Calcium RX Question

[blakers82]

For those who run or who have run calcium reactors, do you maintain flow thru your reactors at all times and just regulate your cO2 bubble count?

Or do you shut off flow thru your reactor as well???

If running continuously, it seems the pH levels rise way back up in the RX and it takes that much longer to push it down (6.5ish) when carbon dioxide comes back on. I've read of both ways and was curious which method you apply and why.

Cool.

Blake

 

[spreston]

Well you saw mine. I always keep the flow going and regulate the CO2 with a controller to kick on and off between 6.63 & 6.68. However, you can lower the PH a little for more demand or vice versa. Same is true with the flow, it can be a steady drip to a small stream, but always constant.

With a good regulator and a little patience you can pretty much dial in the bubble count with the flow so that it does not kick on or off very often.

 

[happysak]

I feed water continuously through reactor. Around 30-40 ml/min. CO2 controller regulate CO2 levels. On at 6.55 and Off at 6.5. How much water do you feed through reactor? What brand of reactor do you have?

 

[blakers82]

I have an MRC-CR2 dual. Mine did not come with a drilled ring opening for a pH probe and I've been measuring the effluent in a separate cup that overflows into my sump. So I must compensate and keep my pH controlled at a higher level when it comes to my effluent. Any recommendations there? 6.7ish sound good? I'm waiting to hear back from MRC to see if they can hook me up with a new top with a probe holder...

My pH has never been high even when I was doing kalk, which I stopped doing a few months back. I'm thinking I need to scrounge up a dosing pump for kalk to start again to keep tank pH up (especially when lights are out), if not all the time LOL. My main tank pH dips below 7.8 often and I've tuned my ACiii to kill the RX after it drops much this level. Which means my RX isn't on all that much, which keeps my effluent curving up to a high state.

 

[blakers82]

Oh.

Flow is on the heavier side...More of a stream that breaks into single droplets by the time it hits the sump waterline.

 

[cjilge]

blakers, how did you get a hold of mrc? do you have a web link?

 

[blakers82]

I found a phone number on their web site. Left a message. We'll see if they deal with my inquiry.