Aquarium Engineering-ACR Calcium Reactor

Pigpen · Oct 21, 2019

Nope , it will only work with our reactors . feel free to call if you have any questions 262 960 9517

ca1ore · Oct 22, 2019

Pigpen said:
We have all so been working on an automatic co2 tank switcher so you can always have co2 even if your main cylinder fails .

That's pretty slick ….. would work on any CaRx setup I imagine?

Pigpen · Oct 22, 2019

yep, the tank changers will work on any reactor .

BrianReefer · Nov 7, 2019

Guys - need a little more help. How do you purge the air out of the reactor when you first set it up? What line am I supposed to redirect up to the sump until the air is out?

Pigpen · Nov 7, 2019

Remove the line for the co2 from the valve module from the top of the reactor and let water flow out for a few minutes back to your sump .

Pigpen · Nov 7, 2019

feel free to shoot me a call if you need to at 262 960 9517 and i can help you out Brian .

BrianReefer · Nov 13, 2019

Question to the group: I’m finally all setup and it seems to be working correctly. But with my current settings it’s not having any impact on my alkalinity. I have a 116g tank that was using roughly 100ml of BRS soda ash per day. My current setting on the controller is 10 on, 160 off, and it doesn’t seem to be making a dent. Any thoughts on directionally how high I should go on on/off to start to see some results? Want to avoid overdosing but also don’t want to take weeks creeping up to a setting that will get me stable. Thoughts?

BrianReefer · Nov 14, 2019

Problem fixed after chatting with Bill - my CO2 wasn’t pumping high enough, so no bubbles, so no Alk coming out. Fixed that and dialed it back to 1/200 and it’s doing an amazing job already keeping my Alk in range with the help of my Alkatronic monitoring it and my Apex managing the input pump on/off to the ACR if Alk goes too high. Loving the setup so far!!

BrianReefer · Nov 25, 2019

Absolutely LOVING my new ACR. Check out the dialing-in process, with real-time testing courtesy of the Alkatronic. Another few days and I should be right in the sweet spot. Great setup and love no longer worrying about 2-part!

DangerDave · Nov 26, 2019

Still waiting for mine

. They messaged me that it was shipping last week but I still haven’t seen it. I’m hoping I get it soon, or I’ll have to buy more 2 part again.

BrianReefer · Nov 26, 2019

DangerDave said:
Still waiting for mine . They messaged me that it was shipping last week but I still haven’t seen it. I’m hoping I get it soon, or I’ll have to buy more 2 part again.

Yeah patience was a virtue on mine as well =), and I'd hedge and suggest you go ahead and buy that 2-part! But it's a small operation and I'm confident they go as fast as they can without compromising quality. So know it will be worth the wait, but assume it will be a little more waiting than you had planned!

NeverlosT · Nov 26, 2019

BrianReefer said:
Absolutely LOVING my new ACR. Check out the dialing-in process, with real-time testing courtesy of the Alkatronic. Another few days and I should be right in the sweet spot. Great setup and love no longer worrying about 2-part!

Is that plot from the Alkatronic or can you make it feed date to the apex? Or does the Apex just read it like a probe and make dosing decisions based on that.

BrianReefer · Nov 26, 2019

NeverlosT said:
Is that plot from the Alkatronic or can you make it feed date to the apex? Or does the Apex just read it like a probe and make dosing decisions based on that.

That plot is from the Alkatronic app. I also have it connected through the BNC output to my apex too. When I did 2 part I used that to have my apex pause 2 part dosing when it exceeded the Alk limit. Now I still have it connected to Apex but don’t trigger anything off of it. In theory I could use it to kill the feed pump to the CARX when Alk is too high, but bill suggested the better approach is to cut the CARX controller power if too high vs the feed pump, and with my CARX in the basement that’s a little tougher (I could do that through the Alkatronic Bluetooth WiFi outlet but the reality is with the carx dialed in it shouldn’t be necessary anyway). I digress!

Anyways if anyone has any questions on the CARX or CARX + Alkatronic setup PM me. It was a learning curve but the complexity all makes perfect sense now

jwilliams860 · Jan 14, 2020

Any updates on these

marinelife · Jan 28, 2020

Looks like after 10 months of waiting I will finally have mine, I wish mine would have come as fast as everyone else. Very strange.

jwilliams860 · Jan 28, 2020

marinelife said:
Looks like after 10 months of waiting I will finally have mine, I wish mine would have come as fast as everyone else. Very strange.

Did they advise of what the hold up was?

marinelife · Jan 28, 2020

no, I have not been told what took so long. I was only told a few times it was shipping that Monday but it never did. I finally got sick of waiting and asked for a refund on Sunday. He said it would ship Monday or he would refund. I respond I would just like the refund. My UPS account now shows a shipment from him coming but no reply to my request to have a refund instead so I guess I have the unit.