Tuning your CalRx | Alternate method thats too easy

Crazy Seahorse · Sep 13, 2015

ToXIc said:
Wow. Got a pic of the tank. Would love to see what's eating up so much media.

You asked for a FTS this is the DT with is one of three tanks on the same system. The total system is 550 Gallons and the DT is approx. 220 Gallons.
The other tanks are stocked with corals as well.

To illustrate the growth I am adding a picture of my "hedgehog". S.caliendrum

This "Hedgehog" was made the 2015.04.18

This shows two "hedgehogs", one has been sold and the Picture below show the other today (2015.09.13)

If you are having a problem with the effluent decreasing, it is our experience that the following might help.
1) The effluent need to be a steady stream (Not dripping)
2) The effluent line must ascend all the way to the exit. That prevents excess co2 from getting stuck in the line.
3) Adding a sediment filter between the Ca Rx and the neddle valve to prevent sediment from getting stuck in the neddle valve.

tigerdragon · Sep 13, 2015

Crazy Seahorse said:
You asked for a FTS this is the DT with is one of three tanks on the same system. The total system is 550 Gallons and the DT is approx. 220 Gallons.
The other tanks are stocked with corals as well.

To illustrate the growth I am adding a picture of my "hedgehog". S.caliendrum

This "Hedgehog" was made the 2015.04.18

This shows two "hedgehogs", one has been sold and the Picture below show the other today (2015.09.13)

If you are having a problem with the effluent decreasing, it is our experience that the following might help.
1) The effluent need to be a steady stream (Not dripping)
2) The effluent line must ascend all the way to the exit. That prevents excess co2 from getting stuck in the line.
3) Adding a sediment filter between the Ca Rx and the neddle valve to prevent sediment from getting stuck in the neddle valve.

Ok so you say effluent line must ascend? So the output should be higher than the reactor? And you mentioned a sediment filter do you use one and do you have a pic?

Crazy Seahorse · Sep 13, 2015

tigerdragon said:
Ok so you say effluent line must ascend? So the output should be higher than the reactor? And you mentioned a sediment filter do you use one and do you have a pic?

There is a pic of my sediment filter on #70
You can see a bit of my ascending effluent line on the pic as well. It is ascending, not much, but it is ascending all the way.
And- You are correct, the exit is higher than the reactor. All to prevent any Co2 to get stuck in the line.
But I don´t have any problems with Co2 in the line, because of my high pressure inside the reactor.

tigerdragon · Sep 13, 2015

Almost looks like a sediment filter from an ro unit

tigerdragon · Sep 13, 2015

Also does your reg cycle or is it on all the time

Crazy Seahorse · Sep 13, 2015

tigerdragon said:
Almost looks like a sediment filter from an ro unit

You are correct again. It is a cannister from a Ro unit. It was a friend of mine WHO got the idea.
There´s no need to complicate things, we just use what we already have. These cannisters are cheap, always available and we can get all the fittings we need.
It is on all the time. The Water goes from the exit into a funnel. From the funnel the Water is lead through a pipe to the neutralisation unit.
The funnel prevent the Water from splashing down. It makes a terrible mess, when it hits the surface.

Tek · Sep 15, 2015

ToXIc said:
Let us know how that works out. I would like to test the same but my feed is bigger

I changed the effluent to a constant line of water right above a fast straight drip and have been controlling it via pH. So far it has kept the ALK steady for 3 days and has not slowed down.

Tonyreefer · Oct 10, 2015

Just started up my life reef reactor do I need to stop dosing 2 part or slowing cut back after samplying ?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 10, 2015

Tonyreefer said:
Just started up my life reef reactor do I need to stop dosing 2 part or slowing cut back after samplying ?

You can use both together, or just one or the other.

However, when starting up a reactor, I'd pick some amount of two part (possibly zero) and tune the reactor based on that. Trying to adjust the reactor while dropping back two part dose will be unnecessarily complicated.

Tonyreefer · Oct 10, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
You can use both together, or just one or the other.

However, when starting up a reactor, I'd pick some amount of two part (possibly zero) and tune the reactor based on that. Trying to adjust the reactor while dropping back two part dose will be unnecessarily complicated.

Thanks!

ToXIc · Oct 10, 2015

Yea it may frustrate you trying to get it dialed in. Shut it off and keep testing to ensure it doesn't drop too much.

Tonyreefer · Oct 10, 2015

ToXIc said:
Yea it may frustrate you trying to get it dialed in. Shut it off and keep testing to ensure it doesn't drop too much.

I see you still dose I'm worried if I cut back to fast my levels will drop like a brick and then I will have to correct with 2 parts !

ToXIc · Oct 10, 2015

Is your demand that much?

Tonyreefer · Oct 10, 2015

ToXIc said:
Is your demand that much?

Yes dosing about 250 ml day in my 180

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 10, 2015

If you know the flow rate, we can calculate how high the alkalinty in the reactor effluent needs to be to offset that amount of two part, and you can try to adjust quickly to that effluent alkalinity.

Tonyreefer · Oct 10, 2015

not sure what flow rate ?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 10, 2015

The rate the water is coming out of the CaCO3/CO2 reactor.

Tonyreefer · Oct 10, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
The rate the water is coming out of the CaCO3/CO2 reactor.

35 ml per minute .running ph 7.0 off 7.1 on to start

ToXIc · Oct 10, 2015

That's sound like a good start.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 10, 2015

Tonyreefer said:
35 ml per minute .running ph 7.0 off 7.1 on to start

So 35 mL per minute delivers 50,400 mL = 50.4 L per day. It needs to deliver the same alkalinity as your two part.

You said you dose 250 mL per day. What product?
If that is my Recipe 1 from BRS or other sources, then that is delivering 470 meq of alkalinity.

470 meq in 50.4 liters = 9.3 meq/L

So the effluent from your reactor needs to be ~9.3 meq/L (26 dKH) higher than the tank water that is entering the reactor.

Assuming your tank water is about 8 dKH, then you need to get the reactor effluent to roughly 34 dKH.

You can measure that with an alkalinity test, and just keep adjusting the pH fairly rapidly (maybe 2 h between tweaks) to get near that level.

After you get there, then tweak the level up or down (slowly now, at least a couple of days between tweaks) to get the tank alkalinity to where you want it.