how much bigger will this guy get??

[murphreef]

ive had this squamy about a year now and its gone from about 7-8" now to about 13-14" in one year.... my calcium reactor is maxed out and im dosing alk and calcium on a regular basis i bet this thing is suckin it up like a sponge!

am i guna have to adventually get it a new home?? what size will it reach in a tank??

 

[dragon_slayer]

Squamosa's will get about 16" size max but will then add allot of mass to the shell and SUCK up allot of CA++

kc

 

[murphreef]

ok so hes only got a few more inches to go in all reality but i guess the shell as it gets bigger uses more and more calcium cuz i have my dual chambered reactor turned way up and i still have to dose... awesome clam but sure does take alot of calcium

 

[dragon_slayer]

which reactor are you using? there are steps you can take to 'overdrive' a reactor and get more out of them.

if it's the CR2 in your profile, do you have the spraybar? you can also upgrade the recirc pump and lower the media level so you fluidize it.

kc

 

[ReefRockerLive]

The top-down shot of the clam is incredible!

 

[murphreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10071839#post10071839 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dragon_slayer
which reactor are you using? there are steps you can take to 'overdrive' a reactor and get more out of them.

if it's the CR2 in your profile, do you have the spraybar? you can also upgrade the recirc pump and lower the media level so you fluidize it.

kc

yea CR2 i dont have the spray bar and its only running a Mag 2 for the recirc pump... what can i do to make it more efficient??

thanks reefrockerlive!!

 

[jmaneyapanda]

turn yp the effluent flow and turn up the CO2 also. It will go through media faster, but should bump alk, and subsequently calcium also. Whats your effluent rate, and how many bubbles CO2 are you doing now?

 

[dragon_slayer]

swap out to an Eheim 1262 on that recirc and you'll be amazed at the difference. likely you'll use less CO2 then you currently do. also without doing anything just lower your reaction chambers media content to the point you fluidized the media, it'll bump up the reactors ability a noticeable amount but nothing like adding the upgrade recirc.

kc

 

[murphreef]

my effluent rate is hard to tell since its a strem now.... not a high forced stream but theres no more drips in it....

as far as bubbles per minute on the CO2 its around 100 bpm

so u can see its dialed up pretty good....

an ehiem huh?? is it just alot stronger??

 

[dragon_slayer]

allot more GPH flow through the reactor, it keeps everything 'moving' inside the reactor and makes the erosion of the media more efficient. you can dramatically increase reactor output by increasing recirc flow. in essence it's increasing your media surface area by the same percentage you increase flow.

on the CR2 you don't want to high an effluent rate, you don't want a strong stream coming out, more along the lines of a 'Broken Stream'. with to high a flow through you decrease the CO2 efficiency in the first chamber and you're pushing allot of CO2 to the second chamber where it's giving you less buffering per bubble of CO2 used.

as a last resort you can add recirc to the 2nd chamber but that isn't at all necessary in your situation (but maybe later down the road with a much higher demanding system) as you can more then double your current demand by improving the few above mentioned suggestions.

kc

 

[kaserpick]

Amazing looking clam and great tank as well!

 

[murphreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10073438#post10073438 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dragon_slayer
allot more GPH flow through the reactor, it keeps everything 'moving' inside the reactor and makes the erosion of the media more efficient. you can dramatically increase reactor output by increasing recirc flow. in essence it's increasing your media surface area by the same percentage you increase flow.

on the CR2 you don't want to high an effluent rate, you don't want a strong stream coming out, more along the lines of a 'Broken Stream'. with to high a flow through you decrease the CO2 efficiency in the first chamber and you're pushing allot of CO2 to the second chamber where it's giving you less buffering per bubble of CO2 used.

as a last resort you can add recirc to the 2nd chamber but that isn't at all necessary in your situation (but maybe later down the road with a much higher demanding system) as you can more then double your current demand by improving the few above mentioned suggestions.

kc

awesome info im guna get me one of those pumps and do it to it.... ill have to watch the alk and see how it changes so i can dial the reactor back down after installing the new pump

 

[tcmfish]

i've seen that clam in a few posts and it is one of my favorites plus it looks awesome in that tank i definately say do what you can to keep it

 

