How to Push Calcium Reactor - need more ALK and Calcium

[chicago]

thank you all. I bumped up the output to 30ml/hr. I increased the bubble count and set the low end of the ph to be at 6.35 and it is now holding steady there now.

The dkh is now 30.4 at 30ml/hr. . I may set it for 35 ml/hr and increase bubble count to keep at 6.35 ph in the reactor and see if we have some More improvement.

 

[chicago]

Just a further push. Some new numbers.

30.4 dkh 30ml/hr. 6.38 gets 912

27.6 dkh. 40 ml/hr. 6.44 Gets. 1104

 

[maroun.c]

If ur effluent ph is still low enough to melt the media u can always add one more chamber which will contribute in alk and Ca production and help with ph drop. It becomes more efficient as demand increases and u push more co2 and flow through ur reactor or when ur close to maxing out ur reactor.

 

[chicago]

unit has a smaller second chamber already.. I think i am pushing the max at this point.. we will see in the coming week how much i can push it.

 

[chicago]

ok... at a flow of 40 ml per second.. the co2 is on full time. The unit I am using is the MTC which has served me well. I am going to see about adding a third chamber. I have a nice sized GFO reactor that is sitting around and will see if that provides any benifit.

 

[Fishfinder]

40ml per second?

 

[maroun.c]

Whats the effluent PH

 

[chicago]

Oops. 40 ml per hour .. effluent ph is 6.4 to 6.45

 

[Reefahholic]

You could go bigger or add a 2nd CaRx like @therman will be doing later.

 

[Rick.45cal]

If you stop using the controller and tune it by hand you’ll get way more out of it. The controller really isn’t helping any. If you simplify the system it becomes significantly easier to tune too. Sometimes the ”old school” way is really the best/easiest way. Just my $.02

 

[Reefahholic]

Too bad GEO doesn't make a few tanks that are double and triple the size of their largest reactor. ;-)

 

[Reefahholic]

Oops. 40 ml per hour .. effluent ph is 6.4 to 6.45

You must have that tank packed out!

 

[Fishfinder]

40 ml an hour is nothing. Most are measuring in the “minute” timeframe. Mine flows 50ml/minute

 

[chicago]

Guys excuse my stupidity.. long day yesterday and day before with some other issues..... its 40 ml/min. I have had reactors since getting one from Germany before they were here... old first gen koralline . Mom is from Berlin and traveled there quite a bit in the early 90's ... anyways.. i was old school with no controller ect.. The plan and hopefully not wasting my time to to take my Large gfo reactor and add that as a secondary circulating stage. It will recirculate I am hoping.. but much slower as the feed and the return from this new stage will be feed with small tubing.. My surface area -media to dissolve will increase by 150%.

 

[jda]

Unless you are running the reactor full-out without any restrictions on the effluent (and you are not), then you are not maxed out. You might be maxed out for a reactor with a co2 controller. Second chamber will not do nearly as much as just throwing the pH probe away, tuning it and letting it run 24/7.

 

[chicago]

Ok.. how would that be any different than what is going on now. According to the apex.. the co2 is running 24 7.. it has not turned it off as the ph has not gone below 6.4 in the reactor. I guess I can set the apex to leave the co2 on which will be the same thing as you are suggesting..

 

[Fishfinder]

What number is the carbon doser set at?

 

[chicago]

Set at 5. For those who are not familiar with MTC Calcium reactor I have attached a pic. It was modified a year ago as labelled. I have now added my old GFO MRC reactor as an additional chamber. Water from the original first chamber - stage of the reactor is now circulated in this new one and goes back directly to the first stage.. so it is shared rather than passing from one to the second to the third.