Korallin Calcium Reactor
- Thread starter smoke15
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needle valve does not effect second stage press. Look at the center round unit the press gauges screw into, there should be a hex nut, or knob or screw in the center. This should adjust your second stage press. If you are not comfortable doing this take to a welding gas shop, they should get you straight. Warning you are dealing with a liquid/gas combo at 950PSI, If you are not sure leave it alone, It can kill or do major damage.
1 is a plug for adding accessory, 2 looks like 2nd stage adjust, does the knob turn easly? If so it should adjust 2nd stage press, remeber it has to bleed of to go down. If it does not turn easy, take off bottle and turn off ( counter clock most times), if this loosens it, reconnect and see if it works now. And If not again take off bottle, try to turn till it comes off and see if a slot screw under it
reeflover2
New member
I have a K2R Reactor. I am running it off of my return pump and took the reactor apart a while back and cleaned it out. After I put it back together the bubble rate is very eratic. It was perfect before hand. All I did was rinse out the chamber. Any suggestions of what might have caused this. Should I try and take apart the recirculating pump and clean it?
dragon_slayer
In Memoriam
an erratic bubble count is most often caused by restrictions in the effluent drip line, this causes pressure fluctuations inside the reactor and puts back pressure on the CO2 which then gives different counts.
hth
kc
hth
kc
jdieck
New member
In addition to what is mentioned above which will happen most likely is you have your effluent control valve at the outlet (Rather than the inlet) of the reactor; an erratic bubble count can also happen due to regulator sensitivity.
Most if not all single stage regulators are not very good at maintaining a constant discharge pressure when the discharge pressure is low (10 to 20 psi) so the diaphragm keeps opening and closing as the gas in between the diaphragm of the regulator and the needle valve gets used. In this case the bubblecount will be erratic within 30 seconds to three minutes depending on your CO@ count (The higher the buble rate the lower the time the cycle takes) so when doing bubble count always count for a minimum of two minutes to insure that the variation within the cycle is counted in.
Most if not all single stage regulators are not very good at maintaining a constant discharge pressure when the discharge pressure is low (10 to 20 psi) so the diaphragm keeps opening and closing as the gas in between the diaphragm of the regulator and the needle valve gets used. In this case the bubblecount will be erratic within 30 seconds to three minutes depending on your CO@ count (The higher the buble rate the lower the time the cycle takes) so when doing bubble count always count for a minimum of two minutes to insure that the variation within the cycle is counted in.
reeflover2
New member
I have a dual gauge regulater and am running the pressure at about 20psi. The K2R reactor only has a restriction on the outlet side of the reactor. I could try turning the gate valve down for the inlet of the reactor to reduce pressure in the chamber.
jdieck
New member
Note that dual gauge do not mean dual stage. A dual stage regulateor operates as two regulators in line to lower the pressure to a mid range and then to a lower range, they are expensive and used mostly where precision small flows are needed or when the inlet pressure is a lot higher than the 900 to 1000 psi of a CO2 cylinder.
Regarding the presurized reactor initially the K2R was not designed to run presurized. If you are feeding by gravity or powerhead you shall have no problem but if you feed from your return and your pump is pressure rated you may exceed the 8 to 10 psi the ractor's or Eheim pump seals are designed for and may incurr leaks. In any case running the reactor a bit pressurized makes it more efficient as the pressure increases the rate of disolution of the CO2 in the water.
Unless you have an unstable bubble rate I would not make any changes. Note also that bubbles inside the reactor tend to make the effluent flow (Not the CO2 flow) unstable and usually the effluent flow drops after the initial adjustments. Keep opening the valve slightly every time it drops and eventually it will stay put.
Also if you do not have one already I would recommend replacing the little crapy thingy of a valve that comes with the K2R for an actual needle valve for improved effluent control.
Regarding the presurized reactor initially the K2R was not designed to run presurized. If you are feeding by gravity or powerhead you shall have no problem but if you feed from your return and your pump is pressure rated you may exceed the 8 to 10 psi the ractor's or Eheim pump seals are designed for and may incurr leaks. In any case running the reactor a bit pressurized makes it more efficient as the pressure increases the rate of disolution of the CO2 in the water.
Unless you have an unstable bubble rate I would not make any changes. Note also that bubbles inside the reactor tend to make the effluent flow (Not the CO2 flow) unstable and usually the effluent flow drops after the initial adjustments. Keep opening the valve slightly every time it drops and eventually it will stay put.
