Calcium Reactor Dial-in Assistance

[jblasi]

hi everyone. I have a Geo CR618 reactor that has been running for about 4 weeks now. 3 with CO2 added. I have been bumping the reactor down very slowly due to this being my first reactor and I didn’t want to do too much at once. The reactor is still not quite meeting the ALK demand of the tank. It’s almost there but I feel like the reactor is relying on the apex and PH probe turning the regulator on and off.
So here is the current setup, carbon doser at 10 PSI and the knob in is the middle of the 10 seconds per bubble white area. Kamoer pump at 20ml/min which is a very fast drop. PH probe on Apex low end set at 6.8 off at 6.9. *** ALK last night was 14.6 Dkh with a salifert test. Current tank ALK is 8.26 which is right around where I want it to be. I guess my biggest question is how to get the reactor PH to stay in that sweet spot without using the probe to trigger the carbon doser. Do I need to lower my seconds per bubble?

 

[X-37B]

Search calcium reactor in the search function. Jda explains it well. You do not need the ph probe at all. You adjust your bubble count and effluent to get around 25ish dkh out of the reactor. Your co2 stays on all the time. Mine is setup this way. Check it out you will be glad you did.

Calcium Reactor Help

No, it is not necessary or probably worth modifying it. Korallin is reverse flow too and they have the intake to the pump stick down an inch or two into the body and not be flush with the top. Second chamber only does anything if there is excess co2 leaving the first chamber. You can tune...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[jda]

Thank you for posting the effluent dKh... it is the only thing that matters.

Do this and report the effluent dKh back in 24 hours:

• Stop using the pH controller - plug the solenoid into a wall outlet and let it run
• Lower the effluent rate by about 25% - roughly, don't obsess over this exactly
• Leave the bubbles where they are
• Continue to supplement your tank with 2 part (or whatever you are using), for now... you can stop after tuning is done, of course
• We can make more adjustments tomorrow

You need to wait 24 hours to retest. You only want to move EITHER the effluent OR bubbles when dialing in... never both. Once you hit about 25, or so, then we can measure effluent dKh and count bubbles and this is your magic ratio - you raise BOTH the effluent and bubbles in this SAME ratio to meet tank demands. pH in the reactor does not matter, but monitoring it does not hurt anything as long as you never trust it. Effluent dKh is the only thing that matters.

 

[jblasi]

Thank you for posting the effluent dKh... it is the only thing that matters.

Do this and report the effluent dKh back in 24 hours:

• Stop using the pH controller - plug the solenoid into a wall outlet and let it run
• Lower the effluent rate by about 25% - roughly, don't obsess over this exactly
• Leave the bubbles where they are
• Continue to supplement your tank with 2 part (or whatever you are using), for now... you can stop after tuning is done, of course
• We can make more adjustments tomorrow

You need to wait 24 hours to retest. You only want to move EITHER the effluent OR bubbles when dialing in... never both. Once you hit about 25, or so, then we can measure effluent dKh and count bubbles and this is your magic ratio - you raise BOTH the effluent and bubbles in this SAME ratio to meet tank demands. pH in the reactor does not matter, but monitoring it does not hurt anything as long as you never trust it. Effluent dKh is the only thing that matters.

Sounds good! Thank you for the assistance on this. I have removed all the code for my probe controlling the carbon doser. So the regulator is constantly on at approx. 10 sec per bubble. The PSI is still 10 however when the solenoid clicks... the bubbles range from 1 to 3 or 4. Sometimes small sometimes larger. I feel like that is going to pose an issue for counting.

 

[pirate2876]

I've always used the continual flow method to maintain alk with my reactor. IME reducing the flow leads to the drops stopping completely, tear it apart, repeat. I use a PH controller, Milwaukee regulaotr, and run a Lifeguard 800 pushing water through. Different strokes...

 

[vetteguy53081]

To lower PH, increase the drips per second to 12 and tank air at 20. Once it has dropped, try tank air at 6 and 4-5 per second

 

[jda]

10 might be too low, but if you are getting consistent results, then it is OK. This just all depends on all kinds of things. This is something we can work on later unless the bubbles too much all over the place. Remember, only change one thing at a time.

This is why counting bubbles and stuff does not work from home to home. I have a great big 1/4 tube and the bubbles are huge and probably 2-3x as large as ones from my other reactors. In your home, you have to come up with your own ratio and counts and stuff. It is too bad that we could not measure in cubic meters of co2 so that we just just tell people X.XXX m3 and XXX mls.

I once had a carbondoser that got rusty and I had to get well beyond the gauge to get constant results. I ended up just putting the box on another regulator and it worked around 15 again.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Following along.

