LifeReef Calcium Reactor

[d2mini]

For those of you who don't visit my build thread, I got my calcium reactor and figured I'd post initial thoughts and maybe more once I've had some time with it. I also might need some help and welcome any suggestions you may have. This is my first calcium reactor. Ever. For realz.

Anyway, I love my LifeReef skimmer so much I decided to go with LifeReef for the calcium reactor as well.

Got it in and pulled everything out of the box and this is pretty much what it looked like.

Tonite i got it all finished and running. Currently watching my pH in the reactor dropping into the 6's. And I've turned off the dosing pumps.
Going to check my alk levels in the morning. Fingers crossed!!!

Again, this is my first reactor so this is all new to me.
With that in mind, here's some initial thoughts...

Like the skimmer, it seems very well built. Which it should. It's built by AMERI-CUNNNS, son!
Like the skimmer, the design seems as simple and no nonsense as you can get.
Like the skimmer, it comes with detailed instructions for setup, maintenance, etc.
Like the skimmer, everything was included. Nothing more to buy. Except for the ph probe if that's something you want to monitor.
Setup was simple.
EXTREMELY quiet.
The quick disconnect fittings are AWESOME.
The only thing I noticed that took some fiddling was the needle valve. It's very sensitive. The most minute turn can make it go from no bubbles to something like 5 bubbles per second.
The cord on the solenoid is really short, no more than 3'. If i didn't have the tank sitting on the counter, I would need an extension cord.

More pics...

Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions?
I'll try to update as things progress.

 

[moondoggy4]

What type of media did you chose to use? What is your feed pump? Do they make a smaller unit?

 

[d2mini]

What type of media did you chose to use? What is your feed pump? Do they make a smaller unit?

For now i'm just using everything that came with it... Coarse ARM media, and a little Rio pump to feed.

Yes, Jeff makes a few different sizes. This is the LCR2.
http://www.lifereef.com/calcium.html

 

[d2mini]

12 hour update…
My Alk was 7.78 when i tested it yesterday evening, before starting up the reactor. This morning it was down to 7.56. Could be a slight margin of error with the hanna checker or it could be slowly dropping. I'll be able to tell better tonite.
Tank pH is down from 8.03 to 7.87.

My effluent is running around 70-80 ml/min.
It is my understanding that this should not change, and if I need to up my "dose", I do so by increasing the bubble count. Correct?

 

[sirreal63]

Correct, lower the reactor pH slightly and re-test in a day. Some people have had a hard time with the ARM extra course media dissolving without a very low pH. There will be a point in which you cannot increase the bubble rate without blowing undissolved gas out the effluent.

 

[d2mini]

Jack, I edited my post above… in case it wasn't clear, the pH stats were from the tank.
The reactor pH was sitting at 6.57 when I left this morning.
Which from what i read is near the bottom of the recommended pH value?

 

[sirreal63]

Yes, just slightly increase the bubble rate to "turn up" the reactor. Don't worry too much about the pH reading in the reactor, it isn't exact anyway. Be sure you calibrate the reactor probe with 4 and 7 solution, not 7 and 10 like you would for the tank.

 

[d2mini]

darn, really? I calibrated with 7 and 10. :frog:
I have the 4 solution and more 7. Will redo tonite.

 

[sirreal63]

The ARM course media needs a low pH to properly dissolve. When you are ready to change it, go to the medium or use the TLF Reborn, I had great luck with it even running the pH at 7, but my demand was also very light.

You calibrate with 4 and 7 since the desired range in between those two. Using 7 and 10 is better for tank pH because the expected result is between that 7 and 10 range. Calibrate nearest to the endpoint you expect.

 

[ken6217]

I use the smaller media from ARM. Looks like aragonite (probably is).

You should be able to move your alkalinity in less than a day. I could start out at 7 dkh in the morning and be at 11 dkh at bedtime @ 1 bubble per second. This is for 93 gallon tank.

We have different brand reactors, but media is media and CO2 is C02.
Ken

 

[d2mini]

Ok, good stuff. Thanks!

And yeah… dumb on my part. Of course I should have used the 4 solution. :facepalm:

My alk was around 8.5 before and that's where i'd like to be.
It had dropped into the 7's because i ran out for a day while getting the reactor setup and didn't want to mix up a new batch. lol
So looks like it shouldn't take much to raise it and I tested after only 12 hours so we'll see where it is tonite and then go from there.

 

[sirreal63]

What you want to do is get the alk to hold and not use the reactor to raise the alk. Once the alk is no longer dropping, use baking soda or your two part alk to raise it where you want it, then the reactor should be able to hold it there. Once it is dialed in it will only take small tweaks to adjust it as consumption changes. Trying to use the reactor to raise alk is difficult, it is too easy to overshoot your desired alk.

 

[ThreeMoneyJ]

How do you like the blue line pump on it? I have an LCR-1 from lifereef with a mag pump and am thinking of using a different pump.

As far as raising the alk in your tank goes the reactor is made to maintain a level, if you use it to raise the level and then life gets in the way it's possible the reactor will run away and raise the levels in the tank too high.

When I set my lifereef reactor up I very slowly snuck up on to a maintenance level while manually dosing to keep everything in line. It took me over a week to do, but now I feel comfortable barely checking my Ca, Alk, and mg levels.

 

[d2mini]

Cool, thanks for the tips!

The blue line seems pretty sweet. I can't even hear it.

 

[ken6217]

What you want to do is get the alk to hold and not use the reactor to raise the alk. Once the alk is no longer dropping, use baking soda or your two part alk to raise it where you want it, then the reactor should be able to hold it there. Once it is dialed in it will only take small tweaks to adjust it as consumption changes. Trying to use the reactor to raise alk is difficult, it is too easy to overshoot your desired alk.

I do not find this at all on my reactor. Can't speak for others. I have been using these since 2004.

It takes very little to tweak it to maintain the alkalinity level. I raise it by adjusting the bubble rate and effluent and no where I need to be to maintain.

Ken

 

[sirreal63]

Ken, only on initial setup is it not advised to use the reactor to raise the alk, once you have it dialed in then small tweaks are all that is needed to raise alk to meet demand. We are agreeing, it only takes small tweaks to raise or lower, but on initial setup it is more difficult to try and use the reactor to raise the alk in the tank, it is certainly possible but for someone just starting out, it is more difficult and so much easier to use an alk supplement to raise.

 

[d2mini]

Yeah, i'm with you.

And it was my fault that I let it drop a little before getting the reactor running. I had it nice and stable for the last month! Missed it by one day!!! lol

 

[ken6217]

Yeah, i'm with you.

And it was my fault that I let it drop a little before getting the reactor running. I had it nice and stable for the last month! Missed it by one day!!! lol

Yes, I found it's best to have your desired levels first.
Ken

 

[ksed]

Dennis

I found the same issue with ARM coarse media. It has a hard time to break down. A lower PH is needed. Then after some time you will find the alk will start to creep up. It almost appears to have a skin on it which you have to break through then it will start to take off. Don't be alarmed if you notice your alk drop. I was told that on initial start up the media will absorb alk. before it starts to release it. Just give it some time. Next time as Jack mention Reborn media is coral bones and appears to dissolve at a higher ph and with virtually very little break in time.HTH.

 

[tkeracer619]

ARM coarse media dissolves around 6.1 vs ARM fine is roughly 6.5.

All it will do is have a reduced capacity and the media is really best used in very large reactors where you have the extra volume for a lot of media.

That said use the media you have if you can get it dialed in and next time go with a finer media. Jeff has some great craftsmanship.