Calcium reactor issues

Eric23 · Feb 14, 2018

I've been trying to get my reactor tuned in and it's driving me nuts. If finally found an effulent rate the works and stays consistent but my next problem is that I'll set the bubbles to say 50 bubbles a minute and then when I wake up in the am there's no bubbles so I have to open the needle valve a little more then when I come home from work no bubbles so I open it a little more and so on and so on until I hit a point where I open it just a little to much and I get a steady stream of Co2 .. very frustrating !!! Is my regulator bad ? Is it to much pressure from the feed line ? What's the deal ? I'm not loosing operating pressure at all and I'm not loosing tank pressure so I don't think there's a leak but I don't who what's goin on ???

Finhead · Feb 14, 2018

Eric23 said:
I've been trying to get my reactor tuned in and it's driving me nuts. If finally found an effulent rate the works and stays consistent but my next problem is that I'll set the bubbles to say 50 bubbles a minute and then when I wake up in the am there's no bubbles so I have to open the needle valve a little more then when I come home from work no bubbles so I open it a little more and so on and so on until I hit a point where I open it just a little to much and I get a steady stream of Co2 .. very frustrating !!! Is my regulator bad ? Is it to much pressure from the feed line ? What's the deal ? I'm not loosing operating pressure at all and I'm not loosing tank pressure so I don't think there's a leak but I don't who what's goin on ???

Just a obvious question, do you have a one way valve on your CO2 line? And if you do are you sure it's working not stuck open?

Water Dog · Feb 15, 2018

Also, what regulator are you using?

Eric23 · Feb 15, 2018

Tunze regulator and yes there a check valve built in to the bubble counter on the reactor and is definitely the right way

DCR · Feb 15, 2018

Most of the needle valves that come with these systems are oversized. There is a good thread on building your own regulator on RC that discusses suitable metering valves. The freshwater planted tank forums also discuss them. Ideal 52-1, Swagelok S series, Hoke Micromite 1600 are some. Can also go with the electronic Carbon Doser which many people like.

Also what is the set pressure of your regulator. Generally want about 5-15 psig for a low bubble count.

Eric23 · Feb 15, 2018

Pressure is set to 1 bar which is about 15 psi.... This morning again there were no bubbles but if I turn off the feed line the bubbles start going again so I guess there's to much pressure from the feed line ? To compensate for this do I raise operating pressure on the regulator or open the needle valve more ?

DCR · Feb 15, 2018

Sounds like you need more CO2 pressure, but I would be a little concerned about how much pressure is on the reactor. How are you feeding it and controlling the flow?

Eric23 · Feb 15, 2018

DCR said:
Sounds like you need more CO2 pressure, but I would be a little concerned about how much pressure is on the reactor. How are you feeding it and controlling the flow?

I'm feeding off my return.. you can see the valve isn't open very much

DCR · Feb 15, 2018

That should not cause excessive pressure on the reactor unless you have a high head return pump and the reactor oulet was restricted. The Tunze manual recommends 0.5 bar for the initial regulator setting. I have generally found the bubble count to be more controllable at lower pressures.

Eric23 · Feb 15, 2018

DCR said:
That should not cause excessive pressure on the reactor unless you have a high head return pump and the reactor oulet was restricted. The Tunze manual recommends 0.5 bar for the initial regulator setting. I have generally found the bubble count to be more controllable at lower pressures.

At .5 bar I don't get consistent bubbles. The only way for me to keep consistent bubbles is if I set it to 1.5 bar

Eric23 · Feb 15, 2018

Eric23 said:
At .5 bar I don't get consistent bubbles. The only way for me to keep consistent bubbles is if I set it to 1.5 bar

Which is 21 psi

Finhead · Feb 15, 2018

I helped setup a buddies CR about 4 months ago after his was having issues with CO2 flow, something like yours. This is the method we went with and it's been working perfect since, I believe it was the effluent not being consistant and backing up.