Calcium Reactor with controller. Advice please.

[Mykesocalreef]

I will be setting up a calcium reactor on my system and eventually want to get a controller to monitor the system while away. Is there a controller that makes mores sense with the use of a calcium reactor? Please let me know your thoughts and experiences.

 

[robbyg]

I will be setting up a calcium reactor on my system and eventually want to get a controller to monitor the system while away. Is there a controller that makes mores sense with the use of a calcium reactor? Please let me know your thoughts and experiences.

Depending on the reactor almost any controller that has a pH probe and at least two plug outlets can control the reactor. Some reactors may require a pump to feed water into them so that would increase the need to three plugs.


If you already own a controller then all you need is the extra plugs and another pH probe. If you have no interest in spending a lot of money on any of the newer controllers then you could easily buy an old Digital Aquatics or Reefkeeper or an older Neptune controller, any of those with one powerbar and a new pH probe and would work.

Your just basically having the controller turn off the CO2 valve when the effluent pH drops below a desired level and then turning it back on when it rises. The re-circulation pump will be on almost all the time and lastly you might need a feed pump to force water into the reactor. This all assume your going to manually adjust the drip rate. If not you could go further and use a dosing pump to control the drip rate and skip using the feed pump.