Calcium Reactor - I'm Scared.

[jackthestrat]

Hi all!

So, I'm thinking about getting a calcium reactor. My employer was pretty good to me this years' end, and since I can't think of anything I'd rather spend my money on than my tank, I thought I'd look into calcium reactors.

Currently I am using kalk for evaporation and two part for corrections, but dosing this stuff out is getting tired pretty quick. The ladyfriend is pretty tired of 5 gallon poland spring bottles in the living room too.

SO, some questions:

50 gallon display, 70 gallons total, almost all SPS

How the heck do you set one of these things up, anyway? DO I have to change my plumbing around so that there's a feed off my return? I'm not really interested in doing that if possible.

How much of a PIA is it to dial them in? I really would like a set-and-forget approach here and I don't want to be fiddling around with this sucker every day for three months.

How big of a reactor do I need? It is a small tank but being almost all SPS and juding by the amount of stuff I'm dumping in daily there's decent deman. I might be moving soon, and with the move comes a bigger tank P) so, figuring I might need this reactor for a 200 gallon some day, what's your recommendation?

I think there should be someone who makes it their job to come around to newbs' tanks and show them how to set stuff like this up.

-M

 

[RayD]

[commercial post removed]

 

[IffersTankSlave]

Well, to start with, if you are planning on a bigger tank down the road, buy a bigger reactor to start. You'll save money in the end. You should not need to change any plumbing. Most reactors don't need a lot of flow, so a very small pump or gravity feed will work. (Our's is in the basement. We run a 1/4" line down next to the returns, gravity feed the reactor, and it dumps into the sump.) There is a bunch of different reactors on the market, so do your homework. There is a large range in prices, too. As far as dialing them in, it depends on the reactor. We have a Deltec. Very easy to dial in, but expensive and we've had lots of pump issues. (The pump that is on it.) Supposedly that issue has been dealt with on the newer models. Except for the pump, the design is very good.

Good luck!

 

[jackthestrat]

Still Scurred of Calcium Reactors

got a geo 6x18.

also included (in co2 path to effluent)

aquamedia regulator
Nupro "S" needle valve (fine control)
aquamedic solenoid
wide open Needle valve
Pinpoint pH Controller

So -

The regulator is automatic at 23 psi. The needle valve on the regulator is about 1/4 open. The Nupro is used to fine tune to 1 bubble / 2 sec. The solenoid is controlled by the pH controller, and the valve on that is wide open. The Controller is set to 6.56 as a pH Center.

If what I have read is correct - my system will shut down the co2 if my effluent reaches ~6.48 or if there is a power outage. Then it will not power on again until it reaches ~ 6.71 pH or until I have power again.

Just to make sure I understand the whole methodology here - the Nupro will maintain a stable BPM, the pH will automatically regulate to some stable pH above 6.48. I start testing upon reaching this equilibrium. If I need more ALK, I add bubbles/min. If I need less, I increase my flow rate, as long as my pH stays below 6.8. If my pH hits 6.8, then I need to increase my bubble rate because the media stops dissolving. If I simply need more of everything in equal proportions, I increase both my bubble rate via Nupro and my effluent rate equally.

Is that logic accurate? I feel strongly that I need to hear someone tell me I am on track.

HELP!!!

-M

 

[JohnK]

That all sounds good at a glance. What kind of media are you using? Those settings should be right for most medias, but if it's ARM fine media, you might want the PH range a little higher (IME ARM fine starts to turn to mush if it gets much below 6.8).

 

[RayD]

I use ARM media (not fine) and run effluent at 6.8. Works perfectly for me.

 

[JohnK]

Yup, the ARM course is a lot more forgiving IME. It seems to be fine anywhere from 6.5-6.8. It's just the fine that seems to go to mush easily.

 

[Greg Hiller]

FWIW, we will be going over calcium reactors at the meeting on Saturday. The Novice Reefkeepers Lecture starts at 11:30 AM.

 

[jackthestrat]

I'd love to hit the meeting on Saturday but unfortunately Beer Summit is calling my name.

The media is ARM fine. I guess I will have to raise the pH a bit - but the inside of the reactor isn't mush.

Despite the setup above I'm still having issues. What's going on is that my co2 flow is apparently stopping at some point. I'm going to bed with everything running fine, and waking up with the pH in reactor at 7.5+ and no bubbles coming through the counter with the solenoid open and all my settings intact.

I inherited Matt's (Mr. Slippery)'s co2 system that he was having issues with back in 2006 in the thread below:

http://bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=26615

At this point I don't know for sure where the problem lies - looks like it might be at the tank/regulator or at the solenoid. The actual co2 tank itself is pretty ancient. It seems to me that at some point I am losing pressure and the co2 is just stopping.

I've taken the solenoid out of the controller loop and set the bubble count again to approx 30 bpm through the Nupro.

Any suggestions? Replace regulator? Tank? Cut the solenoid out of the loop entirely?

 

[jackthestrat]

bump?

someone out there has to know the magic solution.