Frustrated with my Geo Calcium Reactor

[mitch91175]

To be clear... now you’re using the Kamoer to pull effluent through the reactor while maintaining pressure by having the feed water attached to a manifold?

Exactly.

 

[mitch91175]

 

[Water Dog]

On the manifold feed, is it dialed back some or on full blast?

 

[Water Dog]

I have always run my peri pump to pull rather than push. Keeps grit and detritus out of the peri tubes and they last longer. ProCal doesn’t use John guest fittings though.

I wonder if it’s the John Guest fittings that are the underlying cause for all the reported are leaks due to pulling from peristaltic pumps? It seems more likely that barbed fittings would frovide a better airtight seal.

 

[mitch91175]

On the manifold feed, is it dialed back some or on full blast?

Full blast

 

[mitch91175]

I wonder if it’s the John Guest fittings that are the underlying cause for all the reported are leaks due to pulling from peristaltic pumps? It seems more likely that barbed fittings would frovide a better airtight seal.

Yeah I use a barb fitting.

 

[mitch91175]

I use one of these to the input of the Kamoer.

I haven't experienced any leaks yet with my Kamoer setup this way. May have to look for an output for the SMC415 that will replace the push connect in the picture above but have a barb end just in case. I don't believe that I am getting that much pressure though on the reactor from my manifold when I also have my UV fully opened as well. Maybe @geo has an idea of where such a part can be sourced.

 

[mitch91175]

Heck with a little leg work, I think that this may be the part needed at least on the SMC415 output (don't know exactly which size). Will have to look at an alternative part for the other push connect fittings.

 

[Gabaghoul]

Awesome @mitch91175 . That is exactly what I was asking. Gonna set it up this weekend. Right now, I’m back with my Sicce and Pinch valve. But my new Kamoer showed up today so the pinch valve is gonna get replaced. Very excited to finally have a stable effluent from my CaRx.

 

[biecacka]

So you use a feed pump to push water into the reactor full blast and then the peri pump on the other end to pull it?

Corey

 

[ycnibrc]

You guys are too picky lol as long as my reactor keep my Alkalinity stable a little bubble noise don't bother me

 

[mitch91175]

You guys are too picky lol as long as my reactor keep my Alkalinity stable a little bubble noise don't bother me

Not really too picky, just don't have what looks like you have, a "fish room" . Gotta keep the WAF high with the amount of money I spend on the tank.

 

[Gabaghoul]

Not really too picky, just don't have what looks like you have, a "fish room" . Gotta keep the WAF high with the amount of money I spend on the tank.

Set it up this morning. Easy swap, pinch valve for Kamoer. Still feeding with Sicce .5. I worried this morning, for a second, that there would be too much pressure in the reactor with the Kamoer at the end of the chain and the Sicce on the front but then I thought I’m matching the ml/min so there shouldn’t be any more than before. I’ll report back on my progress. Everything seems good right now - knock wood.

 

[Gabaghoul]

OK. Day 2. Looks like we have a pH inside the reactor at a solid 6.75. No bubbles. I think we may have a solid solution. Thanks to @mitch91175. I'll post some more results in the future. I hope others will as well. This is a huge issue that I have had and I would imagine many others would have had with Calcium reactors for many years.

Now, if we could just figure out a way to kill AEFW reliably, we'll be set.

 

[mitch91175]

OK. Day 2. Looks like we have a pH inside the reactor at a solid 6.75. No bubbles. I think we may have a solid solution. Thanks to @mitch91175. I'll post some more results in the future. I hope others will as well. This is a huge issue that I have had and I would imagine many others would have had with Calcium reactors for many years.

Now, if we could just figure out a way to kill AEFW reliably, we'll be set.

Mine has been working well since the switch as well. No bubbles to speak of.

 

[rushbattle]

OK. Day 2. Looks like we have a pH inside the reactor at a solid 6.75. No bubbles. I think we may have a solid solution. Thanks to @mitch91175. I'll post some more results in the future. I hope others will as well. This is a huge issue that I have had and I would imagine many others would have had with Calcium reactors for many years.