 

[jblasi]

10 might be too low, but if you are getting consistent results, then it is OK. This just all depends on all kinds of things. This is something we can work on later unless the bubbles too much all over the place. Remember, only change one thing at a time.

This is why counting bubbles and stuff does not work from home to home. I have a great big 1/4 tube and the bubbles are huge and probably 2-3x as large as ones from my other reactors. In your home, you have to come up with your own ratio and counts and stuff. It is too bad that we could not measure in cubic meters of co2 so that we just just tell people X.XXX m3 and XXX mls.

I once had a carbondoser that got rusty and I had to get well beyond the gauge to get constant results. I ended up just putting the box on another regulator and it worked around 15 again.

I have slowed the *** rate 25%. I’ll test *** here shortly to see it there has been any change.
Should I bump the PSI up some to try and gain a stable bubble?

 

[jblasi]

I have slowed the *** rate 25%. I’ll test *** here shortly to see it there has been any change.
Should I bump the PSI up some to try and gain a stable bubble?

**effluent

 

[jda]

Don't change the low side PSI yet. Wait until tomorrow to test the effluent - it takes time. Post back tomorrow.

The next time that we need to raise the bubble count, we can raise the low side PSI and see if that does it before we move the knob.

Patience. (I know...)

 

[jblasi]

Don't change the low side PSI yet. Wait until tomorrow to test the effluent - it takes time. Post back tomorrow.

The next time that we need to raise the bubble count, we can raise the low side PSI and see if that does it before we move the knob.

Patience. (I know...)

No problem at all. I will reassess everything tomorrow. I do have a question though. I know you say do not pay attention to the probe. However I don’t want to PH to get too low and start mushing the media. It’s already dropped from 6.8 to 6.5 in the last few hours and still dropping.

 

[jblasi]

Effluent is at 26dKH. I had to have the apex cut the doser at 6.5 ph because it just kept dropping. Kamoer is still at 15ml/min and PSI is 10.

 

[dieselkeeper]

I have my PH dialed in at 6.77 to keep my alk at 8.6 dkh. I adjust bubble rate to control how often CO2 is turn on or off. I adjust drip rate and chamber PH for consumption. Keep in mind when any adjustment was made, was very slight. What ever you do, DON'T plug you CO2 doser into the wall. Keep it plugged into your apex. If you drip tube clogs, CO2 will continue and turn your media to mush.

 

[jblasi]

I have my PH dialed in at 6.77 to keep my alk at 8.6 dkh. I adjust bubble rate to control how often CO2 is turn on or off. I adjust drip rate and chamber PH for consumption. Keep in mind when any adjustment was made, was very slight. What ever you do, DON'T plug you CO2 doser into the wall. Keep it plugged into your apex. If you drip tube clogs, CO2 will continue and turn your media to mush.

Every thing that touches the tank and plugs in is connected to my apex that way if it needs to be shut off and I can do it even if I’m not around. Depending on what it is depends if there is code attached or is just steady on.

 

[SeaDweller]

Effluent is at 26dKH. I had to have the apex cut the doser at 6.5 ph because it just kept dropping. Kamoer is still at 15ml/min and PSI is 10.

Just reduce the CO2 injection slightly. SLIGHTLY. You’re probably at the correct effluent rate and injection rate, you just need to fine tune it. Listen to jda, don’t worry about the ph so much and don’t let apex interfere right now.

 

[jblasi]

Just reduce the CO2 injection slightly. SLIGHTLY. You’re probably at the correct effluent rate and injection rate, you just need to fine tune it. Listen to jda, don’t worry about the ph so much and don’t let apex interfere right now.

I can’t lower the injection any more. The carbon doser is dialed all the way down at 10 seconds per bubble. The only thing I’m having the apex do is prevent the chamber from getting too low.

 

[SeaDweller]

I can’t lower the injection any more. The carbon doser is dialed all the way down at 10 seconds per bubble. The only thing I’m having the apex do is prevent the chamber from getting too low.

You can open the effulent a bit more to dilute it.

 

[jda]

Has anybody even seen mushed media? This is almost like a reefing Sasquatch. I have seen it once, but only have really heard tall tales and stories about it the rest of the time. The fears greatly outweigh the sightings. The only time that it happened to me, the pH got well down into the 5s and there was so much co2 that the reactor would barely work.

I have run my reactors at 55 dKh and not had media melt, so don't freak out about 25 dKh.

 

[dadnjesse]

I've always used the continual flow method to maintain alk with my reactor. IME reducing the flow leads to the drops stopping completely, tear it apart, repeat. I use a PH controller, Milwaukee regulaotr, and run a Lifeguard 800 pushing water through. Different strokes...

That's only true if you don't use a peristaltic pump and he has one.