Calcium reactor tuning questions

[dolpator]

Just set up my first Cacium reactor, everything seems to be working great, however i do have a question. I am using an Apex with a Carbondoser to control co2 input on a GEO612 with ARM coarse media. So heres my question. I am starting out at 7.0 on 6.9 off for my range to shut my regulator off. Once co2 us injected into the reactor until the ph gets to 6.9 and shuts off, it continues to decrease until 6 2 at 1 second per bubble. I have to set the Carbondoser to 9 seconds per bubble and then it stops at 6.86 before climbing back up to 7.0. Am I missing something here? My effluent stream is a slow beaded stream, not dripping but not flowing steady, operating pressure is 7psi at the regulator. Maybe I am not understanding it completely as this is very new to me..

 

[GoVols]

Just set up my first Cacium reactor, everything seems to be working great, however i do have a question. I am using an Apex with a Carbondoser to control co2 input on a GEO612 with ARM coarse media. So heres my question. I am starting out at 7.0 on 6.9 off for my range to shut my regulator off. Once co2 us injected into the reactor until the ph gets to 6.9 and shuts off, it continues to decrease until 6 2 at 1 second per bubble. I have to set the Carbondoser to 9 seconds per bubble and then it stops at 6.86 before climbing back up to 7.0. Am I missing something here? My effluent stream is a slow beaded stream, not dripping but not flowing steady, operating pressure is 7psi at the regulator. Maybe I am not understanding it completely as this is very new to me..

Can you try the constant "tiny "stream method and toss out counting bubbles?
This is the way I roll with my 2 stage GEO.


Seems like I've seen, other's recommending about 14psi on the carbon doser too.

 

[gilman]

I set up my reactor using this . I run it at 6.5 with the apex . I was running it at 6.9-7.0 like tou can my solenoid was clicking on and off constantly and I couldnt dial in the reactor correctly and ALK was really high .

http://www.melevsreef.com/articles/how-to-set-up-a-calcium-reactor

 

[GoVols]

So heres my question. I am starting out at 7.0 on 6.9 off for my range to shut my regulator off. Once co2 us injected into the reactor until the ph gets to 6.9 and shuts off, it continues to decrease until 6 2 at 1 second per bubble.

Did you use 4 and 7 solutions to calibrate your ph probe?

And what's your average melting point inside your reactor....
With 7.0 on and 6.9 off?

 

[dolpator]

That is the video I used to set everything up. I just set this up today, so i dont have a lot of info as to what t hte melting point is. The stream is a beaded stream. Not drips but not flowing. Just above dripping. Both probes were calibrated using 4 and 7 solutions and compared to each other in the tank before placing ph2 in the reactor. I only noticed the ph in the reactor dropping below 6.9 and that was my concern. When I set it to 1sec/bubble once the solenoid shut off the amount of Co2 that was alresdy inject into the reactor caused it to lower to a ph of 6.2. That was my concern. I moved it up to 6sec/bubble on the carbondoser and managed to get it to 6.86. I short of felt that I wanted the ph in thecreactor more consistent as i move slowly toward the melting point. Is this the right thinking

 

[GoVols]

I run just above the beaded point.

I set the stream.
Then shut off the feed pump with Apex fusion.
Then I turn the feed back on to see if the stream comes back on and holds to same as when I first set it.

If it does not, then I open the needle valve a little more and try again.

I pay more attention to the average melting point then the on and off points. The average should stay pretty constant when it's running right.

 

[dragon99]

There are different thoughts/methods, but to me a carx should be tuned where the solenoid never needs to close. It definitely takes some trial and error and waiting between adjustments. But it will result in a steady pH in the reactor where the co2 input is matched to the effluent rate. The pH probe and solenoid then become a failsafe rather than crutch.

 

[GoVols]

There are different thoughts/methods, but to me a carx should be tuned where the solenoid never needs to close. It definitely takes some trial and error and waiting between adjustments. But it will result in a steady pH in the reactor where the co2 input is matched to the effluent rate. The pH probe and solenoid then become a failsafe rather than crutch.

I've ran that way, but I'm not going to say "one best way".

Agree that your should learn your cal reactor inside and out, including dialing it in so that the solenoid stays on all the time, but I'm sure not going back to dripping the effluent.

 

[David Cher]

Can you try the constant "tiny "stream method and toss out counting bubbles?
This is the way I roll with my 2 stage GEO.


Seems like I've seen, other's recommending about 14psi on the carbon doser too.

any one have a better video on the stream that this video is talking about ?