated as possible when the lights are off.
So to answer your question, yes, you can have CO2 flowing 24/7 however you will be using more than double the CO2 that you really need to.
As for the alarm, if the CO2 gets too low it should turn off on it's own if you have it set up properly. If the pH keeps dropping below that chances are your solenoid is stuck open to keep flowing CO2. The alarm would just alert you to this fact, it wouldn't be able to close it since it was stuck. Does that make sense? I hope lol
Thank you that clears it up a lot. Didn't realise the pH dropping from co2 isn't as bad as pH dropping from solids. I'll set it up tonight gotta get it perfected before I bounce to Alaska.
