Does the CA Reactor seem hard to use? I have been asking people in the LFS when I hear them say they have SPS corals if they have a CA Reactor and not a one of them does. I ask them why they don't and they all say the same thing, its to hard to use and its just eaiser to add CA in the liquid form to the tank. So I am guess that they are just lazy or it really is kinda hard to get a grasp on it, I am guessing just lazy.
Lightsluvr's 340G Upgrade
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
From what I have seen and read, there are two predominant schools of thought on supplementing for CA and ALK. First is the two-part dosing which is accomplished by either manual dosing or automatic dosing with a dosing pump. The other is the CA reactor which accomplishes the same end. The reactor also injects CO2 into the mix to maintain tank pH.
And that, my friend is all I know. I have always dosed CA supplements, Mg supplements and buffers to maintain ALK. I have been less than successful with manual dosing, having killed some beautiful SPS as a result of ALK spikes that I inadvertantly caused.
So I purchased a good quality CA reactor and will try it in my new system. If it doesn't work as I expect, I will go with a dosing pump. In any case, I want to automate as much of the process as possible, to rule out more screw ups by the human element...
By the way, I think that CA reactor in a small tank (less than 100G) is probably overkill... I know there are small reactors, but it just seems a lot of work that could more easily accomplished with a dosing system... JMHO.
Well, off to read the reactor manual again...
LL
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15641689#post15641689 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aquainas
Actually George the CO2 is injected into the reactor itself to lower the ph (around 6.0) of the water inside the unit to the point where it will dissolve the media thereby producing the effluent that is then dosed to the tank.
You're absolutely right... Life Reef says to shoot for 6.6 pH, but says you really don't need to have a pH monitor on their device. Hmmmm...
Going over to Melev's website today to see how he set up his reactor. He's using the same one that I have.
LL
aquainas
Active member
The thing about not having a PH monitor is shocking on their part! How would you be able to set your bpm if you don't know where ph is at? If you go too low then your media will turn to mush and that would not be a good thing. You don't want to leave that up to chance, some will say start slow and ramp up the bubble count until you see dissolution, but how will you know for sure when you hit the target ph? You see my point?
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15643382#post15643382 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aquainas
The thing about not having a PH monitor is shocking on their part! How would you be able to set your bpm if you don't know where ph is at? If you go too low then your media will turn to mush and that would not be a good thing. You don't want to leave that up to chance, some will say start slow and ramp up the bubble count until you see dissolution, but how will you know for sure when you hit the target ph? You see my point?
It's all explained in the Life Reef directions...but I agree with you. In fact the used LRC-2 that I acquired has the optional probe holder and quick disconnect fittings. I will use the pH probe. I will order a second pH probe from Neptune Systems and use my Apex controller to control CO2 injection.
LL
CA Reactor
CA Reactor
This will be the third time I tried to write this post, but it keeps disappearing in a RC "Search" error...
So I will just compress an informative post into a sentence or two...
I was able to assemble the Life Reef LRC-2 CA reactor today. I will try a fresh water test tomorrow, and if all is good, I will add Carib sea ARM Coarse media, as recommended by Melev and many others...
We should have the CA reactor running this weekend, which will give me opportunity to closely monitor CA, ALK and MG as it ramps up.
Photos manana.
LL
CA Reactor
This will be the third time I tried to write this post, but it keeps disappearing in a RC "Search" error...
So I will just compress an informative post into a sentence or two...
I was able to assemble the Life Reef LRC-2 CA reactor today. I will try a fresh water test tomorrow, and if all is good, I will add Carib sea ARM Coarse media, as recommended by Melev and many others...
We should have the CA reactor running this weekend, which will give me opportunity to closely monitor CA, ALK and MG as it ramps up.
Photos manana.
LL
Yup.
I couldn't find one of the quick disconnect fittings...even made a run to HD and Ace to try to find one - they just looked at me with a glazed stare... it was amusing. The helpful guy at Ace did figure that it came from an "aquarium" of some sort. Anyway, when I returned home, I found the missing piece on my desk, right where I had placed it as I removed items from the parts box...
I have a settlement conference today so won't be around to play until late this afternoon. My telephone project today is to try to find a pH probe so I can fill and run the reactor for a leak test in the sink.
Are all probes the same size? (thinking of the probe holder on the reactor)
LL
How to react?
How to react?
After assembling the pieces and reading the manual faithfully, today was the day for the wet test for the Life reef CA reactor. I purchased the LRC-2 reactor from a local reefer (Thanks, Lytehouse!). It appeared to be in excellent condition and came with a brand new Mag 7 circulating pump.