Also if you do not have one already I would recommend replacing the little crapy thingy of a valve that comes with the K2R for an actual needle valve for improved effluent control.
reeflover2
New member
Any recommendations on valve's.
jdieck
New member
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/ca...=USPlastic&category_name=Needle+Valves&Page=1
Either the Hayward or the SMC will work. The SMC is chaper and can be ordered with 1/4" John Guest connectors for 1/4" PVC tubing.
Either the Hayward or the SMC will work. The SMC is chaper and can be ordered with 1/4" John Guest connectors for 1/4" PVC tubing.
jolly_ranch
New member
Hi jdieck,
Could you let us know what item numbers to order. I have no idea
Thanks
Could you let us know what item numbers to order. I have no idea
Thanks
jdieck
New member
The type will depend on your kind of tubing you are using.
There are basically Four types:
a) Threaded Female
b) Threaded Male
c) Insert
d) John Guest connector (Quick connector)
The threaded ones is are for screwing them directly to piping or the reactor' flange, unless your reactor is tapped and threaded I do not think you need this ones.
The insert ones are to be used with flexble tubing, you just push the tubing into the valve insert. This is one of the most common in our type of installations and usually the tubing is 1/4"
(3/8 is alittle too large for reactor tubing)
For 1/4" insert (Barb) ask for SMC valve No. 22318
The John Guest connector is the quick connector used with semi rigid poly tubing (Like the one used in RO/DI units) where you just push the tubing inside the connector and an internal O ring will seal it. To remove you push on a ring around the tubing and it will slide out.
If this is the kind of connector again you have most probably a 1/4" (same used for RO/DI) so order valve No. 22326
There are basically Four types:
a) Threaded Female
b) Threaded Male
c) Insert
d) John Guest connector (Quick connector)
The threaded ones is are for screwing them directly to piping or the reactor' flange, unless your reactor is tapped and threaded I do not think you need this ones.
The insert ones are to be used with flexble tubing, you just push the tubing into the valve insert. This is one of the most common in our type of installations and usually the tubing is 1/4"
(3/8 is alittle too large for reactor tubing)
For 1/4" insert (Barb) ask for SMC valve No. 22318
The John Guest connector is the quick connector used with semi rigid poly tubing (Like the one used in RO/DI units) where you just push the tubing inside the connector and an internal O ring will seal it. To remove you push on a ring around the tubing and it will slide out.
If this is the kind of connector again you have most probably a 1/4" (same used for RO/DI) so order valve No. 22326
jolly_ranch
New member
Thanks. I have the CO2 tubing so i guess it is the insert type?
jimsar
Premium Member
Muddy Media
Muddy Media
After ~4 months my German media turned "muddy". Is it time to change it out? It's come down about 1.75".
A bit more info: I noticed that the inside of the bubble counter as well as the reactor chamber was "cloudy", then realized that the effluent was darker than normal. I decided to bleed the reactor, and out came out grayish water, clouding up the main tank! I'm ordering Koralith tomorrow.
Any ideas what caused the media to muddy up?
What's better on the 1502 - course or fine Koralith?
Muddy Media
After ~4 months my German media turned "muddy". Is it time to change it out? It's come down about 1.75".
A bit more info: I noticed that the inside of the bubble counter as well as the reactor chamber was "cloudy", then realized that the effluent was darker than normal. I decided to bleed the reactor, and out came out grayish water, clouding up the main tank! I'm ordering Koralith tomorrow.
Any ideas what caused the media to muddy up?
What's better on the 1502 - course or fine Koralith?
dragon_slayer
In Memoriam
low pH is what makes your media into mud and yes it's time to change it out when this happens. using a course media helps prevent this by allowing a better flow in the reactor and keeping the water mixed better. the fine grain size media is IME the most often mudded media out there.
hth
kc
hth
kc
Dag
Premium Member
My calcium reactor ran out of carbon dioxide a couple of days ago. The water inside the chamber is now cloudy.
Any ideas why that would be? The Ph of the effuent is about 7.3, which I thought meant that the material was no longer dissolving. (If the PH was very low and the material was dissolving very fast, that would explain the cloudy water inside the chamber, but that doesn't seem to be the explanation.)
Any ideas why that would be? The Ph of the effuent is about 7.3, which I thought meant that the material was no longer dissolving. (If the PH was very low and the material was dissolving very fast, that would explain the cloudy water inside the chamber, but that doesn't seem to be the explanation.)
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