Aquarium Engineering-ACR Calcium Reactor

[gdemos]

Hmm, I am not an Apex guy, so I don't know. I know the Apex can monitor power usage, but I am not sure if it logs it passively. If it does, that would be a handy feature and would apply here for monitoring the float switch activity.

Ok lid off, Float Switch should be cancelling co2 power but its not. Co2 is a bit away from acr so i have lid resting (that simulates an air pocket- float switch dropped as if excess gas pocket). Carbon doser still powered. Float switch not triggering gas power


for wiring i have two patch wires connected to float switch , one patch wire to each of the two wires from float switch

patch wires from float to each of the (+terminals of the adapter

jumper wire to both (-) terminals of adapter

power outlet for doser plugged to female adapter

male adapter plugged to

 

[gdemos]

Ok lid off, Float Switch should be cancelling co2 power but its not. Co2 is a bit away from acr so i have lid resting (that simulates an air pocket- float switch dropped as if excess gas pocket). Carbon doser still powered. Float switch not triggering gas power


for wiring i have two patch wires connected to float switch , one patch wire to each of the two wires from float switch

patch wires from float to each of the (+terminals of the adapter

jumper wire to both (-) terminals of adapter

power outlet for doser plugged to female adapter

male adapter plugged to

Male adapter plugged to doser

 

[Dennis Cartier]

You don't happen to have a multimeter do you? So we could test conductivity through the cable. You want to look for any conductors that may be making contact between the feed going to the float switch. Even a single tiny strand of the stranded wire shorted, is enough to complete the circuit.

Also, unplug the float switch at the twist connector and see if it shuts down. It will help to determine where the fault is.

I had another user who has a float switch that failed. In his case, the float switch was not sealed correctly in the lid and water had seeped into the wiring and made it all the way to the connector and corroded the wires. Hopefully yours is not the same.

 

[gdemos]

Unscrewed/unplugged float switch at lid— doser de energized

 

[gdemos]

Where would i touch multimeter to? Or did the unplug of float switch just determine im ok?

 

[gdemos]

Correction: untwist/unplug of float switch: doser is powered

 

[Dennis Cartier]

You would touch the meter to the center conductor of the adapter.

Umm, looking closer at your wiring, the connectors you used to spice in the extension leads, those look like shorting connectors for joining lines together. Meaning having each lead of the float switch on each side effectively jumps the float switch. Can you verify if there is conductivity between the 2 sides of an unused connector? If there is, that is the issue.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Oh, I see the problem. You should be using 2 of those connectors. You appear to be using 1

Each connector should have 1 extension lead and 1 lead from the float switch. Then the float switch will function as a switch again. Sorry I did not see it sooner!

 

[gdemos]

Ta-Dah. Yes. Ok now doser depowered with twist connection undone.
And with float switch plunger raised doser is powered
So float switch tests correctly

lid going back on, gas throttle up, manifold on lets seen how she does

 

[gdemos]

decided to test Effluent.
pH ACR: 6.17
Alk Effluent: 55dkh

Now this alk test is salifert titration so i won't count on its accuracy, but that is quite potent.
My system alk is over 10.5dkh, thats 3dkh over my target.
My effleuent rate (Masterflex) is just 7ml/min (this mflex has 7ml/min as its minimum output setting)
There are other mflex models that have higher & lower output tolerances

i have not seen the float switch trigger a depower of gas, but we tested the float switch setup and it works.
if ACR generally gets 5.x pH (think i saw this note earlier) at saturation, i figure i will get a significantly more powerful effluent if i let this thing crank away.

at this point i will monitor alk for a day or so, if it climbs any further (i'm already concerned of elevated alk) i will shut off gas manually until system stabilizes at a lower alk level.

its nice to know i can drip potent effluent, and before my acro system melted i was cranking acr to keep pace at 7.0 dkh... but for now i think i'm happy to know everything is seemingly working and ready for system when demand increases.

i'll keep you posted Dennis - super helpful and sincerely appreciated. 5 gold stars for your valuable insight & direction!

truth told again i bought the acr for its machining - the robust machining, etc.. the automation was a bonus for sure. its too bad that the controllers proved to be an achilles -at least for me. i like having it setup the way it is now; i find the pH probe helpful, the carbon doser regulator sound (and supported) and the masterflex steady albeit expensive and antiquated. using the float switch to control carbon doser is quite clever.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Awesome, glad to hear it!

