Korallin Calcium Reactor

[tigerczr]

I just got my Pinpoint ph monitor and I'm not sure if I'm doing the calibration correctly. I used the 7.00 and 10.00 solutions and was never able to get it to exactly 7.00 or 10.00 as the instructions indicate. The closes times I came to calibrating at 7.00 or 10.00 were off by 300th or 400th. So I thought that was normal. Now that I have in my sump it acts all weird. The numbers jump around through out the day. I also tried it in the effluent and it reads 7.02 for a while and then it start jumping around. Same for the sump it reads 8.29 or close and then jumps around between 6.00 and 11.00???? I'm I doing something wrong or did I get a bad monitor??

Thanks

 

[dragon_slayer]

sounds like your using an AC adapter with the PinPoint or you have it or the probe in near proximity to a fluorescent ballast.

also the temp will make the calibration fluids vary slightly.

kc

 

[tigerczr]

Yes...I'm using the power adapter and I do have it next to the ballast. Should I not use the power adaptor and have it by the ballast??

 

[tigerczr]

The ballast is afor my MH so not for fluorescent lights.

 

[dragon_slayer]

the AC adapter causes erratic fluctuations on the meter. if your ballast is causing problems you can tell this by checking with lights off and see if the symptoms still persist. i've never liked the adapter myself and a 9v battery will last a few months even when left on 24/7.

hth
kc

 

[tigerczr]

dragon_slayer, thanks a lot. I put in a 9 volt battery and problem solved.

 

[dragon_slayer]

:thumbsup: your welcome

kc

 

[oosurfin]

is there a way to test the low end of the ph with a salifert test?

 

[dragon_slayer]

test kits are not accurate enough for Ca Reactor adjustments/testing you'll need a monitor.

kc

 

[thrlride]

dragon_slayer or Jdieck

I have a 1502 reactor and have both drips going to the effluent cup. Is this the right thing to do?

 

[jdieck]

dragon_slayer or Jdieck

I have a 1502 reactor and have both drips going to the effluent cup. Is this the right thing to do?

IMO it does not make a difference as far as you keep the main drip in the cup the measurment of both will be the same. The secondary drip (The one set for very slow count) is just to vent any potential accumulated CO2 in the reactor, it can drip either to the cup or the sump/aquarium as far as it is not underwater so the CO2 does not bubble in it.

 

[thrlride]

The instructions call for the secondary drip to be really slow. If I make mine any slower than 20 dpm then it clogs up for some reason.

 

[jdieck]

The instructions call for the secondary drip to be really slow. If I make mine any slower than 20 dpm then it clogs up for some reason.

Yes some particles get trapped in the valve seat when it is almost closed. Try to leave it slow anyhow, if it plugs for the water it may not necesarely plug for the gas. Just check once in a while that gas has not accumulated with potential loss of priming of the recirculation pump. Many people run it totaly closed without problem just insure that you are not injecting excess CO2, which probably won't happen if you are using a controller.

 

[oosurfin]

alright guys ive been reading through this thread and im working on figuring out this whole calcium reactor business. ill try to do the best at explaining as i can and please ask questions and ill answer the best i can. ive only had my reactor set up for a few days now and i cant seem to get a constant bubble rate or drip rate. i did get this reactor used with the setup i bought and the previous owner really didnt know what it was because the lfs guy took care of his tank. it has a jbj regulator and what seems to be a german selonoid. this is an older version of the jbj it doesnt have the attached bubble counter like i have seen with what they sell now. i have a steel co2 tank pressure stays at 900 according to the left dial and the right dial has lb/in^2 and kg/cm^2 and is situated right below 50 lb/in^2. the needle vavle is attached to this regulator and i do not see a way to adjust the working pressure. im using an aqualifter to supply the reactor with water so pressure should be minimal enough to no slow the bubble count. i am doing daily adjustments to the drip and co2 to get it into that 10/40 area. i am using a milwaukee sms 122 and have it set to shut down at 6.5 so i dont melt my media or over dose the tank. but it doesnt seem to matter because the ph seems to raise slowly and not drop i assume because of the drop in bubble count. im starting to think that it may be the check valve as my regulator doesnt seem to fluctuate at all. i dont think i have any kind of leak in the tubing because i forced the selonoid to turn off and have seen no drop in pressure on either dial, i obviously need to get the consistancy issue worked out but once i have that worked out im kind of curious as to what kind of ph range i should be shooting for in the reactor as well as dkh with a.r.m. media. the carton says 7.5ph which i think would probably be fairly ineffective and im figuring 6.7/6.8 is probably the best range to shoot for. what kind of dkh should i expect to see in the 6.7/6.8 range? i do have more questions but i think i have my plate full enough and need to work out the issues at hand before i go any further. thank you in advance for your help

ps. i did use the write up dragon_slayer made and it was amazingly helpful

 

[jdieck]

OK some questions:
a) What do you refer to when you say drip an CO2 into the 10/40 area?
b) What brand or type of reactor is it?
c) What type of valve you are using to regulate the effluent flow? is it ball or needle valve?
d) Is the effluent valve at the inlet of the reactor or at the outlet?
e) If the regulatos does not have a bubble counter does the reactor has one?
f) Pics of the reactor and regulator will be very helpful specially the area of the regulator outlet, the effluent valve, the location of the reactor in relation to the sump and the recirculation pump and piping.
g) If you increase the CO2 bubble rate does it still slows down?
h) If you increase the effluent flow does it still slows down?

