CarbonDoser V2 bubble count issue

[m.kristoff]

I just brought my Cal Reactor online
I have a 2 chamber Reef Octo
I just got the V2 carbon doser and have it set @1bar and a bubble every 5 seconds

the bubble counter chambers is showing 2 and smetimes 3 bubbles per cycle insead of 1
I dont think this is right. What should I be lookng at to correct?

 

[KrisReef]

Your expectations perhaps?
The doser is a great tool for producing reliable CO2 flows. Don’t worry about the bubble count but rather the pH inside the reactor and the DkH output into the aquarium. The goal is to provide reliable alk replacement in the system and the flow of effluent from the reactor needs to match the uptake of the coral.

The ability to have stable control is only casually related to the bubble count and you need to adjust flow of CO2 to achieve steady DkH from the reactor no matter what the bubble count is.
HTH

 

[m.kristoff]

Your expectations perhaps?
The doser is a great tool for producing reliable CO2 flows. Don’t worry about the bubble count but rather the pH inside the reactor and the DkH output into the aquarium. The goal is to provide reliable alk replacement in the system and the flow of effluent from the reactor needs to match the uptake of the coral.

The ability to have stable control is only casually related to the bubble count and you need to adjust flow of CO2 to achieve steady DkH from the reactor no matter what the bubble count is.
HTH

Agreed. My expectations are to "peg" the PH. I am using my apex as a controller. What I would like to accomplish is to get the reactor to maintain a consistant PH without needing the apex turn it on and off all the time. I assumed that would have been done by bubble count??

current Apex settings
If CA_Rx > 6.80 Then ON
If CA_Rx < 6.77 Then OFF

Current bubble rate is at 5. If i understand correctly, I would increase that to higher numbers to maintain? I want the APex as a backup to shut it down if nessary so is not cycling all the time

This is my 1st reactor so I am still figuring it out

 

[KrisReef]

Agreed. My expectations are to "peg" the PH. I am using my apex as a controller. What I would like to accomplish is to get the reactor to maintain a consistant PH without needing the apex turn it on and off all the time. I assumed that would have been done by bubble count??

current Apex settings
If CA_Rx > 6.80 Then ON
If CA_Rx < 6.77 Then OFF

Current bubble rate is at 5. If i understand correctly, I would increase that to higher numbers to maintain? I want the APex as a backup to shut it down if nessary so is not cycling all the time

This is my 1st reactor so I am still figuring it out

I have a Milwaukee pH controller for the same purpose. It has to cycle every now and again the way we have set it up.
Some folks have good luck without a pH controller, they balance bubbles vs through put of effluent and achieve stability. I never had long term stability without a pH controller and I tried to use bubble count and effluent drip (without a lab pump for many years and stability eluded me. I have a Kamoer feed pump and let the pH cycle direct the on off flow of CO2 and it is rock steady and easily adjusted as the coral grows.

 

[m.kristoff]

I have a Milwaukee pH controller for the same purpose. It has to cycle every now and again the way we have set it up.
Some folks have good luck without a pH controller, they balance bubbles vs through put of effluent and achieve stability. I never had long term stability without a pH controller and I tried to use bubble count and effluent drip (without a lab pump for many years and stability eluded me. I have a Kamoer feed pump and let the pH cycle direct the on off flow of CO2 and it is rock steady and easily adjusted as the coral grows.

I have Kamoer Pump also. My plan is to get this dialed in and connet the Kamoer to my Alkatronic. I will let the Alkatronic turn the pump on and off to maintaine stability

 

[ZombieEngineer]

I used the OG version and I could never get mine to produce only a single bubble each cycle.

Focus on bubble count over an entire minute not per cycle. For the pressure, focus on consistency over 1 minute rather than bubbles per cycle. Use trial and error to see whether higher bubbles with more time between cycles or fewer bubbles with less time between cycles. Whatever gets the most consistent at your target bubbles per minute is the winner.

A good target is to dial in a bubble count that will make the carbon doser be on for between 10-30 minutes to get the pH from the high to low setpoint. That will allow you to alarm with VOs such as

CaFlowBad (VO to detect circulation or feed clogs)
Set OFF
If Output CaRx = OFF Then ON
Defer 080:00 Then ON (make this about 4 times normal OFF time)

CaEmpty (VO to detect CO2 clogs or empty bottle)
Set OFF
If Output CaRx = ON Then ON
Defer 080:00 Then ON (make this 4 times normal ON time)