Tuning your CalRx | Alternate method thats too easy
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thabizness
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I just setup my Ca Rx yesterday. Today I tuned it with the following settings: Display tank Alk 8.46. CO2 is set to go on/off at 7.40/7.30. I have 48bpm in the bubble counter and 100ml per minute output from reactor. The CO2 stays on about 4 minutes, turns off, then back on about 10 min later. I am at 6psi on the low pressure gage.
How often should the CO2 kick on/off? Does my bubble count/output seem ok?
How often should the CO2 kick on/off? Does my bubble count/output seem ok?
Singlefin
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You would need to test daily to see if your alk. Raises or falls. If it falls, you need to lower your ph to melt more media. Also depends on your media and how well your probe is calibrated. Your media may or may not be melting in the range you have it in. Ideally you would want your regulator to be on steadily than to be constantly going in and off but that comes with fine tuning once it's running. You need to figure out the ph range you need to keep your media at to melt at the same rate as your tanks consumption.
DLuce510
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Alright @ToXIc, I went through your build thread (all Fricken 44 pages) looking for some more tips and specs on how you run your kalk stirer. I know that this thread is on tuning calcium reactors but the Kalk stirer seems to run hand and hand.
How much kalk do you put in initially?
How often do you replace kalk?
How many times do you have your kalk stirer come on a day?
Why doesn't it run off your ATO?
What kind of kalk?
It seems info on kalk stirers is a bit lacking all around.
How much kalk do you put in initially?
How often do you replace kalk?
How many times do you have your kalk stirer come on a day?
Why doesn't it run off your ATO?
What kind of kalk?
It seems info on kalk stirers is a bit lacking all around.
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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I can answer any questions you may have about dosing limewater, but I never chose to dose it with a reactor as opposed to from a still reservoir.
DLuce510
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OK, do you choose a reservoir apart from the ATO with a dosing pump? Really I'm looking for tips with a reactor since that's what I have. Things like appropriate amount to go in the reactor really. Or maybe a method to use the reactor with a dosing pump.I can answer any questions you may have about dosing limewater, but I never chose to dose it with a reactor as opposed to from a still reservoir.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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The dosing pump should be chosen to have a daily delivery rate that is close to the tank daily evaporation rate, or slightly higher and can be controlled with a timer to dose less.
Do you already have a reactor?
Do you already have a reactor?
DLuce510
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Yes, honestly dosing separately seems to be safer but the reactor coming off the ATO is working great. The ATO has a internal saftey timer and I have a pH shut off on my Apex. Other than saftey I can't see what the other benefits there would be running from a separate reservoir off a dosing pump, just seems like more stuff.
I think I might have put too much in the reactor but that's only because a little bit will work it's way out if it hasn't settled out all the way after stirring, my ATO is on a 30 delay after stirring.
Like I said there's not much info out there on stirrers like appropriate amounts, or schedules for stirring that's all.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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My preference for a settled reservoir is based on three things, but how we,portent they are may vary with reactor design and your preferences.
1. Better control over the potency of the limewater (some reactors may not produce saturated limewater, for example, and controlling the exact potency may not always be easy)
2. Better ability to settle out impurities on the bottom.
3. The ability to use vinegar in the limewater if you choose to increase potency that way.
I also,like the fact that I can make up very large amounts at a time (I made up 125 gallons) and then did not need to think about it for weeks.
That said, reactors can work fine.
1. Better control over the potency of the limewater (some reactors may not produce saturated limewater, for example, and controlling the exact potency may not always be easy)
2. Better ability to settle out impurities on the bottom.
3. The ability to use vinegar in the limewater if you choose to increase potency that way.
I also,like the fact that I can make up very large amounts at a time (I made up 125 gallons) and then did not need to think about it for weeks.
That said, reactors can work fine.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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The amount of solid to put in a reactor is a function of its design, rather than the amount of limewater you expect to dose. Usually you put in close to,the max amount if can reliably stir and restart after stopping the stirring.
Daniel@R2R
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Just figured I'd bump this discussion back up as it's really good info.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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CaCO3/CO2 reactors can become inefficient (in terms of CO2 usage) for dosing a very small amount of calcium and alkalinity. Specifically, you need to add CO2 until the media first begins to dissolve. If you only need a little dissolution, you still need that same input of CO2 to get down to the pH needed, and so you might find the tank runs at a lower pH than you'd like. To minimize this issue, keep the flow rate of tank water through the reactor very slow.
But low pH (and use of CO2) would be the only drawbacks, and low pH may or may not be a concern depending on the setup.
Larry L
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@ToXIc Thanks for this thread Kevan, I finally got around to watching the video. This is probably the best explanation of tuning a calcium reactor that I've seen, makes total sense.
@Diesel Not sure if your question got answered, but yes, the idea is to tune the reactor so that it balances out the consumption in your tank. You start out at a high pH in the reactor and gradually lower so that more and more media dissolves, until you match what your tank is consuming and your alkalinity measurements stay steady. Then over time as things grow or you add more corals, your tank's consumption will increase, so you lower the pH in the reactor a bit more so that more media dissolves to balance that out.
This is probably the best explanation of tuning a calcium reactor that I've seen, makes total sense.@Diesel Not sure if your question got answered, but yes, the idea is to tune the reactor so that it balances out the consumption in your tank. You start out at a high pH in the reactor and gradually lower so that more and more media dissolves, until you match what your tank is consuming and your alkalinity measurements stay steady. Then over time as things grow or you add more corals, your tank's consumption will increase, so you lower the pH in the reactor a bit more so that more media dissolves to balance that out.
at this bubble count , my co2 valve does not switch off as it seems it does not reach the ph level
