Korallin Calcium Reactor

[dragon_slayer]

if after a few days of setting up or changing media you experience lowered pH inside your reactor the most likely cause is that the tank water feeding the reactor has also dropped in pH.

.........what should I do raise the DPM or lower the BPM some more
I am lost at this point. I need help!


either will work to correct this, but which one is only going to be known by knowing what your tank demands are in need of. if you need more Ca/Alk then increase the drip, if not decrease the bubble count.

kc

 

[CSkala]

I just tested the CA/ ALK of my tank and the reading are
Cal. 460
Alk 11.52 DKh
PH 7.96

I recalibrated the PH probe to make sure of the reading and
it calibrated out fine. So with these readings the PH in the tank
is a little low so I should decrease the BPM to try and raise the
PH, correct.

Chuck

 

[jdieck]

Correct.

 

[CSkala]

I have another Question, I have my PH and Alk settled at PH 6.67
and Alk @ 36.73 DKH. Now will this have an affect on my Skimmer?
All of a sudden my skimmer started foaming excessively and the
only way was to cut back on the amount of air fed to the skimmer
(AqauaC 180 closed the air valve a little) is this normal? or do I
have something else screwed up.

Tank Param. are PH 8.01 and Alk 11.2 DKH

Thanks
Chuck

 

[jdieck]

It might have an effect, I know that adding Kalk makes the skimmer foam better and more efficiently but in reality it is the first time I hear of Effluent from a Ca Reactor does that. As a matter of fact I recommend dripping the effluent at or close to the water suction of the skimmer so the skimmer helps get rid of any lingering CO2 and help to counteract the PH drop by the Reactor.
Just adjust it and see how it goes.
BTW watch the alkalinity as it is already at the level you want to keep. If it goes higher, reducte a bit your bubble rate.

 

[Florida Boy]

Just want to add my 'attaboy' to everyone else's for the time and effort Dragon_slayer has put into this thread over the years. Your advice and instructions have been instrumental in getting my 1502 dialed in.
It's stabilizing fine after about 10 days with a steady 10.5 dkH and 420ppm Ca. The only remaining issue with mine is a little difficulty in maintaining steady drip rates. Over 24-48 hours my drip rates seem to need frequent re-adjustment to avoid overloading CO2. I'm running about 100 drips per minute out of outlet #1 (the pump output fitting) and another 20-30 drips out of the "safety" output #2 (the one directly out of the housing cover).
Output #2 seems to gradually reduce to a rate that, when it approaches zero, lets CO2 build up and cut off the flow to #1. I find I'm having to monkey with the valves at least once or twice a day to maintain the rates. Not a big problem, but more of an annoyance than I would like.
Anybody out there with suggestions? How about it kc?
BTW kc, I noticed that your outlet numbering scheme in your fantastic setup instruction post is the opposite of what Korallin is publishing in their 1502 instructions these days. As everyone has said, your instructions are much clearer and more detailed than theirs, but it could cause some confusion for a new user consulting their version and yours. They call the outlet coming off the pump output fitting the Ausgang or outlet #1 . They have labelled the oulet in the top of the housing as #2 or Entluftung. Either way, it soon becomes obvious that the one in the top of the housing is designed as the "safety" to cut off effluent flow to the tank in the event of CO2 accumulation.
Fantastic job, and thanks again for all of your assistance and advice.
Randy

 

[sediener]

Hi,

At what point is the effluent kH too high? I am using ARM media with 28 bubbles/min and ~10 ml/min effluent in the smallest korralin (1502?) and a 120G tank filled ~1/3 capacity with SPS colonies. The effluent kH has ranged in the high 40s to low 50s over my testing period and I believe that I have it dialed in to my tanks needs. The reason I am asking is that I do not have a pH meter (on the short list of things to buy) and wanted to get an idea of what kH range to avoid turning my media into mush.

