Calcium Reactor - I Give Up!

[Mrx7899]

I've heard of people running ARM at 6.0 ph to get it to start melting.

 

[naterealbig]

always used ARM. it's possible that it's a problem with the batch, but again, I've changed the media out three times, three different batches over the last year. Again, it's possible that there is a lot of ARM around at the moment that is not dissolving at the right ratios, but then you think you would have heard more about it around the traps.

Agreed - if it was an issue it's likely there would be more complaints. I'd just keep dropping the ph until you can get the alkalinity higher if you don't want to try a different brand. (I would try something else for sure, before i gave up). I definitely see why you're frustrated. I do know that ARM media constituent percentages have changed recently... Perhaps a new source? Could potentially be causing issues.

 

[naterealbig]

I've heard of people running ARM at 6.0 ph to get it to start melting.

Interesting. Fits my gut that it's the media.

 

[Potatohead]

I wish I could find it but there was another thread a few days ago about the Avast reactor that the guy couldn't get to keep up with his tank, but it's rated for way higher. Turns out he was using ARM also...

 

[Reefpro]

I would bet it’s the extra course ARM MEDIA. I’ve always had to run it around 6 to get it to melt sufficiently. I now yiu two little fishes reborn and would never go back. It melts consistently starting aT about 6.9-7

 

[minus9]

Btw, Reborn starts to dissolve at 7.5 and would melt below 6.5.

 

[Reefpro]

Btw, Reborn starts to dissolve at 7.5 and would melt below 6.5.

In my current system 6.9-7 is where it has active effect and starts to alter my numbers anything above that and my Alk drops

 

[naterealbig]

Now that I'm thinking about it, i bet it has something to do with the surface area of the media. There's got to be an enormous difference between the ARM extra large and smaller media. (The smaller media having a much larger surface area for a given volume).

Even if the XL begins dissolving at the same ph as the others, there is much less media being exposed to the low Reactor ph at any given time.

 

[eliasi]

I've heard of people running ARM at 6.0 ph to get it to start melting.

thing is, if I try and run my rector at anything below 6.4, it becomes a fizz-fest and the noise that it makes recirculating all those co2 bubbles through the pump all day can be heard two rooms away. Anything below 6.3 and it is just a cloud of fine co2 bubbles.

 

[dwest]

I wish I could find it but there was another thread a few days ago about the Avast reactor that the guy couldn't get to keep up with his tank, but it's rated for way higher. Turns out he was using ARM also...

Maybe @Brew12 ?

 

[Shirak]

thing is, if I try and run my rector at anything below 6.4, it becomes a fizz-fest and the noise that it makes recirculating all those co2 bubbles through the pump all day can be heard two rooms away. Anything below 6.3 and it is just a cloud of fine co2 bubbles.

Have you tried contacting Geo? Something just doesn't seem right. Having a hard time wrapping my head around how you could be running all that CO2 and such low ph, effluent flow, and not getting any dkh out of it. Just doesn't seem possible from a chemistry standpoint.

 

[eliasi]

Have you tried contacting Geo? Something just doesn't seem right. Having a hard time wrapping my head around how you could be running all that CO2 and such low ph, effluent flow, and not getting any dkh out of it. Just doesn't seem possible from a chemistry standpoint.

Nope, you're right... it doesn't. I've looked over the thing two dozen times and pulled it completely apart a couple of times, even had two other folk take a look at it too in case I was missing something mechanically.

I'm starting to lean towards the ARM. Maybe they really have mined a pocket of aragonite that is just crap! I must admit. I did think at the time I bought the last lot that it looked different to what I've seen in the past. Smoother stones and notably darker. Not saying this is the problem, but I don't know what else to think.

 

[Shirak]

Nope, you're right... it doesn't. I've looked over the thing two dozen times and pulled it completely apart a couple of times, even had two other folk take a look at it too in case I was missing something mechanically.

I'm starting to lean towards the ARM. Maybe they really have mined a pocket of aragonite that is just crap! I must admit. I did think at the time I bought the last lot that it looked different to what I've seen in the past. Smoother stones and notably darker. Not saying this is the problem, but I don't know what else to think.

