Reef Octopus Calcium Reactor making me go insane!!!

CreamCityCorals · Feb 15, 2020

Hey y'all!

Just setting up a reef octopus cr5000 calcium reactor.....Running apex for ph control, carbon doser, and Kamoer fx-STP. I set up the reactor today and am pushing water into the reactor with he dosing pump. I filled up the reactor with water, put the lid on etc etc.

I turned on the recirculation pump and the kamoer pump at about 50-75ml to try and get a steady stream going and then I was going to turn on the co2. However, this has been nothing but a massive pain. The reactor is obviously designed to allow the excess co2 to be recirculated back which is fine. However, I cannot seem to get the air out of this thing no matter what I do. Initially when setting up the reactor. If I open that recirculating valve all the way, it pulls the air at the top and makes the pump look like a skimmer. So then I tried closing the valve, fully and partially.

What happens is the reactor is full and the effluent seems to syphon down to the sump. once enough water drains out through the effluent line, it starts grabbing air and barely drains. Then the recirculating pump starts grabbing air and the cycle continues. Im not sure there is anyway it is sucking air from anywhere external. The kameor isn't bringing in any air either.

Has anyone changed the effluent and the recirculating lines. I really don't care about the recirculating feature....its nice but I could just run the effluent through that and any co2 it grabs will just go into the room not the tank as it drips into the sump.

Just want a steady effluent lol

any thoughts guys?

CreamCityCorals · Feb 15, 2020

Would pulling from the kamoer vs pushing make a difference. Assuming I have air getting in somehow

Sabellafella · Feb 15, 2020

AKReef11 said:
Hey y'all!

Just setting up a reef octopus cr5000 calcium reactor.....Running apex for ph control, carbon doser, and Kamoer fx-STP. I set up the reactor today and am pushing water into the reactor with he dosing pump. I filled up the reactor with water, put the lid on etc etc.

I turned on the recirculation pump and the kamoer pump at about 50-75ml to try and get a steady stream going and then I was going to turn on the co2. However, this has been nothing but a massive pain. The reactor is obviously designed to allow the excess co2 to be recirculated back which is fine. However, I cannot seem to get the air out of this thing no matter what I do. Initially when setting up the reactor. If I open that recirculating valve all the way, it pulls the air at the top and makes the pump look like a skimmer. So then I tried closing the valve, fully and partially.

What happens is the reactor is full and the effluent seems to syphon down to the sump. once enough water drains out through the effluent line, it starts grabbing air and barely drains. Then the recirculating pump starts grabbing air and the cycle continues. Im not sure there is anyway it is sucking air from anywhere external. The kameor isn't bringing in any air either.

Has anyone changed the effluent and the recirculating lines. I really don't care about the recirculating feature....its nice but I could just run the effluent through that and any co2 it grabs will just go into the room not the tank as it drips into the sump.

Just want a steady effluent lol

any thoughts guys?

So this is a big issue with the majority of calcium reactors. If you give it about a week of running that all goes away.

stephj03 · Feb 15, 2020

How many bpm of C02 are you running?

vetteguy53081 · Feb 16, 2020

The bubbles will phase out and you can also start at 3BPS and open up flow to sump a little and bleed the air out

CreamCityCorals · Feb 16, 2020

stephj03 said:
How many bpm of C02 are you running?

was having this problem without co2! Havnt turned that on yet. Wanted to get air out etc before I started with co2!

CreamCityCorals · Feb 16, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
The bubbles will phase out and you can also start at 3BPS and open up flow to sump a little and bleed the air out

Shouldn’t I try and get the air out before I start with the co2?

gilman · Feb 16, 2020

Why wont my Calcium reactor work correctly ? HELP PLEASE

I bought a new geo 618 and smc415 secondary chamber . Im running seachem reefreactor MD in the main chamber with a mix of reefreactor MD and LG in the secondary chamber . Aquamaxx dual gauge regulator and 5lb tank . My solenoid is ran with my apex . I calibrated the ph probe last weekend . My...

www.reef2reef.com

CreamCityCorals · Feb 16, 2020

gilman said:
Why wont my Calcium reactor work correctly ? HELP PLEASE

I bought a new geo 618 and smc415 secondary chamber . Im running seachem reefreactor MD in the main chamber with a mix of reefreactor MD and LG in the secondary chamber . Aquamaxx dual gauge regulator and 5lb tank . My solenoid is ran with my apex . I calibrated the ph probe last weekend . My...

www.reef2reef.com

That thread is about tuning the reactor. Not the air issue! Did I miss something later in the thread?

vetteguy53081 · Feb 16, 2020

AKReef11 said:
Shouldn’t I try and get the air out before I start with the co2?

