300 gal reef re-do

Full shot of reactor
100_1621.jpg


Kalk Section
I am using a Hanna magnetic stirrer under the base
Kalk.jpg


Calcium Section
Instead of exterior plumbing for the loop and to feed the 2nd chamber, I did internal baffles to direct the water flow. The pump is under the base.
Ca.jpg


Carbon/Phosban Section
carbon.jpg


The manifold now feeds water out for WC, left return, right return, chiller, carbon, phos, calcium
100_1620.jpg


Fish room complete
100_1617.jpg


100_1619.jpg
 
Very Cool Paul. Looks great. Yeah that's the same damn gasket I tried first...I have a couple of questions:

1. How are you monitoring/controlling the pH in the Ca reactor?

2. How are you keeping kalk fines from getting into your tank? The kalk reactor looks very cloudy and I know from experience this is a bad thing.
 
Thanks guys.

Jonathan- I'm still messing with it to get it up and running correctly. The kalk is cloudy because I took the picture before it really settled. I programed my Aquacontroller to mix at certain times and not dose Kalk for an hour after. The next couple of days I'll check it out at mixing time and an hour after to see if its enough time to settle.

I just started setting a drip and bubble count for the Ca reactor. I will take a reading of the effluent with my ph probe. Hopefully when I get the bubble/drip dialed in I can keep the chamber around 6.5 and not have to monitor all the time. I did set the Aquacontroller to shut off the C02 solenoid if the ph of the sump drops too much.

I cant believe they can sell that neoprine gasket material that wont hold water. I got a roll of the weatherstipping that you used and it works fine.
 
Well, with a set point on the sump you shouldn't have any problem with the pH going to low, and to be honest, once you have your rate set, there is little need to monitor the Ca reactor pH. I have just had problems with my CO2 flow itself changing. I don't use a bubble count per se but just a target pH. It seems that with my current system load, about 6.50 is good. I know there are a lot of people that run lower, but with the low coral demand, it is not neccessary yet.

Those rubber gaskets are really made for better mechaical atachments, and probably items with strong metal flanges like water pump housings etc. It's just not made for what we are doing. The EDPM gasket you got works fine, but will age over time. But it is so easy to replace, I don't think that is a big deal. I still have not replaced any of mine.

Hopefully on my next project I can step up to properly routed gasket flanges, but that takes a big step in skill level.

Your reactor is pretty cool. I am interested to know about a couple of other things. In my carbon chamber, I have a perforated PVC basket with dividers, and before the carbon I am running 2 - 3 inches of washable Aquatic-Eco floss. That helps keep the muck out of the carbon which allows better absorption. I also have fine floss on either side of the GFO, plus the GFO is in a very fine sock. Yours looks like it has straight pass through...are you not concerned about getting GFO and carbon fines in your display? I even run the Ca/GFO effluent through two fine socks after it exits my reactor. :)
 
Ok. That works good. I had a whole roll of the fine because I was planning on using it in a tray for my overflows but it was too fine and clogged too quick. I use the medium now. It does wash out well. The kalk that looked cloudy was actually some build up on the acrylic. I wiped it down and when it settles the water is clear. I'm about to check the controller to see if it shuts down the kalk when it stirs.
 
yeah, i don't like the fine very much but I really like the medium and coarse 1"+ thick ones. The fine is OK for the GFO since that requires the fine and the flow is slow.

All in all I really like what you have done. It is designed differently than mine, with separate feeds for each chamber, but the net result is the same, and you may have a little more control over water flow. Too bad you didn't use gate valves!

I put the GFO inline after the Ca just to polish out any PO4 that is made in the Ca chamber.

The last time Steve Weast visited, he recommended soaking the media in RO/DI water for a couple of days prior to using it. He said that the first soak will show some PO4 in the water, and when you change it out for fresh RO/DI, it should show zero. I thought that was an interesting approach and his point was, why waste the GFO, when you can soak it out?
 
Thanks Outerbank

Now the kalk film is wiped off, and added the floss to the top of the carbon and phosban. I am still dialing in the Co2 to get the ph low enough in the Ca reactor. Everything else is working good. When the kalk stirrer comes on it only whips it up about half way leaving the top nice and clear so even if it did dose while it was stirring, no fines will exit.
100_1627.jpg


Before and after fish room
100_1387.jpg


100_1617.jpg
 
Not sure. I'd like to because the water evaporation reeks havoc with all the cast iron I have on my machines down there.

I looked back on what I hoped to accomplish and I think I solved all my equipment, plumbing type problems. Now I'm left to re-stock the tank. I'm going to give the tank another month with the new live rock and increased calcium with just the actinics on because the coraline just started growing. Once it gets going I will slowly bring on the MH to the full duration then start stocking.
 
Yeah, I think I would look into sealing the ceiling. Maybe insulation and FRP or green board and epoxy, just to keep the water vapor out of the lumber.
 
Wow Paul everything looks awsome. I just got back from mixing little fun in with work at PR. I got the hose and really appreciate it. Thanks.. Love the reactor..
 
I thought I'd post this since I was making food today. Not sure how many make their own food but my fish go crazy for home made. I use some shrimp, clams or mussels if I have them too, various Nori and kelp, crushed garlic and vitamin C.

100_1640.jpg


Blend it into a paste and smush it flat in a ziplock and freeze.

100_1643.jpg


Whats funny is may wife and I don't eat seafood so its a pretty gross day for me when I do this.
 
I prefer to make my own food as well. I think my fish enjoy it more ;) and my corals get their share as well :lol:

I reckon its the way to go :thumbsup:

Cheers

Chris
 
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