Have you tried dropping a chunk or two into some vinegar to see what happens? I use Reborn in my reactor and it works great. A little surprised on the first video with all the bubbles. Was that when you had the CO2 cranked to the moon? I don't ever see bubbles coming up through my media. I can hear the recirculating pump chopping them up when the CarbonDoser goes off but that's it. Some more photos might help and I would definitely reach out to Geo if you haven't, as well as trying some reborn or similar calcium rock.

 

[mitch91175]

Have you tried dropping a chunk or two into some vinegar to see what happens? I use Reborn in my reactor and it works great. A little surprised on the first video with all the bubbles. Was that when you had the CO2 cranked to the moon? I don't ever see bubbles coming up through my media. I can hear the recirculating pump chopping them up when the CarbonDoser goes off but that's it. Some more photos might help and I would definitely reach out to Geo if you haven't, as well as trying some reborn or similar calcium rock.

I have a Geo reactor as well and use reborn media without any issues what so ever.

 

[mitch91175]

Folk... I’m done with calcium reactors. I’ve tried everything to get this thing to produce sufficiently potent effluent to make it worthwhile.

I’ve struggled with it for over a year trying to get it right, every method imaginable (the right ways and the wrong ways).

video attached is how it currently sits. It’s a joke. The thing looks like a friggen soda bottle and the noise of the recirculated CO2 getting sucked in to the pump keeps me up at night.

6.3pH (and yes, I know I should be looking at pH) 60 bubbles a minute and 35 ml a minute effluent only gives me 22 dKH.

I can get it to about 30dKH if I back the co2 off to about 20 bubbles a minute and drop the effluent back to about 10ml/min but this is grossly insufficient.

My tank consumes around 0.5 dKH a day. Reef calculator says it needs to run at 30dKH and 33ml/min. Impossible! I’ve stripped this unit 10 time over looking for a fault. I’ve half filled with media, full filled with media and everywhere in between. I’ve changed out the media twice, even got desperate and started blaming the co2 supply and changed the bottle out thinking maybe it lacks purity or potency or some rubbish like that.

I’m at a total loss. Cost an absolute fortune to land this Georeef 818 inAustralia and I can’t get the bloody thing to work.

Ok. Rant over. Not sure what I’m trying to get out of this post other than a vent. I know everyone says that this things are easy once you get the hang of them but for my 1500l system, it’s useless in my hands.

Back to 2 part I guess.

Well I do not know if you are sending in that much CO2 from the video but if you are sending in that much CO2 your media would turn into mush. First thing I would resolve it I were you is making sure you aren't bringing in air. Once that is resolved then go to the next step. Figuring out the effluent problems.

You should reach out to @geo and they may have modified the plumbing for that particular reactor. When I purchased mine I was having an issue where there was a leak at either the pump manifold or where the plumbing was connected. I received a replacement from GeoReef and ever since it has been running flawlessly.

You have to focus on one issue at at time to get it working properly. Once done you will be ecstatic that you do have it working.

Question I have is exactly how much CO2 are you actually sending to the reactor. Is it a steady stream of bubbles or simply a few bubbles. If it is a few bubbles you likely have air being pulled into the reactor which will definitely continue to cause you a problem.

Also, my issues I believe actually came down to using the needle valve. It is no longer used with the way my reactor is currently setup.

 

[eliasi]

Just an update for whoever was playing along and following my tantrum:

Over the weekend, I pulled apart my reactor, dumped the AUD$100 worth of ARM and replaced I with generic coral rubble I bought form my lfs. Since it wasn't reactor specific rubble, I sifted through the entire bag and picked out all the pieces of shell and anything the didn't look like pure coral rubble.

Fired it all back up, 40ml per minute effluent rate, 10 bubbles per minute co2 rate. pH is hovering around 6.65-6.7 and the effluent is coming out at 25dKh. Will actually begin to dial it back a little as the tank kH is starting to creep up.

So, there you have it.... for a year I've been fighting with a reactor that had nothing wrong with it on the precipice that the quality media I was using had nothing wrong with it! I'm not going to unequivocally deem that there is an issue with ARM but it certainly was not working for my setup.

Thanks to everyone who contributed, put up with, and entertained by sook! It was worth it in the end... just needed the right encouragement and direction to take that leap of faith to try something that didn't seem necessary.