Yes

gilman · Feb 18, 2020

AKReef11 said:
That thread is about tuning the reactor. Not the air issue! Did I miss something later in the thread?

It should help you get a better sense of running your reactor . Using Apex to control the solenoid is only going to dump co2 into the reactor causing a excess build up and eventually burn the solenoid out quicker .

gilman · Feb 18, 2020

Also try shutting the recirc valve and cracking the ph probe holder open until all the air comes out and you get water coming out behind it . Hope that helps .

CreamCityCorals · Feb 18, 2020

gilman said:
It should help you get a better sense of running your reactor . Using Apex to control the solenoid is only going to dump co2 into the reactor causing a excess build up and eventually burn the solenoid out quicker .

Sorry I should have clarified. I am using apex as a fail safe to shut off carbon doser if ph gets to low. Not run the solenoid.

CreamCityCorals · Feb 18, 2020

I was able to get this going! Isn’t 100% perfect but I had to take the lid off and fill the reactor to the very top, then turn on the recirculation pump, let it run for a bit...shut that off and then purge the reactor.
Basically after running the pump a large bead of air would accumulate at the top. So I would use a syringe and push water into the effluent line and it would come out the recirculating line opening. I did this until all of the air was out.

Now it’s working good! I have co2 running.

howver now when Ihave the carbon doser set on 1 bubble every 10 sec, I get like 6 throughout that 10 sec frame. I know the issue isn’t the carbon doser as I tested that into a glass jar. So I am thinking the push connect check valve is pulling air into the line or something!

Work to be done, but it is functional for now!

blstravler · Feb 18, 2020

As someone else said above it is normal for air to be in the unit at first start up and it will work it’s way out - my Aquamaxx did the same thing. In about 5 days all air was gone then I turned on the CO2. Of that doesn’t work I would guess you are pulling in air from somewhere? Have you checked all the connections?

As far as output goes what size tank is this for?

blstravler · Feb 18, 2020

AKReef11 said:
I was able to get this going! Isn’t 100% perfect but I had to take the lid off and fill the reactor to the very top, then turn on the recirculation pump, let it run for a bit...shut that off and then purge the reactor.
Basically after running the pump a large bead of air would accumulate at the top. So I would use a syringe and push water into the effluent line and it would come out the recirculating line opening. I did this until all of the air was out.

Now it’s working good! I have co2 running.

howver now when Ihave the carbon doser set on 1 bubble every 10 sec, I get like 6 throughout that 10 sec frame. I know the issue isn’t the carbon doser as I tested that into a glass jar. So I am thinking the push connect check valve is pulling air into the line or something!

Work to be done, but it is functional for now!

What size tank - are you still running at 50ml - assume you have a large tank?

CreamCityCorals · Feb 18, 2020

blstravler said:
What size tank - are you still running at 50ml - assume you have a large tank?

No I bumped it down for now! I am getting steady ph of 6.7 in the reactor for now running about 30ml. The system is 200 gallons but will be growing to 500+ here shortly. So the reactor is oversized but eventually it won’t be lol

im gonna snag another check valve with a push connect fitting and see if that helps the bubble issue in the bubble counter. Unless the solenoid is slipping under the pressure but that is unlikely. So we shall see

blstravler · Feb 18, 2020

AKReef11 said:
No I bumped it down for now! I am getting steady ph of 6.7 in the reactor for now running about 30ml. The system is 200 gallons but will be growing to 500+ here shortly. So the reactor is oversized but eventually it won’t be lol

im gonna snag another check valve with a push connect fitting and see if that helps the bubble issue in the bubble counter. Unless the solenoid is slipping under the pressure but that is unlikely. So we shall see

Sounds like a good plan!

andrewb70 · Sep 30, 2020

Hey I am experiencing a similar issue with my new Reef Octo. I can’t seem to purge the air out. I have all valves fully open - i have the pump at 20%, no CO2 as yet. Tee off return pump

I guess I need to wait for all the air to come out

any further thoughts from your comments above ?

thanks

andrewb70 · Oct 1, 2020

OK I believe I have fixed the issue. I opened all valves fully for a few minutes, Next I closed the Effluent outlet valve half way, the CO2 recirc still fully open and the pump feed valve half way - this obviously created some pressure inside the reactor which purged the air. I now have the pump running at full power with only the odd CO2 bubble fizzing through. Quite obvious in the end.