Some generic comments:
1. Usually maintaining a constant drip rate has to do with either the quality of the valve, maintaining a constant water pressure on the reactor inlet (The aqualifter may not have enough power to supply it), trying to keep too slow a drip or air being pumped into the reactor.
2. Maintaining a constant CO2 bubble rate usually has to do with low precision of the regulator, too high a discharge pressure with having to close the needle valve too much, faulty check valve or check valve that require too high of an opening pressure.
3. The JBJ regulator is a prefixed pressure one so you are right there is no way you can adjust the discharge pressure so you will have to live with 50 psi (lb/in^2) which IMO is rather high forcing you to close the needle valve too much.
4. The JBJ regulator usually has the check valve integrated into the bubble counter and the bubble counter and valve is removable as a set. I do not know of a version by JBJ without the bubble counter so in your case it is just probably missing. If so just insure you are really using a check valve. The system could work without a check valve but it is needed to insure that salt water can not back flow into the regulator damaging its components.
5. 6.7/6.8 PH is a good start point, do not get too concerned about the effluent dKh as youo will be adjusting PH and effluent flow to keep your tank alkalinity constant regardless of the effluent dKH. That measurment is made to detect basically only cases were the capacity of the regulator is being exceeded or to find out if something is really wrong but at this point you need to solve the issue of stability first.

 

[knight34]

help with generic 2 stage

help with generic 2 stage

Hey everyone, I have read a lot from this thread. If I could get some help with my 2 stage generic reactor that would be great. I have ARM and Carib sea floor for media. Here are the questions. 1. Should I adjust to get the recomended P.H. out of the first stage, or after the second? 2. I also have a bubble build up at the top of first stage. Not a big one. I will bring down my bubble count to about 1 per 6 seconds. 3. I am using a KALC reactor for make up water. It is keeping me at 8.4 for P.H. My 2 stage is idling right now due to a empty tank. I am out of town and I was hoping for a little help in set up. I have copied a lot of directions from this thread. Thank you in advanced. Oh, I use gravity feed, and from reading from this post, the feed line is too big. I will put a 1/4 inch poly line in when I get back. 4. do I adjust first stage drip rate or second stage drip rate? Thank you in advance, Will

 

[jdieck]

1. The PH reading is at the first chamber but remember the final PH is different for every system as you will adjust it to maintain constant alkalinity.
2 The bubble build up will be recurrent unless your outlet from the first chamber is on top. 1 bubble of CO2 per 6 seconds (10 per minute will most probably do not lower your PH low enough but try.
3. You do not really need to use 1/4" line unless you have good pressure, as far as you can adjust the effluent flow, the inlet line diameter will be irrelevant.
4. How do you adjust the first stage drip rate? Usually there is a direct connection from the first to the second. And by the way whatever flows out of the first stage is theamount that will flow out of the second stage unless you are tapping off from in between stages which will not serve much purpose.

 

[Chicago]

knight34 you may want to moidfy your first chamber lid. ... mine has a 1/4 out for the removal of buble accumulation. it is a small line that is teedoff of the return so that occasionally i open it up and allow the build up from the bubbles to exit.

i think i have pics in my gallaery for you to get the idea.

 

[knight34]

Thanks everyone. When I get back, I will get the bottle filled and start testing. I'm going to get the efflunent to @ 6.8 and try 30 ML a min for drip rate. I have very pleased with my KALC reactor, my PH has been hanging at about 8.4 peak. I understand the purpose of a calcium reactor is to maintain consistant ALK and Calcium, once it is established.

 

[oosurfin]

ok ive changed my pump from the aqua lifter to a T that is 1"x1"x1/2 with a 1/2"->1/4" john guest (sp?) fitting(same as ro/di systems) from my iwaki rlt 30 pump. and i think it may have solved my problems. i was a little tired when i was posting so ill clear this stuff up for you.


a) What do you refer to when you say drip an CO2 into the 10/40 area?

i meant 10 bpm and 40 dpm

b) What brand or type of reactor is it?

korallin 1502

c) What type of valve you are using to regulate the effluent flow? is it ball or needle valve?

im using a ball valve that is meant for drip systems or mister systems.

d) Is the effluent valve at the inlet of the reactor or at the outlet?

im not quite sure how the effluent can come from the inlet so ill assume you mean coming from either the outlet being #1 in dragon_slayers write up or #2 from the top of the reactor. i am using the intended outlet #1 and using #2 at 3ish dpm to bleed off any bubles that may form.

e) If the regulatos does not have a bubble counter does the reactor has one?

the korallin reactor has a bubble counter integrated as im sure you know now that you know its a korallin 1502

f) Pics of the reactor and regulator will be very helpful specially the area of the regulator outlet, the effluent valve, the location of the reactor in relation to the sump and the recirculation pump and piping.

pics arent avail cuz my camera is on the fritz but there is less than 4' from reactor to the effluent drip cup.

g) If you increase the CO2 bubble rate does it still slows down?

ill be watching this since i just set up the change in the way the water is delivered

h) If you increase the effluent flow does it still slows down?

ill also be watching this but from what i can tell with the short time the new setup has been operational it seems to have been effective and i see more consistancy and better control with more pressure behind the delivery of the water.

i really think that all of my problems were simply because i didnt have enough "umph" with the aqualifter but ill be sure to let to know in a few days or so when i have had more time to observe it.