Calcium reactor setup

[Raceimage]

I have a schuran jetstream pico calcium reactor. The individual, I purchased it from, told me the co2 and flow rates that worked for him. My issue is that I cannot get a steady bubble rate from the regulator. I'm trying to get a co2 bubble every 3 - 4 seconds. It will be going fine then it will put out 3 or 4 bubbles in a row, then the rate will drop to a bubble every 8 seconds. I just purchased a new regulator that has a bubble counter after the solenoid (the original regulator didn't have a bubble counter). The bubble rate at the solenoid is constant; however, I get the same results as the original regulator in the co2 chamber of the reactor. Should I set the rate at the counter after the solenoid or try to get the proper rate at the co2 side of the reactor?

The new regulator instructions said to set the tank pressure at 10psi or less and I didn't shorten the length of the co2 line at all. Would the fact that there is 3 loops in the line affect the reactor chamber bubble rate? I'm not sure if I want to put the bottle further away from the reactor so I didn't trim the co2 hose.

 

[raynist]

Are you using any type of CO2 controller or are you trying to keep a steady PH by the bubble count?

 

[Raceimage]

I don't have any PH controller. Mike's (the captive reef) setup advise was 1 co2 bubble every 3 - 4 seconds and a constant drip from the return line from the reactor to the sump. That's how he had it set up. I had 2 instances where the dKH went really high and I lost alot of corals. I assume the PH had an extreme fluxuation also. I shut the reactor down, went with dosing calcium again to straighten the water parameters out, purchased a new regulator because I thought it was the root of my problem, and now I'm trying to set the reactor up again.

 

[raynist]

I never trusted using the bubble counter alone. Using a PH controller takes a lot of the guess-work out of a calcium reactor.

 

[NaClH2Opgh]

I never trusted using the bubble counter alone. Using a PH controller takes a lot of the guess-work out of a calcium reactor.

+1
I just set my bubble counter to 1/sec then put the ph controller at 6.5 and then let it go. I never even checked if the bubble counter was fluctuating.

 

[Raceimage]

what controller does everyone use? Does the probe go in the tank or in the reactor? I looked at some calcium reactors that have provisions for probes; however, mine does not.

 

[raynist]

I used my aqua controller JR.

My reactor had a port for a ph probe.

If yours does not, you can run the effluent into a small cup or container and place the PH probe in there.