The last time I tested my effluent it was 73 dKH, so it still may increase a bit.

If you post a picture of your Masterflex, I may be able to offer some suggestions. I use several of them of varying ages and capabilities, so depending on your model, we may be able to get you a lower (overall) flow rate.

I agree about the machining of the ACR. Very robust and capable. I have a dislike for acrylic, too fragile, so the 100% PVC construction was what attracted me in the first place.

 

[gdemos]

My masterflex: 7550-60 running LS-16 tubing

 

[gdemos]

 

[Dennis Cartier]

I do have one of these same Masterflex drives, but it is the only one that I don't have running or use unfortunately. I have a bunch of Digital 7523 drives and mostly use those, or fixed rate 'dumb' drives (2 RPM and 6 RPM).

The way I typically approach getting a flow rate below the capability of the drive is to use the Timed Dispense function to dispense x.x ml every nnn seconds. That way be varying the count down time before the next cycle, you can achieve flow rates lower than the head/tubing is capable of when running continuously. The only caveat is that the dispense function does not start automatically on power on, so I make a dongle for the control port to 'press' the Start button (pin) upon power up.

Back to your situation. The drive you have appears not to support the Timed Dispense function that I can see in the docs and unfortunately also does not support Auto Start upon power up. So you can't even use a timer to toggle the pump on and off every nnn minutes as it will not start pumping on it's own.

The drive does support a Aux port, which appears to be an serial RS-232 or RS-422. You could use an external system to send start and stop commands to the drive, but that is quite involved and may be more complex than what you wish to entertain.

So that only leaves going to a smaller head and tubing size to achieve a lower flow rate. The LS14 heads can go from 1.3 ml to 130 ml a minute. So that is the only way to get below the 7 ml a minute you are limited to now using the LS16 head and tubing. I buy heads off Ebay on a regular basis, but don't often see LS14 heads for sale.

The other option is to grow a large enough coral mass to require more than 7 ml a minute

 

[Dennis Cartier]

@gdemos How is the ACR running? What pH did the unit stabilize at? I have a pH probe in my secondary, 6.12 - 6.17, but not in the actual unit itself, so I am curious what yours is showing.

 

[gdemos]

@Dennis Cartier
Sorry for delay Dennis i didn’t get notifications on this thread ..

acr pH stabilized at 7.2-7.8 (system stable at 8.1-8.4). The odd thing is i still have co2 off due to lower demand. Probes are calibrated so my only take on the lower pH in acr is due to the buffering of the media and general lower flow through the reactor. Im willing to bet if I bumped up the mflex from current 7 ml/min it will even out? Without the gas its not like id be super dosing alk so probably a safe test

i feel im getting close to turning gas on
With last test the carbon doser / acr float switch approach tested perfectly. When my traveling settles down ill likely try above

 

[BrianReefer]

How did you guys get your ACR to accommodate a ph probe? Did you drill it yourself? Can anyone share guidance on how to do it?

 

[gdemos]

How did you guys get your ACR to accommodate a ph probe? Did you drill it yourself? Can anyone share guidance on how to do it?

Tap/drill lid to accommodate pH probe holder. I forget the thread size. Take note of where other lines come into the lid so you don’t compromise where they channel i to lid (co2, effluent). I think bill did the lids differently from time to time so youll have to take a close look at yours.

eventhough i ended up w acr float switch controlling co2 regulator; knowing acr pH is nice

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[gdemos]

@Dennis Cartier
I have turned co2 on, now system is generating demand
I see ph gong down in acr (6.6 relative to system 8.0)
However i am not seeing bubbles in acr

whats worse is i am getting leaks at seal between bottom stage (mg media) and upper stage stack.
I am draining acr to inspect o ring seal at stack

i assume the co2 pressure buildup is lending to leak; yet i dont see bubbles recirculating in acr or gas/air at top of lid

thoughts?

 

[Mark Gray]

@Dennis Cartier
I have turned co2 on, now system is generating demand
I see ph gong down in acr (6.6 relative to system 8.0)
However i am not seeing bubbles in acr

whats worse is i am getting leaks at seal between bottom stage (mg media) and upper stage stack.
I am draining acr to inspect o ring seal at stack

i assume the co2 pressure buildup is lending to leak; yet i dont see bubbles recirculating in acr or gas/air at top of lid

thoughts?

Put some silicone grease on all your seals, first. The way I adjusted mine was I started with the CO2 off, then opened the CO2 just until the very first bubble s came through and that was enough.