korallin Calcium reactor

[prfishgirl]

Wanted to find out if anyone is using a korallin calcium reactor I had a few questions on how you set it up with a the new kamoer pump

Thanks

 

[prfishgirl]

Hi there, there is an old setup doc for the Korallin kicking around somewhere by someone called “Dragonslayer” - I’ve not run one using a peri pump, just with a tee off the return pump and a tap on the outlet but I never really got a consistent drip rate. With the peri pump I would pull through the Korallin from the top outlet I think. Regards, Andy

Thank u so much

 

[mjt82]

@prfishgirl did you get your reactor set up with the Kamoer pump? I have recently obtained a Korallin reactor myself, and will be using a Kamoer pump. Do you have pictures of your setup, or any advice in getting it going? I'm reading that most people use the pumpt to pull from the top outlet, as @Andyos mentioned above. My question, however, is: What is to be done with the other outlet? Thanks for any insight you may have!

 

[jda]

Sorry that I missed this. I have multiple Korallins. I can probably help if anybody still needs it.

 

[prfishgirl]

@prfishgirl did you get your reactor set up with the Kamoer pump? I have recently obtained a Korallin reactor myself, and will be using a Kamoer pump. Do you have pictures of your setup, or any advice in getting it going? I'm reading that most people use the pumpt to pull from the top outlet, as @Andyos mentioned above. My question, however, is: What is to be done with the other outlet? Thanks for any insight you may have!

I did get it set up I had to end up pushing water through because pulling it wasn’t working with the ehiem pump just wasn’t enough water going through it to work right.. I’m using the appointed outlet Because for some reason it wasn’t working through the top.. it’s working just not working right.. every time the ehiem pump is on for a while it starts catching air to the point the effluent doesn’t come out right without air bubbles.. it’s weird to explain without seeing it.. I’ve purged the top but it starts back up again after a little bit... it’s annoying honestly.. makes me want to get a different reactor

 

[jda]

The Ehiem pump should be on all the time.

If it is filling up with air quickly, then you have a leak or you have not let it run long enough to get all of the air out of the Ehiem and plumbing. Plug the Ehiem in and let it work overnight. If the top of the chamber fills up, then you likely have a leak.

The top port is not for input or output... but to let excess co2 escape if you have a bad tune or if you use a co2 controller and it is dumping too much. You should not need to use the port on top of the reactor at all. I do not recommend it.

 

[prfishgirl]

The Ehiem pump should be on all the time.

If it is filling up with air quickly, then you have a leak or you have not let it run long enough to get all of the air out of the Ehiem and plumbing. Plug the Ehiem in and let it work overnight. If the top of the chamber fills up, then you likely have a leak.

The top port is not for input or output... but to let excess co2 escape if you have a bad tune or if you use a co2 controller and it is dumping too much. You should not need to use the port on top of the reactor at all. I do not recommend it.

I have a piece of tube with a shut off valve to purge if needed.. I’ve let it run for hours and it still keeps doing that.. where do u think I could i have a leak? Every tube is connected tightly

 

[jda]

Does the pump recirculate water? Can you see and hear it running?

You have to turn the Kaomer all the way up when you are getting the thing running... like where you have a pretty good stream.

 

[prfishgirl]

yeah the pump is on and works I hear it..I did that and it’s not a steady stream it’s with bubbles in between and the u see the water in the rector sloshing back and forth

 

[jda]

My guess is that you have not let it push the bubbles out of the system and the pump is cavitating with the air around the impeller.

The Ehiem should be producing a flow in the chamber that you can see and it should be silent... and it will push all of the air out of those PVC lines into the top of the chamber with a rush of one-time bubbles.

Tip the reactor on the side with the Ehiem input towards the bottom and see if it will grab water and start to recirculate.

 

[prfishgirl]

IM trying to send u a video but it’s not going through on here

 

[prfishgirl]

My guess is that you have not let it push the bubbles out of the system and the pump is cavitating with the air around the impeller.

The Ehiem should be producing a flow in the chamber that you can see and it should be silent... and it will push all of the air out of those PVC lines into the top of the chamber with a rush of one-time bubbles.

Tip the reactor on the side with the Ehiem input towards the bottom and see if it will grab water and start to recirculate.

I’ll give it a shot when i get home I’m at work at the moment.

 

[C. Eymann]

+1 to everything @jda says

Like him, I have run Korallin reactors for years, they have their quirks, but they are very efficient, well made reactors.

 

[prfishgirl]

I hope this works

 

[mjt82]

Sorry that I missed this. I have multiple Korallins. I can probably help if anybody still needs it.

I’d love to see some pics of how yours is set up if you have them!

 

[mjt82]

The Ehiem pump should be on all the time.

If it is filling up with air quickly, then you have a leak or you have not let it run long enough to get all of the air out of the Ehiem and plumbing. Plug the Ehiem in and let it work overnight. If the top of the chamber fills up, then you likely have a leak.

The top port is not for input or output... but to let excess co2 escape if you have a bad tune or if you use a co2 controller and it is dumping too much. You should not need to use the port on top of the reactor at all. I do not recommend it.

So does the top port stay open to vent excess CO2? I can’t picture how that would work without a leak... Or do you periodically vent the reactor with that valve?

 

[mjt82]

+1 to everything @jda says

Like him, I have run Korallin reactors for years, they have their quirks, but they are very efficient, well made reactors.

Thanks for the input!! Are you running a secondary chamber there? I am considering doing the same. How is yours connected?? I’m trying to figure out how to convert all of the tubing to RO tubing, using John Guest fittings. Any insight there??

 

[jda]

If you use the top port, you put it over your tank with a slight drip so that the co2 goes into the air, but any water, drips into your sump. I do not use it except to let gas escape after a refill... no need if you tune it correctly.

 

[C. Eymann]

Thanks for the input!! Are you running a secondary chamber there? I am considering doing the same. How is yours connected?? I’m trying to figure out how to convert all of the tubing to RO tubing, using John Guest fittings. Any insight there??

I only changed my feed line to pex, also you want to use the included green tubing between your CO² and the reactor as it is CO² proof tubing.

The second chamber you see there is old DI canister I filled with agronite to drip effluent over mostly for off gassing CO² like @jda mentions, it's not absolutely necessary though.

 

[mjt82]

If you use the top port, you put it over your tank with a slight drip so that the co2 goes into the air, but any water, drips into your sump. I do not use it except to let gas escape after a refill... no need if you tune it correctly.

I see... your goal is to avoid the collection of excess CO2 in the reactor, thus making the valve unnecessary for normal operation.

So you propose that you simply create a situation in the reactor where bubble delivery and effluent rate result in an alkalinity of 20-25 of the effluent, and fine tune it to the needs of the tank from there?