Reviews and Questions about Calcium Reactor Use

[GoVols]

Just to add...

I started like the video says: 7.4 on and 7.3 off.

Found the sweet spot on Apex to be: 7.25 on 7.15 off.

Then flat lined out at 7.19 after adjusting the bubble count at the above (7.25 on and 7.15 off)

 

[GoVols]

This is a screen shot in Apex Fusion of the settings when I first started the process.

 

[Rakie]

Roberto,
Keep lowering your on and off settings each day until you find your sweet melting point inside the reactor.

Then!!!... Try to slow down the bubble count so that your solenoid stays on most of the time.

I'm working on putting together a charity so r2r can fly you to Daniels for setup

 

[GoVols]

I'm working on putting together a charity so r2r can fly you to Daniels for setup

(lol)

Rakie,
He was just about to blow up his home with the first regulator!!!
Did you see ;Wideyed that thing????

 

[Rakie]

Nope, i missed that. Just more proof the burden is on your shoulders Freddie! I keep telling him to go doser 'cause it's easier and less explodey, he ain't biting.

 

[GoVols]

Nope, i missed that. Just more proof the burden is on your shoulders Freddie! I keep telling him to go doser 'cause it's easier and less explodey, he ain't biting.

No way is the burden on me for Daniel.

Fly Hybird out to him!!!

 

[Roberto CRC]

If it gets lower than 9 dkh when you test at 18:00 bring up your alk and cal with pure chemicals.
I'd rather you tune up your reactor (slowly) to the sweet spot, than over shoot

Yesterday I could not write, but after 18:00 I measured the parameters with the surprise that they had again dropped level.

 

[Roberto CRC]

Roberto,
Keep lowering your on and off settings each day until you find your sweet melting point inside the reactor.

Then!!!... Try to slow down the bubble count so that your solenoid stays on most of the time.

I'll try, just a doubt that can be silly.

Co2 less constant (meaning that the selenoid remains on longer) will result in maintaining the desired levels. But that in a certain way is not going to make the concentration of Co2 less?

 

[GoVols]

I'll try, just a doubt that can be silly.

Co2 less constant (meaning that the selenoid remains on longer) will result in maintaining the desired levels. But that in a certain way is not going to make the concentration of Co2 less?

The trick is within keeping the bubble count higher (and letting your controller do all the work) at first and to find the correct melting point to keep your reef's alk stable.

Then your leave the controller alone but slow down the bubble count so that the solenoid stays on most of the time that leads to less ware and tear on your solenoid and controller switches.

May solenoid stays on most of the time but the Apex is still monitoring the ph inside the reactor just in case the bubble counter goes wacko. If the bubble counter ever went wacko, the Apex controller would kick back in and keep it under control until I adjusted the bubble count back down.

 

[GoVols]

Yesterday I could not write, but after 18:00 I measured the parameters with the surprise that they had again dropped level.

Lower the settings on your controller again and retest in 24 hours.

 

[Roberto CRC]

The trick is within keeping the bubble count higher (and letting your controller do all the work) at first and to find the correct melting point to keep your reef's alk stable.

Then your leave the controller alone but slow down the bubble count so that the solenoid stays on most of the time that leads to less ware and tear on your solenoid and controller switches.

May solenoid stays on most of the time but the Apex is still monitoring the ph inside the reactor just in case the bubble counter goes wacko. If the bubble counter ever went wacko, the Apex controller would kick back in and keep it under control until I adjusted the bubble count back down.

When you say that the trick is to keepping the bubble of Co2 higher, you mean, that it is fast and continued or slow and continuous?

 

[GoVols]

When you say that the trick is to keepping the bubble of Co2 higher, you mean, that it is fast and continued or slow and continuous?

keep the bubble count high enough to make your controller keep turning on and off. Do that until you find the right melting point by lowering your controller settings each day until your alk holds.

Then you can smooth out the bubble count so that your solenoid stays on most of the time.

Hopefully you have a good and accurate controller that is changing things when your lowering the settings on it.

The best (cheapest) way is to just buy the Apex JR with the PM1 module. It lets you see a lifetime graph / 24 hour graph and an hour graph, inside the reactor.

But... (lol) If you don't understand how an Apex or Fusion works , then we sure ain't going down that road ;Wacky

 

[Roberto CRC]

keep the bubble count high enough to make your controller keep turning on and off. Do that until you find the right melting point by lowering your controller settings each day until your alk holds.

Then you can smooth out the bubble count so that your solenoid stays on most of the time.

Hopefully you have a good and accurate controller that is changing things when your lowering the settings on it.

The best (cheapest) way is to just buy the Apex JR with the PM1 module. It lets you see a lifetime graph / 24 hour graph and an hour graph, inside the reactor.

But... (lol) If you don't understand how an Apex or Fusion works , then we sure ain't going down that road ;Wacky

Hi GuVols,

I will try to explain myself as clearly as possible so that you can guide me properly.

When I started with the method my selenoid was on for 1 minute and off for 10 minutes, when it was turned on there were almost 3 bubbles per second.

I had understood that I had to lower the amount of bubbles so that the selenoid stays on most of the time, so this was what I did and yesterday at night I lowered the amount of bubbles and added 1 bubble every 2 seconds making the selenoid stay on for 13:50 minutes and off for 03:50 minutes.

