DIY Automatic Calcium Reactor

[blfuller123]

I have never had one but have read good things about the Aquarium Engineering Automatic Calcium Reactors. My buddy got a hold of a used one the other day and he was having problems setting it up. Long story short, water started dripping from the electrical boxes and when we opened the covers up to see why, both boxes were full of water. I was kinda surprised to see crimped electrical connections and they were corroded (probably because of the water inside the boxes) but after looking at the components inside, it looks like a DIY version would be very simple using a GHL or Apex controller.

Inside the ACR boxes there is a digital timer, valves for the co2 supply and the effluent line, and there is a float switch installed in the top of the reactor. From what I can tell the timer controls the amount of co2 being supplied in the reactor and shuts off the co2 and effluent off if water level in the reactor drops.

I think most CRs could be converted to this same method with the addition of a couple of valves and a float or optical switch. You would have a valve for the co2 set on a GHL or Apex oscillating timer schedule to turn co2 on in the reactor (I think they set these ACR reactors initially 1 second on 200 seconds off) and adjust that time until the dkh in the tank is the desired level. You then put the float or optical switch inside the top of the reactor to close the effluent and co2 valves (again using the GHL Apex) if the water level drops inside the reactor.

Is there something I am missing? Anyone tried something like this?

 

[marinelife]

Why not contact Aquarium Engineering for a new controller?

 

[blfuller123]

Why not contact Aquarium Engineering for a new controller?

He did contact them and is getting a replacement. I was looking at converting a regular CR to operate this way.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

He did contact them and is getting a replacement. I was looking at converting a regular CR to operate this way.

Yep, you pretty much nailed it, theres not much to them and an apex is completely capable of doing what ae does.

 

[theatrus]

I think most CRs could be converted to this same method with the addition of a couple of valves and a float or optical switch. You would have a valve for the co2 set on a GHL or Apex oscillating timer schedule to turn co2 on in the reactor (I think they set these ACR reactors initially 1 second on 200 seconds off) and adjust that time until the dkh in the tank is the desired level. You then put the float or optical switch inside the top of the reactor to close the effluent and co2 valves (again using the GHL Apex) if the water level drops inside the reactor.

Is there something I am missing? Anyone tried something like this?

Seems simple enough - I assume you still need to figure out the actual dKH, but the metering is just for keeping things consistent?

For effulent drip, why not use a known peristaltic pump? Its probably cheaper than a solenoid valve that won't get eaten alive by salt water.