[jmaneyapanda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10073438#post10073438 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dragon_slayer

on the CR2 you don't want to high an effluent rate, you don't want a strong stream coming out, more along the lines of a 'Broken Stream'. with to high a flow through you decrease the CO2 efficiency in the first chamber and you're pushing allot of CO2 to the second chamber where it's giving you less buffering per bubble of CO2 used.
kc

I dont follow. Recircing at a greater rate with be more effecient with the CO2, but it will only benefit alkalinity if the reactor wasnt set up properly in the first place. The effluent pH should be determined (usually around mid 6's). If excess CO2 is being "wasted", the effluent pH would be much lower. The prupose of the second canister is "catch" the excess CO2. Why try to avoid it?
From what I understand, the problem he's having is maintaining alk, not low effluent pH. The best ways to maintain (or raise) alk would be decrease effluent rate, increase CO2 (which could lower pH), or increase effluent (to battle pH drop) while increasing CO2 to raise alk. Am I seeing this right?

 

[dragon_slayer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10081596#post10081596 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmaneyapanda
I dont follow. Recircing at a greater rate with be more effecient with the CO2, but it will only benefit alkalinity if the reactor wasnt set up properly in the first place. The effluent pH should be determined (usually around mid 6's). If excess CO2 is being "wasted", the effluent pH would be much lower. The prupose of the second canister is "catch" the excess CO2. Why try to avoid it?
From what I understand, the problem he's having is maintaining alk, not low effluent pH. The best ways to maintain (or raise) alk would be decrease effluent rate, increase CO2 (which could lower pH), or increase effluent (to battle pH drop) while increasing CO2 to raise alk. Am I seeing this right?

Correct, you don't follow at all (not intended as negativity).

the point of a second chamber is to help bring the effluent pH back up closer to the tanks pH, it's not a catch for excessive CO2.

increasing flow through the reactor increases the 'relative' surface area of the media allow for more dissolution of the media and providing more buffer to the system at the same rate of CO2 usage, it makes your CO2 usage allot more efficient and increases the max ability of the reactor.

kc

 

[jmaneyapanda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10081630#post10081630 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dragon_slayer
Correct, you don't follow at all (not intended as negativity).

the point of a second chamber is to help bring the effluent pH back up closer to the tanks pH, it's not a catch for excessive CO2.

increasing flow through the reactor increases the 'relative' surface area of the media allow for more dissolution of the media and providing more buffer to the system at the same rate of CO2 usage, it makes your CO2 usage allot more efficient and increases the max ability of the reactor.

kc

I am still not following. Not because I dont understand, but because I dont see your point.

The second chamber brings up effluent pH by "catching" the CO2. Perhaps instead of saying "catching", I should've said "utilizing" the CO2. The only use of the CO2 is to acidify the water (by this, I mean lower the pH). So, bringing up the pH, and using the excess CO2 are exactly the same thing in this case.

I understand what you are trying to say about adding alk by recircing, but this goes on my original argument- that it wasnt set up right to begin with. Ideally the CO2 usage should be dialed to bve exactly consumed at the rate of application. So recircing it would only be beneficial if you were overdosing. Is my scenario realistic? Absolutely not, which is why we have the second chamber. Why is your fix better than just adjusting the effluent rate and CO2? My fix is free, and involves no additonal effort (save perhaps a little more CO2 usage and media usage), whereas modding to a new recirc pump will cost the pump, plumbing, and labor to do so. It also near completely negates the necessity of a the second chamber. Why is my option bad? That is more my question.

 

[dragon_slayer]

My sincerest apologies, you're right, i know next to nothing about calcium reactors so I'll bow out now.

kc

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Now, Dragon, I never said that. I am sorry you feel I am attacking- I am not, just looking to figure out you're viewpoint. If you know something I don't, I would like to learn, so please post or PM me, but please dont take my comment as attack, but instead as discussion.

 

[dragon_slayer]

I've expressed in this thread how/why increasing the recirc works and you still disagree, obviously your experience far exceeds mine and you know something about reactors that i don't so i bowed out of the conversation in an attempt to not lead anyone astray with my postings. I'll also direct the 20-30 PMs i get weekly about calcium reactors your way as well so you can set those people straight too.

kc

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Very well. Good luck.