calcium reactor help please

ghellin

ghellin

New member
I have a CR-70 calcium reactor that I am running on my 58 gallon. I try to kee the effluent drip rate around 1 drip every 2 seconds but this is nearly impossible and needs daily adjustment. If the effluent rate is over a drip per second my CO2 can never keep up and my pH rises to around 7 in the reactor. I am using a pH controller with solenoid and the bubble rate is 1 bubble per second. Does anyone know what I should do, I am considering a different reactor but I would prefer to make this one work.
 
If you raise the drip rate you need to raise the bubble count, and it's easier to maintain at a little higher drip rate, it's hard when you try to get it adjusted really slow, mines just at a fast drip a second and one bubble every 4 seconds but my controller turns off the co2 every now and than.
 
Problem is at 2 bubbles of co2 per second and my pH still rises to 7.0 this happens anytime my effluent drip rate is over one drop per second. If i adjust my co2 any faster the top of the reactor fills up with co2. The pump is a otp1000 and it seems to do a good job of chopping up the co2. Does anyone have this same model.
 
That is way to slow.... A drop every 2 seconds? You will never keep that stable. The effluent rate need to be about 40 mil a min. That's like a broken stream. Then dial back your bubble count and you should be good. Don't worry about your ph in the reactor just watch your alk. If your alk drops increase bubble count, if it raises decrease your bubble count.


Once you get your reactor dialed in and you alk is not dropping anymore start to watch your ph inside the reactor and is its around 6.7 set you controller at that ph and leave it alone.
 
I don't think i am getting my point across I have set my effluent from a slow drip to a slow trickle and everything in between. If the effluent rate is anything over a drip per second no matter what i do i can't get the pH below 7. I completely understand my effluent should be faster than one drip per second. I am a geologist I understand all sciences behind a reactor. I guess I need to restate my issue. Does anyone have this same reactor, is it a piece of junk, is there any hope of making it work, or do I need to buy a better brand. The problem is my co2 is just not fully dissolving in my water to drop my pH. The micro bubbles just collect at the top and leave the reactor through the effluent hose.
 
Sounds to me like you are not getting enough water into it. How are you feeding g water into your reactor? I use gravity from the tank to feed mine. sometimes the tubing gets clogged then I overfill it with co2. When was the last time you calibrated the probe?
 
I use a small airline valve to control drip. I have 800 gal and if mess with the bubbles it screws things up. Just get ur bubbles right and then try to use less outgoing water. Then like other said watch until ur alk stabilizes then make changes.
 
It is plumbed into my manifold ran by a mag 12. Flow is fine if i open the valve all the way water sprays out. ph probe is brand new and was calibrated prior to use a few weeks ago. I am using 1/4" rodi water line with a John guest valve for my effluent as well
 
Does the reactor have a pump that recirculates water from the bottom of the reactor and sends back to the top? If it doesnt, I would find one that does. The same circulation pump also is used to draw Co2 into the water colum and mix it as it pumps the water through the reactor. This is what helps keeps Co2 from forming pockets at the top of the reactor.
 
You could also try removing the pH controller and adjust the effluent to a pH of 6.5 manually. It really pretty easy to do.
 
Are you certain its working? My pump malfunctioned and caused pH readings to become unstable and rise. Put a new pump in and problem was solved. The only other thing I can think of if your pump works and the pH controller is removed and you still cant get the pH over 7 is there is a problem with the Co2 bottle or the regulator.
 
One other thing, make sure the lines supplying the co2 are not leaking at the barbs. I also had this problem and it caused a problem similar to yours. Just try the old soap test on all the fittings and you will know in a second if you have a leak if bubbles are showing at the fittings. Use dishwashing liquid and a small brush.
 
Is your ca/rx a upflow or downflow? If upflow, I think I would try to somehow make the return (should be at the top of the reactor) dip down lower into the reactor itself. That way, the pump's return stays submerged and not captivate. I would also do the same with the effluent line. Make it so that it is a lower that just attached to the lid, but not as low as the return for the recirc. pump. Then I would go ahead and add a 3rd line to the top of the lid. You wan this one to be as high as possible. this line will connect to the return of the recirc. pump. This will draw/reuse any trapped CO2 from the top. Heck, if the current effluent line is flush to the lid, just ause that as teh recirc. for the trapped CO2 and drill,tap and add a new line for the effluent, one that dips down lower.

The closest picture I can find of something like this is of the Jetstream. Jdieck's reactor is a good example of it.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=jets...&w=600&h=903&ei=9G40T5H7AoyEtge8xtG9Ag&zoom=1 (there is a smaller tube where the blue line is that dips all the way to the taper part so that the effluent always puts out water. also the pump return is lower int he body so that it is always submerged under water).

YzGyz
 
I have a MRC CR1 on my 57 gallon tank. The effluent out is a stream. My bubble count (using the aquariumplants CO2 carbon doser) is 1 bubble per 2.5 seconds. This keeps my ph at around 6.6. If I decrease the effluent flow to a steady drip, I have to slow the CO2 to about 1 bubble per 5 seconds or slower. I am not sure why yours will not lower the ph enough. Are you sure you have a tight seal? Also, do you have a back flow valve?
 
Dude your going about this all wrong. First off forget your Ph and just unplug the controller for a while. Set your effluent rate to over 40 ml a min and plug in your circulating pump. Now adjust your co2 rate based on your live stock. Start at like 14 bubble a min. The next day check your alk if it drops increase your co2 if it raise then decrease your co2 rate. The ph doesn't mean Jack dude if your alk is stable it doesn't matter. I had my Ph in my CA reactor at 7.2 and my alk never dropped. You can add the controller later. You don't tune the reactor to the Ph, you tune it to your alk consumption.
 
I have been using one for years. It was worth every penny but you have to get a good unit since it will be running 24/7.

I use a masterflex digital ls pump. Suitable pumps usually range from $200+ used. The digital ones are quieter but go for around $400+. The less expensive units have a buzz to them but its tolerable if its enclosed in the stand.
 
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