Calcium Reactor ???

[The Shan Man]

I am thinking about putting a calcium reactor on my 90 gallon tank. Since I am running a aqua controller Jr. with a PH probe do I need a separate controller to run the reactor or can I use my controller?

Does anybody have any advice into what reactor are the easiest to setup and maintain with limited adjustments?

Please feel free to give me any advice or personal experience you might have.

 

[Paul_PSU]

I have a geo and it works very well and easy to set up. I had to dial it in but have not touched it after that. You don't need a separate controller for the reactor you can use the one you have, but then you will need a ph monitor for your tank unless you just want to use a test kit. My geo has a port in the lid to stick the probe in.

You will need a calcium reactor, ARM media (coarse)for it, Co2 tank, regulator, and solenoid that will plug into the controller and open and shut to let Co2 into the reactor. You will also need a feed pump for the reactor. You can generally buy a kit that has most everything you need. If you want a reactor that is "set it and forget it" then you gotta use a solenoid and controller.

Look in the for sale section on here. You will find someone selling an entire setup for a fraction of the cost. I got mine used from someone local.

check this link out for how to set up the GEO
http://www.geosreef.com/forms/ca_reactor_instructions.pdf

I have mine setup like diag. C

 

[The Shan Man]

Thank you very much for the info. What size feed pump are you using?

 

[Paul_PSU]

mj 1200 Good Luck..

 

[The Shan Man]

Thanks... I have one more question. Since my display is only a 90 with a 30 gallon sump, could I put a reactor on it that could handle a 600 gallon? If I could it would be nice since I can dial it back and still have for my upgrade.

 

[Paul_PSU]

yes the only difference in the reactors for bigger tanks is that they hold more media.

 

[The Shan Man]

Thanks for the help

 

[tmz]

You can use your controller with a solenoid attached to the CO2 regulator. The probe can be placed in the reactor if it has a port to turn the CO2 flow on and off to achieve a desired effluent ph set point. Many set them up this way.

Alternatively, it can be used in the tank to shut down CO2 when the tank ph reaches a preset low point. This protects the system from overdosing CO2. It this case you can rely on the needle valve on the regulator to govern CO2 and adjust it and your effluent flow to achieve an effluent ph(usually around 6.7-6.8) and a flow consistent with your tank's needs.