Did I make a mistake buying a skimz calcium reactor?

[Herby’s reef]

Hi all,

I recently started a calcium reactor on my tank. Have it running with a carbon doser regulator, masterflex peristaltic pump, and a skimz cm122. I have a mixed reef with mostly lps and a clam. My calcium and alk demands are low compaired to most of you sps guys, but I wanted a system that is set and forget. My understanding was to buy nice feed pump and regulator, but reactors are mostly the same. I have had so much trouble with air build up in the reactor. It is not air leaking in from the room because if I run it with co2 off, no air builds up. When I turn on the co2, 12 to 24 hours later it sounds like a washing machine from all the air swishing! Even if I only run 1 bubble per 4 to 10 seconds. It has huge air bubbles flowing all through the reactor. I run the masterflex at about 30 ml per minute and currently have ph around 6.9. From what I can tell the skimz design is similar to the other reactors, so I wonder if I am doing something wrong? It is in my living room so the noise is a major issue. Any suggestions? If I throw this thing away and buy a vertex or geo will they have the same problem? Does anybody see a design flaw on the skimz? Brs has a video where they set the same unit up. I have asked brs and all though they have seemed to try and help me, they have been unable to come up with a solution.

Thanks so much,

David

 

[Labridaedicted]

It's most likely the co2 going through the recirculation pump. Mine gets that anytime the carbon doser is running.

 

[pirate2876]

Hey bud, I have the Skimz cal reactor and I love it. Do you have any pics? 1st we should make sure all the lines are connected correctly. Secondly, lets make sure the pump, the media and the bubble counter are all working properly. Once you get this guy connect correctly it'll be set-and-forget.

 

[Herby’s reef]

Ok. I am sure the masterflex is good. It says 10, but that is rpm so is equivalent to just under 30 ml per hour. I will try to attach a video of the system. It has the large amount of air now so you can tell me if this is normal or not. Maybe I am expecting too much to want it quieter, but the swishing noise drives me crazy!

 

[Herby’s reef]

I can't get my video to attach because it says the extension is not allowed, but here are some pics. I tried to show how much air is running through. Let me know if you need to see anything else

 

[pirate2876]

Hard to tell from these pics but, is there some sort of filter floss/pad or similar in either of the reactors under the media? It looks like the smaller one has something under the media. If so, remove those. They impede the flow too much and you'll never get it dialed in. I have made that mistake and ended up using a whole tank of CO2 in a month.

 

[AllTheCorals]

I had the same issue with my geo. I resealed all the screw fittings and replaced all the hose/clamp fittings with John guest fittings. It still happens, but now only once a month does it require purging.

With no co2 I had no issues. My best guess is the pressure from the c02 was creating leaks that weren’t there otherwise.

 

[Herby’s reef]

Hard to tell from these pics but, is there some sort of filter floss/pad or similar in either of the reactors under the media? It looks like the smaller one has something under the media. If so, remove those. They impede the flow too much and you'll never get it dialed in. I have made that mistake and ended up using a whole tank of CO2 in a month.

It does have a sponge that came with the unit. I did not even think of that. I will try removing it. Thanks

David

 

[Herby’s reef]

I had the same issue with my geo. I resealed all the screw fittings and replaced all the hose/clamp fittings with John guest fittings. It still happens, but now only once a month does it require purging.

With no co2 I had no issues. My best guess is the pressure from the c02 was creating leaks that weren’t there otherwise.

I will take a look and see if I can find a leak. I already have john guest fittings for everything, but possibly there is a leak somewhere.

Thanks

 

[AllTheCorals]

I will take a look and see if I can find a leak. I already have john guest fittings for everything, but possibly there is a leak somewhere.

Thanks

If the hoses had been unplugged and unplugged many times there may be a leak there. If you have slack cut the tips off and insert again or replace. Make sure we’re the threads are have proper tape or even better I like the putty stuff.

 

[rlman41299]

@Davenkim were you able to find out what was causing it? I have the same calrx and it is having a lot of excess CO2 and the sound is annoying. This only happened when I took out the feed pump and just running everything by pulling water out of the effluent by a peristalic pump. I never had this problem before when I was pushing water through and not pulling through.

 

[Herby’s reef]

I ended up bypassing the co2 recirculation line. If you look up Herby's reef, my channel on you tube, I have a calcium reactor video and I show how I did it. This made the sound go away and I don't notice that I am using any extra co2. I also use a peristaltic pump to pull through, but I tried pushing it through and many other ways and could never get rid of the sound until I bypassed it. Now it works perfectly! I am not at home now, but i will try to post pictures later.

 

[rlman41299]

I ended up bypassing the co2 recirculation line. If you look up Herby's reef, my channel on you tube, I have a calcium reactor video and I show how I did it. This made the sound go away and I don't notice that I am using any extra co2. I also use a peristaltic pump to pull through, but I tried pushing it through and many other ways and could never get rid of the sound until I bypassed it. Now it works perfectly! I am not at home now, but i will try to post pictures later.

That would be great.

 

[Herby’s reef]

Ok. These aren't the best photos and you could come up with a cleaner way to modify it, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I clamped one side of the recirculation port on top with a hemostat and the other side with a valve shut to off, then I took the line leaving the Bubble chamber directly to the place the air recirculated from the top to prior to my modification.

 

[Herby’s reef]

This is a better pic of the line leaving the Bubble chamber.

 

[Herby’s reef]

If you make these modifications you will have no more noise! Has totally solved my problems with this reactor

 

[rlman41299]

i will try that. @Davenkim
is that a schnidt clamp?

 

[Herby’s reef]

I'm not sure what type of clamp it is. I give anesthesia for a living so I picked it up at work. They throw them out all the time so I snag some.

 

[David Cher]

This is a better pic of the line leaving the Bubble chamber.

what you are doing to stop the recirculating of the co2 from the top ?

 

[Herby’s reef]

I have both sides clamped and I moved the co2 input to where the top circulated to. If you look at my video on calcium reactors on YouTube it shows it pretty well. Look up herbys reef on YouTube.