Reviving a MTC Minical Calcium Reactor

[ca1ore]

If you are feeding the reactor just via a siphon, then a few feet of head pressure is necessary. If you are using the original design where the circulation pump helps to suck in water then less head is necessary. I never found either to work all that well which is why I now use a MasterFlex. I don’t recall the exact hose configuration on the mini, but on the pro I just used the original CO2 vent to move effluent to the secondary chamber thus eliminating gas buildup in the main chamber.

 

[touchstone88]

If you are feeding the reactor just via a siphon, then a few feet of head pressure is necessary. If you are using the original design where the circulation pump helps to suck in water then less head is necessary. I never found either to work all that well which is why I now use a MasterFlex. I don’t recall the exact hose configuration on the mini, but on the pro I just used the original CO2 vent to move effluent to the secondary chamber thus eliminating gas buildup in the main chamber.

In other words, gas buildup is the likely culprit and not necessarily O2 in the line(?)

 

[lolgranny]

Here is mine currently.

The air in the chamber shouldn’t be like that correct?


My drip rate is broken stream. Not fully open, but it isn’t a drip. Tank and corals are doing great, Alk is stable. I use a little kalk in my ato. I have about 700gallons total.

 

[tango0102]

With Ca1ore's suggestion you will need to us a pump to pull on the effluent line as oppose to a pump feeding into the reactor. I have added numbers to your picture. At line #1 I capped off and don't use anymore. Then I ran a new line from #2 to #3 allowing the second chamber to pull the effluent directly from the top of the first chamber. Remember to take out the float attachment from the top of the first chamber as you won't be needing it. This solved all the problems I had with air being trapped in the first chamber. Hope it works for you.





The air in the chamber shouldn’t be like that correct?


My drip rate is broken stream. Not fully open, but it isn’t a drip. Tank and corals are doing great, Alk is stable. I use a little kalk in my ato. I have about 700gallons total.[/QUOTE]

 

[lolgranny]

With Ca1ore's suggestion you will need to us a pump to pull on the effluent line as oppose to a pump feeding into the reactor. I have added numbers to your picture. At line #1 I capped off and don't use anymore. Then I ran a new line from #2 to #3 allowing the second chamber to pull the effluent directly from the top of the first chamber. Remember to take out the float attachment from the top of the first chamber as you won't be needing it. This solved all the problems I had with air being trapped in the first chamber. Hope it works for you.





The air in the chamber shouldn’t be like that correct?


My drip rate is broken stream. Not fully open, but it isn’t a drip. Tank and corals are doing great, Alk is stable. I use a little kalk in my ato. I have about 700gallons total.

[/QUOTE]

Do you have any photos of yours?

Thanks for the help everyone. Ever since my friend said mine is running incorrectly I’ve been concerned, so I’m at a loss at what it should actually “look like” when running

 

[ca1ore]

I went to take a few pictures of mine, but it is so heavily modified at this point that I’m not sure they’d be useful. The tricks I’ve learned are to pull each canister from the top (connecting points 2 and 3 from the prior picture and eliminating position 1); and then run the thing under slight positive pressure if you can. I run mine at about 3 psi and that helps both to ensure that all co2 dissolves and discourages other gasses from bubbling out of solution. Any bubbles that come in via the feed line get pulled back out from the lids.

 

[lolgranny]

I went to take a few pictures of mine, but it is so heavily modified at this point that I’m not sure they’d be useful. The tricks I’ve learned are to pull each canister from the top (connecting points 2 and 3 from the prior picture and eliminating position 1); and then run the thing under slight positive pressure if you can. I run mine at about 3 psi and that helps both to ensure that all co2 dissolves and discourages other gasses from bubbling out of solution. Any bubbles that come in via the feed line get pulled back out from the lids.

So, from the prior picture all you did was connect 2/3 togehter with tubing and cap off #1? Doing this I’ll need to feed it with a pump correct?

Also, what kind of ph is your effluent ? Is there anything else I’ll need to know by doing this route? Thank you

 

[tango0102]

I have attached pictures of my reactor withe modification. Cap off #1 and connect 2/3 together. I run a peristaltic pump on the effluent but you can also use a feed pump. Just be mindful of the pressure as higher pressures will increase the chances of the top blowing off, 3 psi is good enough. I'm running my effluent at about 6.5, with a bubble every 1.5 seconds. Make sure to keep the CO2 regulator pressure above that of the main chamber pressure or you risk the water back flowing into the regulator if the check valve fails. Using larger argonite in the main chamber will prevent clogs later on, or run only down to half of the main chamber supply and mix in new media. Other than your main chamber having air trapped do you have other issues?

 

[lolgranny]

I have attached pictures of my reactor withe modification. Cap off #1 and connect 2/3 together. I run a peristaltic pump on the effluent but you can also use a feed pump. Just be mindful of the pressure as higher pressures will increase the chances of the top blowing off, 3 psi is good enough. I'm running my effluent at about 6.5, with a bubble every 1.5 seconds. Make sure to keep the CO2 regulator pressure above that of the main chamber pressure or you risk the water back flowing into the regulator if the check valve fails. Using larger argonite in the main chamber will prevent clogs later on, or run only down to half of the main chamber supply and mix in new media. Other than your main chamber having air trapped do you have other issues?

