GoVols: Red Sea S-400

SPR1968 · May 8, 2019

Brew12 said:
Wonderful, isn't it!?!?!

My consumption has been all over the board lately but using automatic dosing control has really helped me keep it in a more acceptable band.

GoVols said:
Yeah,
It's great.

I noticed something at first (testing every two hours), your alk consumption can "slightly" vary from day to day.
Have you seen the same thing with your reef?

Can you two stop this or your going to cost me money!! Lol

I’ve been awaiting Trident........

Edit: Trident appears to have just been released for sale there is a new thread started by Rev on here

Brew12 · May 8, 2019

GoVols said:
Yeah,
It's great.

I noticed something at first (testing every two hours), your alk consumption can "slightly" vary from day to day.
Have you seen the same thing with your reef?

Yup, consumption vary's from day to day and it vary's from hour to hour throughout the day.

dbl · May 8, 2019

GoVols said:
@dbl
David,
It's late in the night, but congrats with your "Blues" in game 7

Hope ya'll win it all!!

@RichtheReefer21 's Bruins seem to be on a mission in the East

Thanks Freddie...it was a nail biter but they pulled it off.

GoVols · May 11, 2019

Okay...
Testing the Alkatronic's bluetooth socket with the calcium reactor:

Last night:
We put on the bluetooth socket to the Apex Jr. and plugged the cal reactor's feed pump to that socket.
Tight fit, but it worked.

Turned on the Alkatronic's "Action Mode" with the socket activated. Started testing again, every two hours.

Low setting 8.8 dkh / high setting 9.3 dkh

Welp,
The Alkatronic just tested at 9.33 and turned the feed pump off.
Notice the blue dot too.

We'll track it from here...

Note... ;Writing
When making setting changes to Alkatronic.
Make sure it saves and reboot the unit.

GoVols · May 11, 2019

Alright...
The Alkatronic just made another test.

Came in at 9.17 dkh and screen read... dkH_ok

Alkatronic kicked back on the feed pump, and the calcium reactor is running again.

We'll let it ride for the next 24 hours.
So far, So good... ;Nailbiting

Really just want to use this function, when out of town.

crusso1993 · May 11, 2019

GoVols said:
Alright...
The Alkatronic just made another test.

Came in at 9.17 dkh and screen read... dkH_ok

Alkatronic kicked back on the feed pump, and the calcium reactor is running again.

We'll let it ride for the next 24 hours.
So far, So good... ;Nailbiting

Really just want to use this function, when out of town.

Sweet! It's nice when something works exactly the way it was designed to work.

GoVols · May 11, 2019

crusso1993 said:
Sweet! It's nice when something works exactly the way it was designed to work.

(lol)
Sure is!!

Hopefully it will help other's out too... ;Bookworm with a cal reactor.

Thanks for checking in.

crusso1993 · May 11, 2019

GoVols said:
(lol)
Sure is!!

Hopefully it will help other's out too... ;Bookworm with a cal reactor.

Thanks for checking in.

Any particular reason for not setting it and kind of forgetting it (with occasional checks) other than fear of failure?

GoVols · May 11, 2019

crusso1993 said:
Any particular reason for not setting it and kind of forgetting it (with occasional checks) other than fear of failure?

That's how I usually run the cal reactor, but I can tune it high when out of town. That way the Alakatronic can take over if need be.

When the 24 hour test is over, I tune the reactor back in line, and turn off "action mode" on the Alkatronic. And test 2 - 4 times a day.

So, we're just testing as an out of town (vacation) option.

Does that make sense?

HolisticBear · May 11, 2019

That is awesome. Gonna have to get me one of those alkatronic things

crusso1993 · May 12, 2019

GoVols said:
That's how I usually run the cal reactor, but I can tune it high when out of town. That way the Alakatronic can take over if need be.

When the 24 hour test is over, I tune the reactor back in line, and turn off "action mode" on the Alkatronic. And test 2 - 4 times a day.

So, we're just testing as an out of town (vacation) option.

Does that make sense?

Makes perfect sense!

siggy · May 12, 2019

I see your switching the feed pump, wont the co2 super saturate the media while idling? What about switching the co2 solenoid? and continue with stream (water) mode?

Fudsey · May 12, 2019

I was thinking the same as @siggy

GoVols · May 12, 2019

siggy said:
I see your switching the feed pump, wont the co2 super saturate the media while idling? What about switching the co2 solenoid? and continue with stream (water) mode?

Fudsey said:
I was thinking the same as @siggy

Well,
The Apex keeps the cal reactor's melting point the same using the ph probe. So when the flow shuts down so does the cal reactor unless the ph raises in stage one.

When it turned back on, I did not see a big alk spike in the display.

But... In my case, I think you guys are right. I'm using a cheap feed and the flow rate could change from turning it on and off.
Also, the regulator is super high end and the bubble count stays solid.

We'll try switching to the regulator's plug next weekend.

I also think we can use this function by only testing 2 - 4 times a day.
Because... if the action mode kicks in, it will test every two hours until it reads dkH_ok. Then it goes back to it's scheduled testing time.

If it works with the regulator's plug, and can drop back on testing amounts per day, I think we'll leave it be, and roll that way.

(lol)
We'll test this thing to death... ;Dead

siggy · May 12, 2019

learning along with you..... that video of always letting water flow and switching based on ph made it seem easy although who's to say its over or under supplying whats needed?.... I see that your method is to use the carx as a doser based on dkh... My thinking is you almost need a timer (apex) to delay turning the pump off after you dose the tank and shut co2 off, to allow Carx to zero out. ??or am i mixed up on whats going on?

GoVols · May 12, 2019

siggy said:
learning along with you..... that video of always letting water flow and switching based on ph made it seem easy although who's to say its over or under supplying whats needed?.... I see that your method is to use the carx as a doser based on dkh... My thinking is you almost need a timer (apex) to delay turning the pump off after you dose the tank and shut co2 off, to allow Carx to zero out. ??or am i mixed up on whats going on?

The only reefer's that I know that put their cal reactor's on timer's is the ones that suffer with low ph.
They shut them off during lights out so their ph does not bottom out.

We're good on ph, so you dial the reactor in, and let it do it's thing 24/7

Two tips that I picked up from Randy:
To help stable your cal with alk when running a cal reactor.

1) Keep the display at .35 ppt
2) Shoot for and alk at about 9 dhk

Been doing those two things for a year and a half, and seems to be solid tips.

Just tested cal and mag yesterday. It's been two weeks sense testing those.
Cal holding 440ppm
Mag at 1400, but run 10% ZeoMag in stage-1

_________________________________________

Feed pump test looks good. It only kicked off and back on, one time since yesterday.
Moving the bluetooth socket to the Apex's ph switch that controls the regulator.