GEO Calcium Reactor 618 - Help!

[Kregg]

I bought this nice calcium reactor package from Premium Aquatics and I need some help setting it up. Anyone want to give me some guidance? Here are a few questions.

1. Can I use fresh RO water to feed my reactor system and use this for top off water as well? Or does the reactor need to read my water specs and adjust accordingly? I guess I'm confused about the difference between a Kalk top off reactor and a calcium reactor. If there even is a difference.

2. Does my tank need the correct water specs before I turn on the reactor and begin adjusting things?

Your assistance would be most appreciated.
Thx,
Kregg

 

[datablitz]

you have to run tank water through it. it doesnt matter if your levels are off before you start using it.

you want to get a flow through the reactor just between a drip and a stream, then add c02 to target 6.8ph in the reactor. watch what your levels do, and if they go up too much you can increase the ph to 6.9, if thats not enough then slow down the water flow and re-set the c02 to 6.8. if you arnt getting enough ca or buffer in the tank, you can lower to 6.7, or increaes flow, and reset the ph to 6.8.

 

[fade2black]

I thought George sent instructions with those. Did you not get them? I'll bet if you emailed or PM'd him, he would help you out.

 

[Kregg]

The unit did come with instructions on assembly, but the setting up and adjusting was not very complete. Thanks for the general guide listed above. The pinpoint PH meter is all calibrated and running. Everything is running and I used your suggestion with a PH target of 6.8.

I set my low end at 6.8 and my high end at 7.1

I have a drip but not a stream and about 30 BPM on the co2. The PH started at 8.02 in the chamber and has dropped to 7.3 in only a couple of hours. I'm sure it has dropped even more by now.

I have another question, this time about the co2 tang gage PSI. The tank side indicated about 65 PSI and the second dial (regulator side) is now about 50 PSI. I started out with the right gage at about 38 PSI and the bubbles stopped after a while. They keep going with the 50 PSI setting.

What PSI should I use? Will a higher PSI damage my regulator?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Kregg]

dupe post??

 

[ServantSoldier]

You need to adjust your regulator to release bubble at no more than 10psi, otherwise, you could turn your reactor into a pipe bomb. It is required that they run under 10psi.. most users set them from 2.5 - 4.0psi.

 

[Paulairduck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11699075#post11699075 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ServantSoldier
You need to adjust your regulator to release bubble at no more than 10psi, otherwise, you could turn your reactor into a pipe bomb. It is required that they run under 10psi.. most users set them from 2.5 - 4.0psi.

Deffinitely do not run @ 50 psi. I run both a 612 and a 618, these are great reactors set it and forget about it, once they are dialed in.

Some setting's I use on my 618

1 I feed both of my reactors with max jst 900, not a problem for over a year, just clean them regularly.

2 I run my Co2 injection @ 30 bpm

3 my effluent is @ 50ml ( a good thing to get is a graduated cylinder reading in ML, so you can dial in the effluent very accurately.)

4 My reactor runs between 6.7-6.8 and I am running the the coarse arm media

5 You can test the alk on the output, it should be about three times the alk desired in the tank, so if you are looking for 9 dkh, your output on the reactor shoud be about 27dkh

6 Make moves on the BPM only for now, and small ones @ that, and check the alk the next day. This will all depend on the calcium demand on your tank, is to how you are going to find the sweet spot.

7 Once you find the sweet spot, you will find this reactor easy to use. The initial setup is the more difficult part


This should get you started.

 

[Kregg]

You guys are great. Thanks for your time and assistance.

Well my pipe bomb did not explode or even pop a leak. I think it was up to 60 psi at one point. I guess I'm lucky.

Everything is dialed in as instructed and I need to wait another day to be sure of the current settings. Today had a number of ups and downs with my PSI issues, so I think a reading will be inaccurate. I will keep you posted and my corals thank you.

 

[Kregg]

Just a quick update.

My PH meter/monitor calibration got screwed up. I have been running the reactor for a week at only 7.05 PH in the effluent. Even with this setting, my tank has increased from 7 DHk to 9.8 DHK on the ALK and the calcium is up only 20 to 340 ppm. At least the calcium is not dropping. I'm sure I'm using some with my corals.

I reset my PH meter/monitor to 6.7 and we will see where we are at in a few days.

Several local reefers set theirs effluent PH at 6.3 ....? I guess they have a high demand.