My corals thank you guys, I can actually see daily growth on some of the faster growing guys since I have started dialing this reactor in.

- Steve

 

[Dag]

My working pressure guage seems to be broken. The needle is all the way to right (past 140) and CO2 doesn't seem to be coming out of the unit anymore (yes, the bottle is filled and the remaining pressure guage rises when I open the main valve and drops to 0 when I close it). Is there an easy fix to this, and if not, what do I need to replace, the whole unit or just the guage?

 

[Ereefic]

I had a similar problem with my regulator, but my gauge wouldn't go back to zero. I just had the gauge replaced, sounds like that should do the trick for you too.

 

[dragon_slayer]

Florida Boy

the above mentioned (linked) gate type needle valves will help considerably with the drip rate control.

sediener


the only time your effluent dKH is to high would be if your getting precipitation where the effluent enters the tank. you wont be able to use the dKH readings to tell when the media is likely to become mudded as it's a pH and flow issue and not exactly related to the saturation of CO2. also with that high of readings from ARM media i'd venture to guess your getting solid CaCO3 in your effluent that is giving false readings as they are dissolved by the testing procedure.

Dag

if your not getting CO2 out of the regulator and your needle is going all the way up, then back down when pressure is removed it sounds like the diaphragm is shot and you'll need a new regulator.

hth
kc

 

[Dag]

thanks, kth. the needle is not moving at all on the working pressure guage. so I guess the conclusion is the same.

 

[jdieck]

My working pressure guage seems to be broken. The needle is all the way to right (past 140) and CO2 doesn't seem to be coming out of the unit anymore (yes, the bottle is filled and the remaining pressure guage rises when I open the main valve and drops to 0 when I close it). Is there an easy fix to this, and if not, what do I need to replace, the whole unit or just the guage?

As dragon mentions the regulator diaphragm could be ruptured, but it could also mean that the regulating knob is fully screwed in (All the way clockwise). To see if the diaphragm is ruptured un-screw out the regulating knob (Counterclockwise) until it feels a bit loose, now open the cylinder valve, if you still get full flow and the discharge gauge measures all the way to the right the diaphragm is ruptured, on the other hand if with the knob all the way out you do not get any flow try to slowly screw the knob in while the cylinder valve is open, if you start getting flow then the diaphragm is OK if the ouput gauge was reading zero and starts rising then everything was OK and you just needed to adjust the knob. If the gauge had a reading without flow but the cylinder valve open then the gauge has been damaged.
In other words:

Knob out + Cylinder Open => ouput flow then Diaphragm damaged

Knob out + Cylinder Open => No ouptut flow but gauge reading than gauge damaged

Knob out + Cylinder Open + No Ouput flow => Gauge reading zero and start rising as knob is screwed in the everything OK

Let me know how the test goes.

 

[Dag]

Thanks for the detailed instructions, jdieck. After I left it alone and went back to it, the working pressure guage started declining to zero but only got about halfway. I opened the valve and started getting output again. It's working, except the working pressure guage is back all the way to right again. I assume the diaphragm or something else is broken, but for now it's doing what I need it to do.

 

[jdieck]

You need to be careful, getting flow is not good enough you need to insure that you are not delivering high pressure, I would recommend replacing the output gauge is you are not getting the right reading. If you deliver too much pressure you will feel OK because you are still able to control the flow with the needle valve but is by any chance the effluent line gets plugged with some media or dirt the pressure in the reactor will increase and if the regulator is inputing that much pressure you will burst the reactor open.

 

[Dag]

the pressure in the reactor will increase and if the regulator is inputing that much pressure you will burst the reactor open

I don't understand this. Here's a picture of my guage:

As you can see, the needle on the right guage (which I am calling the working pressure guage) is at 130 (on the inside numbers) and 9 (on the outside numbers). The needle doesn't go down (or goes down only partially) when the main valve on the cylinder is closed.

