Calcium reactor initial rate

[tc760]

I am setting up a Calcium reactor for the first time. I have a 180G mixed reef and am dosing 92ml of Alk 2part daily to maintain my alkalinity at 8.5 dkh. I don't plan on fully removing the 2 part and hoping I setup the calcium reactor right so I plan to leave it in place and cut the dosing in half and to see how far off I am with the calcium reactor setup. Knowing that I currently does 92ml Alk what should I set my reactor to for a starting point?

 

[outhouse]

stop the 2 part , all of it------------- set Ca reactor output to just above when it quits dripping and turns into a very small trickle. Then adjust your BPM to about 1 a second.

from there your testing should dictate raising or lowering your BPM after 2 weeks

If you keep adding 2 part youll ever get it dialed in.

Also get yourself a second chamber for media to bleed off low PH, and most of us long term guys use a kalk reactor as well tied into our auto top off

 

[gbroadbridge]

I am setting up a Calcium reactor for the first time. I have a 180G mixed reef and am dosing 92ml of Alk 2part daily to maintain my alkalinity at 8.5 dkh. I don't plan on fully removing the 2 part and hoping I setup the calcium reactor right so I plan to leave it in place and cut the dosing in half and to see how far off I am with the calcium reactor setup. Knowing that I currently does 92ml Alk what should I set my reactor to for a starting point?

Is it worth it if you're only dosing about 90ml a day?

I'm not there yet, but wasn't thinking about a reactor until I crossed the 250ml a day line.

Interested when others switch over.

 

[tc760]

stop the 2 part , all of it------------- set Ca reactor output to just above when it quits dripping and turns into a very small trickle. Then adjust your BPM to about 1 a second.

from there your testing should dictate raising or lowering your BPM after 2 weeks

If you keep adding 2 part youll ever get it dialed in.

Also get yourself a second chamber for media to bleed off low PH, and most of us long term guys use a kalk reactor as well tied into our auto top off

Thank you. I have heard mix thing about stopping 2 part all at once. I see both sides of the story. I have a Trident so I would see the drop fairly fast and could go from there. I know it takes time to dial in. Just wasn't sure the best starting point.

 

[tc760]

Is it worth it if you're only dosing about 90ml a day?

I'm not there yet, but wasn't thinking about a reactor until I crossed the 250ml a day line.

Interested when others switch over.

My decision is based off of getting it all setup and dialed in so that my working knowledge of the reactor is solid before all my corals get huge and expensive. This is my fourth tank. Its a 180G and it is almost 2 years old. This is also my first SPS focused tank and the mysterious deaths (RTN) have stopped. I have had a lot of growth in the last 6 months so I feel like I am ready to start buying the choice pieces I want to grow. I know this is a long term tank and cant really go any bigger in my house so its being setup for the long run. I have had a reactor in my garage for several months. Came across a good deal on a setup but at the time I was only dosing 45ml a day. Its about doubled in 6 - 8 months and dont expect it to slow down.

 

[X-37B]

I set mine up when dosing got to 50ml a day. Its easier to start when the demand is low, imo.
This lets you understand consumption and how your reactor runs on your system.
But yes stop 2 part when ready and just fire it up.

 

[Cassklar]

stop the 2 part , all of it------------- set Ca reactor output to just above when it quits dripping and turns into a very small trickle. Then adjust your BPM to about 1 a second.

from there your testing should dictate raising or lowering your BPM after 2 weeks

If you keep adding 2 part youll ever get it dialed in.

Also get yourself a second chamber for media to bleed off low PH, and most of us long term guys use a kalk reactor as well tied into our auto top off

what do you mean adjust BPM to about 1 per second. is that bubble per minute so are you saying 60 bubbles per minute. I am about to set up my calcium reactor as well

 

[tc760]

what do you mean adjust BPM to about 1 per second. is that bubble per minute so are you saying 60 bubbles per minute. I am about to set up my calcium reactor as well

Yeah BPM is bubbles per minute. You are correct that would be 1 bubble per second 60 bubbles per minute.

 

[outhouse]

Yeah BPM is bubbles per minute. You are correct that would be 1 bubble per second 60 bubbles per minute.

Yep you got it, my bad innocent mistake BPS yes!!!!

 

[outhouse]

Thank you. I have heard mix thing about stopping 2 part all at once. I see both sides of the story. I have a Trident so I would see the drop fairly fast and could go from there. I know it takes time to dial in. Just wasn't sure the best starting point.

its the most easy thing to do and dial in. Its a set it and forget it sort of deal. The only dialing you do is BPS adjustments

always keep effluent the same, just above a drip, and we all do that so the valve does not clog, or we would run less output

 

[Bpb]

I pulled 2 part cold turkey when I set up my calcium reactor. I just started slow and tested alk daily and kept 2 part on hand to make up for what I was losing. There are very scientific ways to do it. @jda is probably the most thorough source on how to tune your reactor I’ve seen on here so maybe PM him or search his threads. He’s explained it very well many times. I’m guessing you’re not using a peristaltic pump?