 

[lvpd186]

I think you will have better luck adjusting your calcium level with an additive (like turbo calcium or something like that) to the correct level and then use the reactor to keep it at that level. I have the same reactor and I remember reading in the instructions "Before dialing in the reactor you will want the target values for the aquarium in place. Manually adjust these values with the appropriate buffers." Either way they are great reactors and once you get it set you won't have to mess with it again. Good luck.

 

[Kregg]

OK, I think I need some quick advice. Presuming you have read my comments above.

I went home for lunch today for a quick effluent ALK test after my adjustments last evening (above). My tank ALK has climbed from last nights 9.8 dKH to todays test of 11.2 dKH. I'm afraid this is increasing to fast for my corals comfort. I heard 1 dKH per week was a safe change, but mine was in 18 hours and was a 1.4 increase. My effluent ALK has gone up 4.2 dKH in the same time period but is still only 18.2 dKH. That is not even worth dividing by 3.

My salinity is still low at 1.020 but rising slowly (I was used to running low salinity before this). I guess I'm targeting 1.024. My temp has been between 80 and 81.

After these readings I lowered my co2 bubble rate from about 50 bpm to about 40 bpm. The effluent drip was decreased from steady drops just short of a steam to about 80 dpm. I know the per minute drops and bubbles are not that relevant, but I do not know what else to do.

Should I panic or what... Please help before I screw something up bad.
Thx,
Kregg

 

[HellboundX]

not to steal the thread, but do most people have their Geo's exit ph at 6.8? I have just recently switched from a knop c to my geo so my controller is set at 6.6, I thought 6.6 was the target

 

[Paulairduck]

A good starting point is 30 BPM.

You are mainly worried about alk right now, the calcium is less of a factor.

If you do not have a graduated cylinder, the effluent should not be a stream but steady drops.

You can also raise your calcium by dosing.


a setpoint of 6.8 is good starting point for most media.

I would strive to be in the vicinity of 1.025-1.026

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11765449#post11765449 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kregg
Just a quick update.

My PH meter/monitor calibration got screwed up. I have been running the reactor for a week at only 7.05 PH in the effluent. Even with this setting, my tank has increased from 7 DHk to 9.8 DHK on the ALK and the calcium is up only 20 to 340 ppm. At least the calcium is not dropping. I'm sure I'm using some with my corals.

I reset my PH meter/monitor to 6.7 and we will see where we are at in a few days.

Several local reefers set theirs effluent PH at 6.3 ....? I guess they have a high demand.

Several notes ere:

a) As your alkalinity is already high unplug the CO2 solenoid valve from the controller for a couple of days until your alkalinity drops down to 9 dKh

b) A salinity of 1.020 is very low, as you increase it it will be easier to achieve higher alkalinity and calcium levels, specially calcium as at that salinity your magnesium (which prevents calcium precipitation shall be low).
There is no reason to take too long to increase salinity, make a series of water changes every 24 hours with water at a salinity of 1.035 until your salinity reaches 1.025 to 1.027 (target 1.026)

c) Your span of control in the controller is too wide. In the future you will use the controller to cut off only on emergency but for now to facilitate the reactor setup use it to control the CO2.
Fo the initial setup set the controller to cut off the CO2 at around 6.9 and to turn it back on at 7.0 Do this by turning the range adjuster to the minimum and adjust the center point to 7.0 when the switch is in high. once done move the switch to the center position to get the actual PH reading.


d) Adjust your effluent flow to 30 ml/min. Use a measuring cup, graduated cylinder or similar plus a stop watch. You might get a plastic measuring cup (from 0 to 100 ml from the pharmacy)
Let it run like that and measure the flow once in a while until you are comfortable that it will stay between 25 and 35 ml/min.

e) Once your alkalinity is around 9 dKh connect the solenoid to the controller (left top outlet looking at the controller from the front so the CO2 can open.

f) Adjust the bubble rate to around 30 bpm if the PH does not fall to the 6.9 level within four hours then increase it a bit. If the PH falls to the 6.9 level too fast (1/2 and hour) reduce it a bit. This is to prevent the controller to turn on and off too often causing premature wear.

g) Measure your tank alkalinity every 24 hours, if it is dropping then lower the effluent PH by 0.1 every 24 hour until the alkalinity in the tank stops dropping. Do this by adjusting the center point screw with the read switch in high. First set try is 7.0, second try 6.9, third try 6.8 and so on. Remember to return the switch back to the center after adjustments.
If you reach a center point in high PH adjustment of 6.6 (which means cutting off at 6.5) and the alkalinity still drops then start increasing the effluent 10 ml/min at a time. Leave the CO2 rate at a point were the controller still turns it on at 6.6 and cuts it off at 6.5

h) Do not try to increase the alkalinity nor the calcium using the reactor or you will never be able to set it right. set it to the point where the alkalinity does no longer drops nor increases regardless of the level. Once it is stable and flat you can adjust the alkalinity and calcium with a one time manual supplementation to adjust them to your targets and the reactor will keep them there.