When you use the term "reactor" what are you referring to? The calcium reactor? If so, as you point out, the output is regulated by the needle valve. So how could the pressure be too great inside the reactor? Right now I can see one little bubble at a time going through the bubble counter. There is definately not too much CO2 going into the reactor, 'cause I would see it.

 

[Dag]

the pressure in the reactor will increase and if the regulator is inputing that much pressure you will burst the reactor open

I don't understand this. Here's a picture of my guage:

As you can see, the needle on the right guage (which I am calling the working pressure guage) is at 130 (on the inside numbers) and 9 (on the outside numbers). The needle doesn't go down (or goes down only partially) when the main valve on the cylinder is closed.

When you use the term "reactor" what are you referring to? The calcium reactor? If so, as you point out, the output is regulated by the needle valve. So how could the pressure be too great inside the reactor? Right now I can see one little bubble at a time going through the bubble counter. There is definately not too much CO2 going into the reactor, 'cause I would see it.

 

[jdieck]

Yes I am referring to the calcium reactor. If the output of the reactor gets plugged it does not matter if you have little or much flow the pressure in the reacor will increase. If you have a slow flow it will just take longer but will continue raising as that has no way to go unless something stops it and the only thing that can stop the flow is either yourself manually or the regulator by sensing that the discharge pressure is rising, but if the regulator is defective and you are not around that could happen.

Imagine the gas into the reactor being blown into a balloon instead, the ballon will inflate no matter if the flow is slow unless you release some of the gas which in the case of the reactor shall go out with the effluent.

In other words you use a regulator to lower the 800 or 900 psi pressure in the cylinder to 15 or 20 psi in the delivery (work pressure side) If you had only aneedle valve with slow flow then you do not need the regulator unless the reactor gets plugged.

 

[Dag]

If I kept the regulator valve (the big black knob in the picture with the "m" on it) open to low, wouldn't I then know the working pressure is not too high?

Also, I'm confused about the remaining pressure guage (the one on the left). What is that measuring? Isn't it measuring the input (and the I guess working pressure is measuring the output? How could the output be greater than the input? In other words, how could the left one be at 15-20 psi and the right one be higher?

 

[jdieck]

If the regulator is functioning properly and if you keep the knob to a set point of lower pressure the working pressure will not be high but how would you know how low is low without a functioning gauge?

Indeed the left regulator measures the input pressure (The pressure in the cylinder). At the fill pressure the CO2 liquify inside the cylinder and as long as there is liquid in the cylinder the pressure will change only with the temperature but not with the consumption. As far as there is liquid in the cylinder the vapor pressure of the CO2 inside the cylinder at 70F is about 840 psi (5800 kPa or 59 Kg/cm2).
Most gauges have two scales on the face, one is in psi (Pounds per square inch) and the other usually in either kPa (kilo-pascals) or Kg/cm2 (Kilograms per square centimeters)
1 Kg/cm2=14.223 psi
1 Kpa = 0.145 psi

If the cylinder has liquid inside, the left gauge shall be measuring between 800 and 900 psi depending on the room temperature if it is not then the gauge is also defective.
If there is no liquid inside the cylinder then for all practical purposes the cylinder is empty as there is only some compressed gas CO2 inside which may last from just a couple of days to about a week depending on your consumption.

Now; for previous posts the reading of the output gauge is not correct so in reality we can not really say that the ouput (working) pressure is higher than the inlet pressure.

By the way if the cylinder does not have liquid inside and the inlet pressure has droped enough most low cost single stage regulators will stop working properly and may behave as if the diaphragm is damaged and the full inlet pressure will show at the output.

 

[Dag]

Jdieck,

This is probably too complicated to teach me this way. Thanks for trying.

The inlet pressure (left guage) is only 15-20 psi. That pressure is requlated by the main valve (the black knob on top of the cylinder). I still can't see how the outlet can be higher than the inlet. And if the inlet is only 15-20 psi, why isn't it ok?