Thank you for the photos and the info. I’m only having air in the first chamber. I’d say every 2-3 months I have to take out all of the rock and clean it because it gets to the point where I have a 2-3” air gap. I have to clean all the media and the entire thing out and get it back to where it should be. A couple days later it looks like the photo I attached.

My co2 is at 7psi and I run about 3 bubbles per second right now. The tanks staying stable, as I said before I have about 700gallons and plenty of large sps / chalice / favia. I do use some kalk in the ato. My alk is stable around 8dkh. I’ve never used a ca reactor until this year and I have feeling this wasn’t working correctly so thanks for the help. Much appreciated again

 

[Xclusive Reef]

I just bought the mtc minical used and it came with a diy bottom plate that is falling apart. the previous owner has a sponge around the pvc i guess so media did not pass through. I am going to make a diy bottom plate to hold the media and was thinking using some mesh and remove the sponge. From the pictures above i am seeing that the reactors have a sponge? is the bottom sponge needed?

Also I was told the minical does not need a feed pump as it pulls water just as is. Is anyone running it just with the eheim pump? i was trying not to have another pump in the aio tank and using another outlet.

 

[touchstone88]

I just bought the mtc minical used and it came with a diy bottom plate that is falling apart. the previous owner has a sponge around the pvc i guess so media did not pass through. I am going to make a diy bottom plate to hold the media and was thinking using some mesh and remove the sponge. From the pictures above i am seeing that the reactors have a sponge? is the bottom sponge needed?

Also I was told the minical does not need a feed pump as it pulls water just as is. Is anyone running it just with the eheim pump? i was trying not to have another pump in the aio tank and using another outlet.

I run my used Minical with only the eheim recirc pump-after using a cobalt 1200 as feed pump that proved less consistent than the siphon. Most folks recommend a Masterflex or other peristaltic pumps that provide consistent flow through varying headpressure. My buddy is considering a magdrive as feedpump, he's used the masterflex too and nixed it due to its squeaky operation fwiw.

The primary reaction chambers bottom sponge is in place of a dispersion plate like the Procal has.
Just be sure to have a sponge filter or nylon mesh sock to cover your feedline-and locate the minical below the feedline to facilitate the siphon.

 

[Xclusive Reef]

here is the sponge i am talking about. I want to remove this and just put in a plate on the bottom to keep the reborn above the pvc .

 

[ca1ore]

The other option would be to replumb the pump so the main chamber is up flow.

 

[touchstone88]

I see what you mean.
This is the only pic I have but both chambers are the same as yours. The 'straw' in the post reaction chamber and sponge in the main.

I replaced the sponge with a comparable sized fluval sponge. I don't see how your idea wouldn't work, other than by removing that sponge your ehiem intake would be wide open and pulling like mad. It seems that the sponge acts as a buffer- kinda regulating and expanding the pull of the eheim.

FWIW- in the similar vein of what your'e aiming to do, BRS has some SERIOUS filter media. It comes in these... maybe 2x2' portions? Its so dense, I use the blue kind which is considered 'medium' and use a jig saw to cut it. If you got the 'black' fine-type, cut-out a round portion, you'd achieve the same end. Seems easier than cutting acrylic- unless you've got the equipment.

 

[chicago]

some questions.. as i have the same unit.. I use the Kameor pump to pull effluent from the second chamber..

I was going to install a T on the intake to the pump.. (the line from the bottom of chamber one to the intake of the pump. )
and run the #1 on the top of the chamber to it. In other words sucking the left over C02 that is accumulating back into the water.

Do we think this will work.
and.
Way exactly is the design purpose of this secondary line to the intake.

See the red mark ups in the pic you guys posted below.. for more of a clear idea of what I am asking thanks

Thanks

 

[chicago]

Forgot to ask.. how hard is it to remove the float valve.. just a thumb screw or two ?

 

[chicago]

 

[chicago]

No one?

 

[tango0102]

I don't know if adding a T at the bottom of chamber 1 will reduce the amount of bubbles that are trapped in the chamber. The second line was indeed used to recycle any trapped CO2 back into the main chamber. The proposed change was done so that there wouldn't be a build up of bubbles and space at the top of the main chamber that some of us were having by pulling the effluent directly out from the top of the main chamber. The build up of air in the main chamber caused my effluent to be unstable but after doing the mod everything has been rock solid. The float valve is simple to remove, just remove the nylon screws holding to the lid. Hope this helps.

 

[Xclusive Reef]

I have the MTC mini cal reactor. i got mine used and guy said it was working but I am having all sorts of leaks. I managed to fix all the leaks but then I close my return back to the tank, to a light stream the eihm pump starts leaking. i checked all seals etc, reseated and same leaks if i close the return. any idea other than getting a new pump?