Advanced Automation of Calcium Reactors and Denitrators

[Terence]

So the subject here is what can be done to better maintain the aquarium using a couple of devices that have been designed to work with minimal automation, but with data coming in from an advanced controller like the Apex - make them all that better or cost less to operate. With the ability to automatically turn on and off devices, solenoid valves, adjust the flow rate with the use of a DOS, etc. how could we make things better and also make things more energy efficient.

I currently run a Deltec calcium reactor and use my DOS to feed it. Many believe that you need a continuous feed dosing pump to make it work, but I have proven otherwise with my current setup to dose 240ml in about 56 seconds and then wait two minutes and four seconds before doing it again. There are no swings in the pH as many speculated - but I knew that by simply doing the math. I can now easily change the dosing rate from my iphone at will. So what else can be done. I think to start, maybe I should lower the dose rate during the night. And the next frontier - maybe I can actually change my "dosing" rate (or my pH set point) of my calcium reactor based on my 4x a day automated alkalinity reading. I would be interested to hear ideas here from Randy and others.

Next up is my newly installed @MarineDepot AquaMaxx Sulphur Denitrator. What could be done here? Do I really need to run that 50w recirculating pump 24/7 - or to save energy is it good enough to run it 5 minutes every hour? Should I use the DOS to feed it like I do my calcium reactor - thus ending the nightmare of drip rate adjustment with a needle valve? And then, if I did that, could/should I adjust the rate based on my internal ORP value to again optimize the operation. Randy, please chime in. How would one take this to the next level given the data we can get and the operations we can do?

 

[deaclauderdale]

I may be grasping at straws here, but some of the language of your post sounds as if the automated alkalinity monitoring device you all acquired from Jim Welsh may be closer to customer delivery then we could have imaged?....certainly hope so.

 

[Terence]

I may be grasping at straws here, it some of the language of your post sounds as if the automated alkalinity monitoring device you all acquired from Jim Welsh may be closer to customer delivery then we could have imaged?....certainly hope so.

Do not read too much into my post other than I have the fortunate task of doing much of the longer term testing. Sorry.

 

[deaclauderdale]

Do not read too much into my post other than I have the fortunate task of doing much of the longer term testing. Sorry.

Well let's all hope that the testing doesn't have to run to much longer as there's been a release (beta) of a monitor with a large price point and no integration into any contoller.....but I'm probably telling you something you already know.

 

[ReeferBud]

Terrence,

How is the DOS keeping up with the calcium reactor and denitrator? Could you share the detailed operations and what you've learned.

I have a calcium reactor and denitrator and I'm thinking of using the DOS. Interested in your experience.

 

[Terence]

There are positives and negatives.

Calcium Reactor
Positives: Extreme control over effluent amounts. SUPER handy. Before I could only adjust up or down alk via pH, and that was good, but doing it from time to time via changing the effluent is instantly effective and much more logical than pH for many people. The line has only clogged once on the input to the DOS and that was because I had a small valve on the tubing inline that should not have been there.

Negatives: Noise. At 250ml/min, the DOS is not quiet. This is not something you could do under your tank. If your calcium reactor were in the garage or utility shed, it would be fine. Mine is below my bedroom under the house - I can hear it when I go to sleep, but it is not that annoying. Next up would be cost. This is much more expensive than other non-peristaltic feeder pumps that you might use to feed a calcium reactor - $150. Pump heads - my pump head lasted about 7 months before it looked like I should replace it -$30 (probably 10x the MTBF BTW).

Sulphur Denitrator
Positives: Pretty much what I said about the calcium reactor only this was advantageous as I realized under my house that ambient temp (which varied greatly) had a huge impact on the efficacy (and related negative ORP) of the denitrator so being able to dial up or down the flow was helpful at keeping the colony in the sweet spot.

Negatives: Same as above.