Yesterday I did not measure parameters since I started again to add A and B so that the parameters are maintained.

Before using this method the pH and solenoid controlled it with Apex, however my impression with the Apex is that the probe is very sensitive and I was disqualified every time, which is very cumbersome to be removing and calibrating the probe every time . That's why I bought the Milwaukee MC122 1 week ago and it was when I started using the method.

But well, now I'm more confused because I've already managed to get the selenoid on for a long period of time but the bubbles that are added are very few, so I do not know if this is the right thing or on the contrary they have to be more bubbles of Co2 and similarly the selenoid is turned on almost all the time, if this is so I do not know how to do so that with a high bubbling of Co2 the selenoid stays on.

 

[GoVols]

Hi GuVols,

I will try to explain myself as clearly as possible so that you can guide me properly.

When I started with the method my selenoid was on for 1 minute and off for 10 minutes, when it was turned on there were almost 3 bubbles per second.

I had understood that I had to lower the amount of bubbles so that the selenoid stays on most of the time, so this was what I did and yesterday at night I lowered the amount of bubbles and added 1 bubble every 2 seconds making the selenoid stay on for 13:50 minutes and off for 03:50 minutes.

Yesterday I did not measure parameters since I started again to add A and B so that the parameters are maintained.

Before using this method the pH and solenoid controlled it with Apex, however my impression with the Apex is that the probe is very sensitive and I was disqualified every time, which is very cumbersome to be removing and calibrating the probe every time . That's why I bought the Milwaukee MC122 1 week ago and it was when I started using the method.

But well, now I'm more confused because I've already managed to get the selenoid on for a long period of time but the bubbles that are added are very few, so I do not know if this is the right thing or on the contrary they have to be more bubbles of Co2 and similarly the selenoid is turned on almost all the time, if this is so I do not know how to do so that with a high bubbling of Co2 the selenoid stays on.

You could have the solenoid all the time, but it maybe at the wrong melting point and your alk is still dropping.

Let the controller do the work with a higher bubble count and keep tuning down the controller settings until your alk is stable.
Then you smooth out the bubble count.

Don't smooth out the bubble count until you've tuned in your new controller and your alk is stable. One thing at a time

I use the double junction ph probe with my Apex controller. So far so good.

 

[Roberto CRC]

You could have the solenoid all the time, but it maybe at the wrong melting point and your alk is still dropping.

Let the controller do the work with a higher bubble count and keep tuning down the controller settings until your alk is stable.
Then you smooth out the bubble count.

Don't smooth out the bubble count until you've tuned in your new controller and your alk is stable. One thing at a time

I use the double junction ph probe with my Apex controller. So far so good.

Man, what you tell me makes me feel that I have been lost all this time in what I do and that reaching that point is a utopia.

Today at night I will come home to raise the bubble count to try to stabilize the kh, what I do not know and sorry but I do not understand is how I will then lower the bubbles of Co2 again and manage to keep the kh assuming that when the kh stabilized with many Co2 bubbles. Doing this means that my selenoid will shut down for a long time.

 

[GoVols]

Man, what you tell me makes me feel that I have been lost all this time in what I do and that reaching that point is a utopia.

Today at night I will come home to raise the bubble count to try to stabilize the kh, what I do not know and sorry but I do not understand is how I will then lower the bubbles of Co2 again and manage to keep the kh assuming that when the kh stabilized with many Co2 bubbles. Doing this means that my selenoid will shut down for a long time.

Just get it tuned in first and keep watching the video's.

 

[Brad Vaughn]

What were your experiences (good or bad) with its use? I'd loved using mine. It keeps my ca and alk stable and my SPS growing. It was a little confusing at first, but like most new things it's easy to pick up with experience. I go through about 10 lbs of CO2 every 8 months or so.

How often did they maintain it? I started with a Bubble Magus. It had silicone tubing that clogged quite a bit so that had to be checked a lot. I am now using a Reef Octopus with hard tubing and it is consistent. I never have to worry about it but I still check it every time I look under the cabinet.

The drip always remained constant? With my Bubble Magus I had to adjust it a lot. I could've solved that with with hard-line tubing. With my RO it's constant.

How often do the water inlet and outlet hoses change? I've ran my latest one for over a year without changing any hoses.

How often calibrate the probe? I calibrate every 6 mos to be safe. I set a reminder for maintenance on my phone calendar.

 

[jluspo]

What were your experiences (good or bad) with its use? Good. It was bad until I upgraded to a carbon doser regulator and masterflex pump. These two things made a world of difference.

How often did they maintain it? Once a year. I clean it once a year, change the media and refill the CO2

The drip always remained constant? Drip is always constant - I use a masterflex.

How often do the water inlet and outlet hoses change? only when needed.

How often calibrate the probe? every 6 months or when I don't trust it anymore.

 

[Bmezz]

i have a skimz reactor and very happy. but you do have to monitor the drip and make sure it continues. just like all aspects of the reef tank things have to work and flow has to continue. So the effluent flow, the Co2 bubble rate which should stay constant when tripped on to your set level and whatever controller you use to turn that Co2 flow on and off with the PH Probe monitor just has to stay in working order. My biggest challenge was the effluent flow. I finally got it to be dependable with a pinch valve vs a small ball valve or precision valve.

 

[salty joe]

For those using a Masterflex, how often does the tubing need replaced? Also, do you use a leak alarm for that pump?