Now, if we could just figure out a way to kill AEFW reliably, we'll be set.

UWC did just that. Just add a product a few times and they are eradicated.
https://www.uwcmn.com/purge-in-tank-aefw-treatment

 

[OllietheVizsla]

Wondering if @mitch91175 or @Gabaghoul have any updates on their feed pump pushing/Kamoer pump pulling method?

 

[mitch91175]

Wondering if @mitch91175 or @Gabaghoul have any updates on their feed pump pushing/Kamoer pump pulling method?

Since switching to pulling method, I do not have any issues with the CaRx anymore with air bubbles in the chamber. The pH in the chamber is consistent and the effluent hasn't clogged or anything. I will say that having the Alkatronic has saved my bacon though. Sometimes my dKH is higher than my range and the Alkatronic is turning off the Kamoer pump when that does happen. Overall I am satisfied with how everything is working. Is it perfect and I have my dKH steady at say 8.5dKH all day long, no it isn't; but at least I know now how it is fluctuating. Still within a range that I am comfortable with and my coral are growing so I guess that's all I can ask for.

I am still going to try to get my swings within +/- 0.5 dKH.

 

[OllietheVizsla]

Since switching to pulling method, I do not have any issues with the CaRx anymore with air bubbles in the chamber. The pH in the chamber is consistent and the effluent hasn't clogged or anything. I will say that having the Alkatronic has saved my bacon though. Sometimes my dKH is higher than my range and the Alkatronic is turning off the Kamoer pump when that does happen. Overall I am satisfied with how everything is working. Is it perfect and I have my dKH steady at say 8.5dKH all day long, no it isn't; but at least I know now how it is fluctuating. Still within a range that I am comfortable with and my coral are growing so I guess that's all I can ask for.

I am still going to try to get my swings within +/- 0.5 dKH.

That's great to hear it is working with no leaks.

I have been running my Geo 612 for two - three years with good success with a manifold off of my main return pump. While this has worked, it did have some drawbacks with every time I needed to do a water change I not only had to turn off the return pump but also the reactor as well. Also, even though I had the manifold turned down the pressure seemed high inside the reactor which always made me nervous. So after purchasing the Kamoer last month and adding a second reactor chamber (Geo SMC415) I have had all the same issues mentioned here and elsewhere with excess air/Co2 forming in the main reactor after about 36-48hrs. I tried pulling, pushing, switched out the push fittings for threaded barb fittings, used teflon paste where threads were, and boiled uni-seals and O-rings as well as lubed with silicone grease. Still the excess air/CO2.

Then I switched to your method and used the smallest pump I had for the feed pump (Sicce .5) and the Kamoer pulling and the excess air/Co2 is gone. While this is great and I am back to a consistent PH in the CaRx and DKH, I must say I'm not real thrilled about having to have both a feed pump and the Kamoer. While adjusting the Co2 I noticed something interesting when going from a feed pump to the Kamoer. When I was using the manifold from the return pump I had to have my AP CarbonDoser PSI set to at least 8 in order to overcome the pressure in the reactor. When I switched over to the Kamoer I reduced the regulator to 3psi but I noticed the size of the bubbles where much larger and more robust than before. Then when I added the Sicce .5 feed pump and the Kamoer I had to increase the regulator to 4psi because of the pressure but then the bubble size was much smaller again. I assume this is because the peristaltic pumps alone don't necessarily pressurize the reactors with flow rates from 20-50ml per minute? So my long winded question is, with the carbondoser check valve how low can we turn down the PSI on the regulator while running a peristaltic pump alone but still overcome the check valve? I'm just curious if my reactor was actually building up excess C02 vs air.

 

[biecacka]

How does this work with a feed pump and the pump pulling? Do they pull the exact same amount of water all the time?

Corey