Good Luck!

 

[Kregg]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I will follow your lead and post my results in a few days.

My main panic was the fast rise in the ALK and I was afraid for my corals. I'm also puzzled why my effluent does not measure 3x what I want my tank to be. The tank ALK rose fast and the effluent did not rise 3x as fast. What was the cause of this? To much co2, to fast of a drip rate?

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11771631#post11771631 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kregg
Thanks for the quick replies.

I will follow your lead and post my results in a few days.

My main panic was the fast rise in the ALK and I was afraid for my corals. I'm also puzzled why my effluent does not measure 3x what I want my tank to be. The tank ALK rose fast and the effluent did not rise 3x as fast. What was the cause of this? To much co2, to fast of a drip rate?

Where did you get that 3X stuff? That is just not certain and has nothing to do with how much alkalinity gets added.
The amount of alkalinity added by a reactor is a function of:

a) The difference between the alkalinity of the effluent and the alkalinity of the tank water entering the reactor (In other words the net alkalinity increased by the reactor). The higher the difference the higher the addition and..

b) The effluent flow the higher the flow with a given alkalinity the higher the addition.

The daily alkalinity in meq/liter added by a reactor can be calculated using:

Alkr= ((Alke - Alkt) x Efl) / (2.63 x Vol)

Where:
Alkalinity is in meq/liter
Alkr = Alkalinity added by the reactor per day
Alke = Alkalinity of the effluent
Alkt = Alkalinity of the tank water
Efl = Effluent flow in milliliters per minute
Vol = Aquarium system volume in gallons.

The net total alkalinity change= Alkr - Alkc
where Alkc is your tank consumption per day
If the alkalinity change is positive it increases if negative it drops your reactor is properly set when the change is zero or Alkr=Alkc

You can determine your tank alkalinity consumption by testin your water three times (get the average), wait 48 hour without adding any supplement or making a water change and test your alkalinity three times again (get the average). deduct the average after 48 hours from the initial average and divide it by two, that is roughly your daily consumption.

For conversion purposes:
1 gal = 3.7854 liters = 3,785.4 milliliters
1 liter = 1000 milliliters
1 liter per day = 0.6944 ml/min
1 meq/lt = 2.8 dKh
1 meq/lt = 50 ppm carbonate equivalent
1 dKh = 17.86 ppm carbonate equivalent
1 meq/lt added of alkalinity by the reactor ~ 20 ppm of Ca also added by the reactor

 

[Kregg]

Thanks to everyone above for helping me out with my calcium reactor set-up.

I thought it was time for a update. The reactor has been running a week or two with out any adjustments to drip rate of CO2 bubble rate. My ALK has been 9.8 DKH for at least the last week. My calcium was starting to dip below 300, so I have added Reef Builder calcium supplements on 3 occasions. Now my calcium is at 400 ppm. My salinity is also up to 1.255.

My reactor PH is solid at 6.85 and I have not even seen my CO2 bubbles for days. I guess that is a good thing. Now that I have a good base line where do I go from here? Should I try and raise my ALK to 11 or 12 or just leave it where it is. I will keep testing about twice a week and see what happens. If things start dropping I assume adjustments are required. If I understand things correctly, the adjustments should make up for any ALK or calcium losses and I should not have to use supplements. Is my thinking correct?

 

[jdieck]

Reef Builder from Seachem is an alkalinity supplement not calcium supplement! Are you sure that is what you used to increase your calcium? It can't be. Can you verify?

Tank's alkalinity and calcium not always go in perfect balance so ecery three or four weeks you may need to manually add one or the other in case once comes ot of balance.

 

[Kregg]

Sorry, I listed the wrong supplement. I did use the "Reef Complete" for the calcium bump. I do have "Reef Builder", but have not used this since the reactor was added.

 

[jdieck]

:thumbsup: got it.