 

[tc760]

I pulled 2 part cold turkey when I set up my calcium reactor. I just started slow and tested alk daily and kept 2 part on hand to make up for what I was losing. There are very scientific ways to do it. @jda is probably the most thorough source on how to tune your reactor I’ve seen on here so maybe PM him or search his threads. He’s explained it very well many times. I’m guessing you’re not using a peristaltic pump?

Thanks. Im sure it's not that difficult in the end but I'd rather learn from others experiences. I'm on the fence about the peristaltic pump but will probably just buy one. What's another $300 in this hobby

 

[Bpb]

What's another $300 in this hobby

That’s the spirit!

 

[jda]

40 drops, 10 bubbles per minute. Let it run overnight. Test the dKh. If it is around 25, then good. If not, then adjust just the bubbles - up it to 11 or 12 if you are below 25, or lower it to 8-9 if you are higher than 25. Get it close to 25 - does not have to be perfect.

Count. This is your magic ratio of bubbles to drips.

Then raise or lower in this same ratio until your tank demands are met.

Eventually, you will have to measure in mls per minute when there is more drips than you can count. This is normal.

There is a google doc in my signature with a lot more ramblings.

 

[tc760]

40 drops, 10 bubbles per minute. Let it run overnight. Test the dKh. If it is around 25, then good. If not, then adjust just the bubbles - up it to 11 or 12 if you are below 25, or lower it to 8-9 if you are higher than 25. Get it close to 25 - does not have to be perfect.

Count. This is your magic ratio of bubbles to drips.

Then raise or lower in this same ratio until your tank demands are met.

Eventually, you will have to measure in mls per minute when there is more drips than you can count. This is normal.

There is a google doc in my signature with a lot more ramblings.

Thank you for your insight. I noticed you mentioned going with a maxi jet 1200 for a feed pump in the google doc. I would be curious about your opinions on peristaltic pump use. I know the community used maxi jet like pumps for years before peristaltic pumps became affordable. I am all about making my life easier, but changing tubing twice or more a year and a $50 a year head replacement on top of a $300 pump makes me wonder if it is that much better.

 

[costaricareef]

Seeing that you have a Trident, these two threads might be of interest to you. The first one details how to manage the CaRx with the Apex. I have been doing this for over 15 months and works great. A 5lb CO2 tank lasted 13 months. The second thread explains how to do less testing with the Trident. Only two alk tests per day and one combined test per day, effectively halving your use of reagents. I have been doing this for a about two months and works really well. I use a Kamoer FTP pump pulling from the reactor, and it gets water from a manifold in my main pump in the sump. I also have a secondary chamber for ph purposes, but I feel it has little to no effect. I have effectively quit worrying about pH in the DT as long as it is above 7.8, and corals look and grow great. I hope this helps you going forward.

Calcium reactor control by Neptune Trident

Since the beginning of April 2019 I've had my Trident and after a couple weeks when I trusted it, I started experimenting with some programming I thought of well before its release. More people with reactors need to know about this easy to create and use program to help with Alkalinity...

www.reef2reef.com

Calcium reactor control by Neptune Trident

Since the beginning of April 2019 I've had my Trident and after a couple weeks when I trusted it, I started experimenting with some programming I thought of well before its release. More people with reactors need to know about this easy to create and use program to help with Alkalinity...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[jda]

How to feed the reactor is just up to you. The reactor will not care. The MJs, or whatever, do fail and I have to replace them every 3-5 years, or so. Go with something that fits your personality. Mainline T works well too.

I used to use Kangroo, which was the masterflex before the masterflex. I still have them and just have not been to the supply store to get new tubing. I liked them OK, but I guess not enough to stop by in 5+ years.

Quietone 900-1200 are good pumps. I found a few really small Tunze pumps like for biocubes that I am going to use next. The quietone 1200 has a fitting that Ice Maker Line fits right into but I otherwise use 2-part putty to fill any voids in pump outlets and the input tubing.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

i use a dosing pump to pull from the sump thru the reactor and adjust the effluent.
once i get the Co2 dialed in with the bubble counter it just stays constant. best way to run a calcium reactor is with a high quality regulator and control the output ,, the maxijet version can work but is always somethign to tweak and go wrong where the peristatlic pump and fixed CO2 rate is very easy to dial in and maintain.

 

[Mark Novack]

I also set my reactor up early. As soon as I saw coralline developing. Its on a low setting and growth is remarkable. Co2 scrubber keeps Ph 8.3 and alk stays at 9.

 

[jmichaelh7]

40 drops, 10 bubbles per minute. Let it run overnight. Test the dKh. If it is around 25, then good. If not, then adjust just the bubbles - up it to 11 or 12 if you are below 25, or lower it to 8-9 if you are higher than 25. Get it close to 25 - does not have to be perfect.

Count. This is your magic ratio of bubbles to drips.

Then raise or lower in this same ratio until your tank demands are met.

Eventually, you will have to measure in mls per minute when there is more drips than you can count. This is normal.

There is a google doc in my signature with a lot more ramblings.

You should provide the write up.

it sure helped when I set mine up.

OP there is lots of helpful advice posted on here from members. At 90ml you can switch to calcium reactor and the 2 part dosing is history