Calcium Reactor choices
- Thread starter Dondante
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Realposition
Community Member
Geo is well respected and you can find a lot of user feedback. I have used a 6x24 and it worked well. The Avast is brand new and hasnt shipped yet as far as I'm aware so you would be taking a bit of a risk. That said Avast has always had awesome customer service for me so if there were issues I'm sure you would get good support.
I have a king sized geo and have been really pleased with it. Honestly, there is very little to a reactor. It's a pump and a chamber, nothing more, nothing less.
The real "secret" to having a trouble free reactor is a peristalic pump and a ph controller.
The real "secret" to having a trouble free reactor is a peristalic pump and a ph controller.
OP
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Dondante
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I just noticed the Avast was 30% off until midnight for the black Friday/Cyber Monday. So I went ahead and pulled the trigger. The price was right. 329.
Now I need a regulator and bubble counter. Any ideas on something reasonable and of good quality? Recommendations.
Now I need a regulator and bubble counter. Any ideas on something reasonable and of good quality? Recommendations.
Realposition
Community Member
In my opinion the peristaltic pump is a must, otherwise you will be constantly fiddling with the dosing rate. I used one with a carbon doser regulator and it was very easy to adjust and stayed consistent. Since you are using your apex to control the co2 the carbon doser may not be necessary.
AlexG
Valuable Member
I have a Geo 1218 Commercial reactor with a second chamber and I have been very happy with its performance after almost 2 years of use. I use a carbon doser regulator and a kamora peristaltic pump pulling the water through the reactor (added the peristaltic pump after a few months and a couple of out of town trips because the needle valve needed adjustment every couple of days). I utilize the pH probe on the apex to close a neptune solenoid valve on the CO2 line between the reactor and the carbon doser regulator. If the pH in my reactor gets below 6.45 it will close the solenoid valve and turn off the power to the carbon doser regulator. Once you get the reactor dialed in its pretty much set it and forget it other than a daily visual inspection and adjustments to compensate for higher demand.
Absolutely positively get a peristaltic pump, the kamoer is rated for continuous use and I have not had any problems with it. With the apex and pump you don't need a bubble counter or a nice regulator, the apex just shuts it off and turns it on as needed.
The only thing you really need to tune in terms of co2 is make adjustments so it is not adding co2 too fast that it overshoots your pH value. Ergo... its adding co2, the ph is falling, then the apex shuts the co2 off, and the ph will still keep falling. If your co2 rate is too fast it will fall quite a bit. If it is too slow it will take forever for the PH to fall.
Once it is set up, if you need more alkalinity you just turn the dial on the kamoer and it just pumps more water through the reactor. you don't need to mess with the co2 or anything because the apex takes care of it.
Make sense?
The only thing you really need to tune in terms of co2 is make adjustments so it is not adding co2 too fast that it overshoots your pH value. Ergo... its adding co2, the ph is falling, then the apex shuts the co2 off, and the ph will still keep falling. If your co2 rate is too fast it will fall quite a bit. If it is too slow it will take forever for the PH to fall.
Once it is set up, if you need more alkalinity you just turn the dial on the kamoer and it just pumps more water through the reactor. you don't need to mess with the co2 or anything because the apex takes care of it.
Make sense?
