Calcium Automat Reactor lots of questions

[TheUndertaker]

ok so today i ordered

Tunze Calcium Automat Reactor - 3170.000
Tunze Pressure Regulator 7077/2 for CO2
Tunze CO2 Controller 7074
and a co2 tank

now do i need anything else........ and does the automat reactor mount in the tank or the sump or can you just set it in the cabinet............ also how hard is this going to be to set up doesnt look very easy sorry about all the questions just never set up CO2 before

 

[rvitko]

It really is not very hard. The reactor itself goes intank, or in sump, it must be submerged at least 4.5". You set up the bubble rate for the CO2 and the drip rate of the reactor by the table in the manual. The CO2 is pretty trouble free once set up, the main thing to do is use teflon tape or thread paste (I prefer the paste, I just wipe it clean with an alcohol soaked rag before I exchange the cylinder) on the bottle thread and install the regulator and spray the connections or sponge them with soapy water to inspect for leaks, leaks will make bubbles. The drip rate will need to be adjusted weekly as a general rule as algae and calcium build up will alter the drip rate. The manual tells you how to set the drip rate and CO2 dose based on tank size and inhabitants. I set the pH on the controller to 8.15 but you may need to start lower, 8.10 if the pH is low in your aquarium. Over time it will rise and stabilize and you can raise the set point.

 

[TheUndertaker]

thanks for the great help as always