Thank you. The kalk dose is to manage pH levels correct? Or other purpose? And aside from trial and error, are these “dosing” processes monitored or controlled by a controller of any kind? Happy to read up if you can shoot a link. Thanks.
New Avast Marine Calcium Reactor
- Thread starter Leishman
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)
markstubb
Well-Known Member
Got mine back to Malaysia but haven’t set it up yet. We just found out we’re moving the end of the month so I have to break down my whole tank anyway. Never moved a tank before. Should be interesting.
Mrx7899
Valuable Member
Its here ! The build quality is very nice like all my other avast products. Going to try and install it tonight. I'm Intrested to see how this new design compares to my old calcium reactor.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
Well... I did something that I never do. I ordered this with the secondary chamber and I have no idea how I am going to control it. I like to have a plan in place to make sure it is what I need but... my 2-part usage is out of control, I love the stuff I've gotten from Avast, and this design fascinates me.
Sounds like the next batch is in production so I have a few weeks to figure out what I will need to integrate this into my Profilux.
Sounds like the next batch is in production so I have a few weeks to figure out what I will need to integrate this into my Profilux.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
I'm not sure why it took so long, but it all just clicked. I don't know why I struggled so much to figure out how the input and output flows could be matched. I guess I assumed there must be some form of venting because of the CO2.
Now to start getting everything else I need to make it work with a little protection built in.
Now to start getting everything else I need to make it work with a little protection built in.
I keep saying I am going to move over to CaRx as I am ESV dosing over 500ml a day across two systems.
But then I hear that many CaRx users are also dosing 2 part and Kalk to keep ALK stable and manage pH. That feels like adding two more maintenance tasks and failure points. (Actually four in my case.)
I'll just keep reading up on the adventures of others while my basement fills up with empty ESV buckets.
But then I hear that many CaRx users are also dosing 2 part and Kalk to keep ALK stable and manage pH. That feels like adding two more maintenance tasks and failure points. (Actually four in my case.)
I'll just keep reading up on the adventures of others while my basement fills up with empty ESV buckets.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
My Profilux should help automatically control the CaRx so I'm hoping to get away from the 2 part completely.
Mrx7899
Valuable Member
It's been running great nice steady drip rate very quiet haven't had a problem with it at all. Running it at 6.7 and its keeping up with the demand of 225 gallon tank that's sps dominate with a few large colonies. One thing is that its completely fully of water avast said that it was fine.
ctenophore
Active Member
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2008
- Messages
- 265
- Reaction score
- 284
- Location
- Rockville, MD
- What state or country do you live in
- Maryland
Correct- this just means that it is running well under its maximum CO2 input capacity. If you need to run it harder (i.e., lower internal pH) in the future to keep up with demand, you will see the CO2 start to displace water in the chamber, and this is okay.
RSnodgrass
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2018
- Messages
- 487
- Reaction score
- 949
- Location
- Lynd, MN
- What state or country do you live in
- Minnesota
Correct me if I'm wrong but since you already adjusted the effluent output rate all that's left to "tune" is the co2 input rate. A person wouldn't even need a pH probe or they could temporarily reassign their tank probe just for the initial setup.
After that it's the basic unavoidable maintenance with minimal failure points and far less cost than some other options.
After that it's the basic unavoidable maintenance with minimal failure points and far less cost than some other options.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
I've got more playing around to do but so far it cannot keep up with the demand in my 187g system. Running 50ml/min with a pH of 6.2. I'm dosing an additional 100ml of 2 part to keep alk steady.
Part of the issue may be that I am using ARM media in the reactor which I've heard takes a lower pH to melt. Unfortunately, the TLF Reborn media still has supply issues.
Still, I'm not having to refill my dosing containers every week so I'm calling it a win. Just be aware that if you have a high demand system this may not be enough. For low and medium demand systems it's a fantastic solution.
Part of the issue may be that I am using ARM media in the reactor which I've heard takes a lower pH to melt. Unfortunately, the TLF Reborn media still has supply issues.
Still, I'm not having to refill my dosing containers every week so I'm calling it a win. Just be aware that if you have a high demand system this may not be enough. For low and medium demand systems it's a fantastic solution.
Crashjack
Well-Known Member
Have you measured the effluent alk? I wouldn't trust the pH reading from the probe. The "automatic" reactors peg pH around 6.0 so even if correct, your pH is still above that.
PerplexyHexy
Valuable Member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2016
- Messages
- 1,560
- Reaction score
- 1,970
..
Last edited:
Brew12
Electrical Gru
I did earlier and I can't remember the exact number. It was around 30dKH at 50ml/min.
I have a very high demand system. I was dosing close to 500ml per day before I put this online. It's well over 4dKH per day that my system would drop.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
I should add that if I drip in more CO2 it starts causing the pump to cavitate so I'm avoiding going any lower.
xaflatoonx
Valuable Member
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2015
- Messages
- 1,201
- Reaction score
- 1,712
- Location
- Houston, TX
- What state or country do you live in
- Texas
thats not good - i would think the point of adding a Cal reactor is to be able to support a high demand system more cost effectively than the dosing.
THank you for sharing your experience so far - and hope you continue to do so. Following this thread still.
THank you for sharing your experience so far - and hope you continue to do so. Following this thread still.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
I think it could support my system if I could have gotten my hands on the Two Little Fishies Reborn media. My understanding is that it dissolves at a ph of 6.4 at a higher rate than what I'm using does at 6.2. And I'll point out that my demand is nuts compared to most systems its size. Too many rapidly growing monti caps that suck up the alk and calc. I think most people would consider "high demand" needing to dose around 200ml per day on a system my size. I'm well over twice that.
But.. I'm going to continue to tinker with this and see what I can do to boost output. It's really a beautiful unit and I love many things about it.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
To follow up, I've reached out to Avast and they believe I need to run much more flow through the reactor. I'm going to kick flow up through the reactor to 120ml/min tonight and see how it performs.
