Calcium Reactor for 150gal system

[Mikeltee]

So it's like electricity... path of the least resistance. Why can't a check valve be placed between the bubble counter and reactor to ensure no water gets in the bubble counter? I dont have my regulator or check valve yet. I'm going to buy a ball valve today and just shut the co2 port off to check for more leaks.

 

[X-37B]

This is true but tank water gets in there anyway.

Not sure how thats possible with a check valve. I can turn off co2 and have no back flow. Maybe its the way the Tunze unit feeds the co2 as my bubble counter is above the reactor?
I have to add di water to the bubble counter every month to keep it filled.

 

[Mikeltee]

Not sure how thats possible with a check valve. I can turn off co2 and have no back flow. Maybe its the way the Tunze unit feeds the co2 as my bubble counter is above the reactor?
I have to add di water to the bubble counter every month to keep it filled.

Is your check valve between the counter and reactor?

 

[X-37B]

So it's like electricity... path of the least resistance. Why can't a check valve be placed between the bubble counter and reactor to ensure no water gets in the bubble counter? I dont have my regulator or check valve yet. I'm going to buy a ball valve today and just shut the co2 port off to check for more leaks.

That reactor is quite different from mine.

Is your check valve between the counter and reactor?

No its just before the bubble counter.

 

[X-37B]

My co2 input feeds at the bottom of the reactor just before the pump.

 

[Mikeltee]

Well once again I do not understand the physics of how that is possible. I dont think its path of the least resistance as when you have a large diameter pipe with water rushing through and place a tiny hole in it which would be much more resistance than the bug hole, you still have water traveling through the leak.

 

[X-37B]

Well once again I do not understand the physics of how that is possible. I dont think its path of the least resistance as when you have a large diameter pipe with water rushing through and place a tiny hole in it which would be much more resistance than the bug hole, you still have water traveling through the leak.

Look at it this way.
If you fill a container with a liquid and seal it off while pushing the liquid around the container with a pump and there is an open area the liquid will find it and come out the same way a crack in a tank will leak water. Its the path of least resistance.

 

[Mikeltee]

Heres a video of the AquaMaxx bubble maker. I assume the irregular drips are caused by all the air in the system. It has to be coming from that recirc pump joint. There is not supposed to be air correct? It's super loud!

 

[Mikeltee]

Look at it this way.
If you fill a container with a liquid and seal it off while pushing the liquid around the container with a pump and there is an open area the liquid will find it and come out the same way a crack in a tank will leak water. Its the path of least resistance.

Why does it not come out the effluent line then if no water is coming in?

 

[Mal11224]

I added some RODI to my bubble counter. It is difficult, but it also filled up with some of the tank water as the instructions stated it would. With this reactor, I found that the effluent needs to be checked too often so I installed a kamoer to pull the water from the reactor. It is great for a calcium reactor and glad I made the investment. My Ph is consistent and so is my drip. my parameters are more consistent with my trident.
i find pharmed tubing better suited than rigid tubing for the effluent drip.

 

[Mikeltee]

Finally after a lot of tinkering and $20 in shark bite couplers I got the leaks taken care of. It's been running a few hours and I am much happier than last night. There is still the problem with the bubbles. I got rid of the water filter to see if that was the issue and it's not.

Are all these bubbles normal when there is no co2? Will the drip rate become normal once I hook up the co2 or do I need to track down what is causing all this air in the system.

 

[Mal11224]

Finally after a lot of tinkering and $20 in shark bite couplers I got the leaks taken care of. It's been running a few hours and I am much happier than last night. There is still the problem with the bubbles. I got rid of the water filter to see if that was the issue and it's not.

Are all these bubbles normal when there is no co2? Will the drip rate become normal once I hook up the co2 or do I need to track down what is causing all this air in the system.

It takes a ew hours for the recirculating pump to push the bubbles out. Should wait for this to happen before you start the CO2.
Also, the drip valve should be wide open until you start the CO2.

 

[Mikeltee]

It takes a ew hours for the recirculating pump to push the bubbles out. Should wait for this to happen before you start the CO2.
Also, the drip valve should be wide open until you start the CO2.

It's been 7 hours and it still looks like it did 7 hours ago. I have no drip valve. Im using a peristalsic pump, the versa, to push it. I'm at 40ml/min right now. It goes up to 200ml/hr, but I think I'd be replacing it within a week if I ran it that hard. Maybe I'll turn it up to 80 and see if that speeds the process up any.

If this is still happening tomorrow, I will put the Versa in pull mode. If the same thing occurs I can rule out the Versa being the device that is adding the air.

 

[Mal11224]

It's been 7 hours and it still looks like it did 7 hours ago. I have no drip valve. Im using a peristalsic pump, the versa, to push it. I'm at 40ml/min right now. It goes up to 200ml/hr, but I think I'd be replacing it within a week if I ran it that hard. Maybe I'll turn it up to 80 and see if that speeds the process up any.

If this is still happening tomorrow, I will put the Versa in pull mode. If the same thing occurs I can rule out the Versa being the device that is adding the air.

It’s better to use a peristaltic pump to pull the water from the reactor. You can use a small pump to push it into the reactor. That would be best. You have to get the water to circulate and let the fluid drain into your tank. Eventually the air bubble will dissipate and then you can start your CO2 and fix your flow/drip or use the peristaltic pump to pull it.

 

[ksed]

Has anyone tried a Reef Octopus Varios calcium reactor?

 

[Mikeltee]

It’s better to use a peristaltic pump to pull the water from the reactor. You can use a small pump to push it into the reactor. That would be best. You have to get the water to circulate and let the fluid drain into your tank. Eventually the air bubble will dissipate and then you can start your CO2 and fix your flow/drip or use the peristaltic pump to pull it.

This CaRx came with a Sicce 0.5 which circulates. If I used a small pump to push that would be doing the same duty as my Versa I would assume.

Are you stating to use 3 pumps? I have not seen this configuration. So 1 push, 1 recirculate, and once the air is gone use my Versa to pull? I have an aqua lifter for my ato. I can make this happen. I may just replace the versa with the aqua lifter to push just to see if it can purge the air as opposed to sporadically pushing. I do believe this was the intention as the pinch valve is actually on the input.

 

[Mikeltee]

Has anyone tried a Reef Octopus Varios calcium reactor?

It's probably best to start your own thread brother. Yiu will get a lot more action. I'm sure many people use them. With the various pump I can see them being awesome! I had a RO skimmer for a decade. I never had 1 problem with it and I didnt pull it out once to do any kind of maintenance at all. I just sprayed the cup once every other month.

 

[Mal11224]

This CaRx came with a Sicce 0.5 which circulates. If I used a small pump to push that would be doing the same duty as my Versa I would assume.

Are you stating to use 3 pumps? I have not seen this configuration. So 1 push, 1 recirculate, and once the air is gone use my Versa to pull? I have an aqua lifter for my ato. I can make this happen. I may just replace the versa with the aqua lifter to push just to see if it can purge the air as opposed to sporadically pushing. I do believe this was the intention as the pinch valve is actually on the input.

Correct, you need to feed water into the reactor. Whether it’s a pump or bulkhead, then the pump attached to the reactor recirculates the water. The versa is optional, but you can just use a needle valve to adjust the drip or peristaltic to pull and force the drip at a specific rate. You need a steady flow into the reactor so the peristaltic pump would need to flow steady, which is part of the reason why it is not recommended to push.

 

[sawdonkey]

Natural media will have traces. Natural aragonite is the best, but appears unavailable right now (Reborn or old ARM). Calcite (new ARM Media) and Dolomite will have traces too, just not as many as the aragonite did.

So all new ARM media is calcite? I just received two gallons from BRS today and they are aragonite.

 

[Mikeltee]

So all new ARM media is calcite? I just received two gallons from BRS today and they are aragonite.

I too noticed that BRS said that it was indeed aragonite. It has been out of stock for months and just a week or 2 ago I noticed it was in stock. I thought someone in this thread confirmed that they were no longer allowed to procure it. This is great news!