I plumbed everything by the sink, and dropped the tiny Rio feed pump into some RO/DI. Slowly the tank started to fill, and almost immediately I noticed water seeping from the Mag 7! The seep turned to a stream... (!) Bummer! What the heck? I tried tightening the screws on the pump - nothing. Water kept flowing, in all the wrong places!
I drained the reactor and replaced the Mag 7 with another I had on hand... same thing - only worse. This was not looking good.
I called and spoke with Jeff at Life Reef. Yes, he actually answered the phone! How cool is that? He was great. He told me that they glue all their Mag 7 pumps for this very reason. He reminded me that the Mag 7 is really designed to be submerged, so no one realizes if the darn thing is leaking or not. In the course of his longtime production of the reactor, he found that about 2 out of 10 Mag 7's will leak. So he decided to solve the problem by firmly gluing the pump casing to the motor housing with a thinset waterproof plastic glue. Result? No more leaks and no more customer complaints! He has been doing this for several years. He warrants the pumps for a year with the purchase of his reactors. If it fails in the first year, he replaces it. Jeff says that with the type of use the pumps have in the reactor, they don't need disasembly as there is insignificant wear on the impeller.
Jeff described for me exactly how they glue the pump. The one I was using was a brand new pump, so I simply opened it up the way he does, laid a thread of thinset glue (Gorilla Glue) around the pump shroud, motor housing and the screw hole openings... Quickly reassembled and screwed it down tight.
It now runs like a charm and is bone dry. I am giving the reactor an overnight RO/DI test run before putting it under the stand tomorrow...
I'm starting to love this reactor, and a shout out to Jeff at Life Reef Filter Systems for some great post-warranty customer service!
It's a great feeling when the owner of a company takes the time to help a fellow reefer... Thanks, Jeff!
Here are some photos of the reactor sitting on the counter with its (now dry) wet test!
Those bubbles went away after the column was filled with water and the reactor is running very quietly. The Mag 7 is very cool to the touch.
Here is a view of the probe holder with a Neptune Systems pH probe installed:
Thanks again to Melev for his tutorial on this very reactor.
More pics tomorrow after I fill the reactor with ARM Coarse media and reassemble. I will then attach the CO2 to the bubble counter and do some experimenting over the long weekend to monitor my ALK, MG and CA levels... any suggestions or tips are welcomed!
LL
How to react?
After assembling the pieces and reading the manual faithfully, today was the day for the wet test for the Life reef CA reactor. I purchased the LRC-2 reactor from a local reefer (Thanks, Lytehouse!). It appeared to be in excellent condition and came with a brand new Mag 7 circulating pump.
I plumbed everything by the sink, and dropped the tiny Rio feed pump into some RO/DI. Slowly the tank started to fill, and almost immediately I noticed water seeping from the Mag 7! The seep turned to a stream... (!) Bummer! What the heck? I tried tightening the screws on the pump - nothing. Water kept flowing, in all the wrong places!
I drained the reactor and replaced the Mag 7 with another I had on hand... same thing - only worse. This was not looking good.
I called and spoke with Jeff at Life Reef. Yes, he actually answered the phone! How cool is that? He was great. He told me that they glue all their Mag 7 pumps for this very reason. He reminded me that the Mag 7 is really designed to be submerged, so no one realizes if the darn thing is leaking or not. In the course of his longtime production of the reactor, he found that about 2 out of 10 Mag 7's will leak. So he decided to solve the problem by firmly gluing the pump casing to the motor housing with a thinset waterproof plastic glue. Result? No more leaks and no more customer complaints! He has been doing this for several years. He warrants the pumps for a year with the purchase of his reactors. If it fails in the first year, he replaces it. Jeff says that with the type of use the pumps have in the reactor, they don't need disasembly as there is insignificant wear on the impeller.
Jeff described for me exactly how they glue the pump. The one I was using was a brand new pump, so I simply opened it up the way he does, laid a thread of thinset glue (Gorilla Glue) around the pump shroud, motor housing and the screw hole openings... Quickly reassembled and screwed it down tight.
It now runs like a charm and is bone dry. I am giving the reactor an overnight RO/DI test run before putting it under the stand tomorrow...
I'm starting to love this reactor, and a shout out to Jeff at Life Reef Filter Systems for some great post-warranty customer service!
It's a great feeling when the owner of a company takes the time to help a fellow reefer... Thanks, Jeff!
Here are some photos of the reactor sitting on the counter with its (now dry) wet test!
Those bubbles went away after the column was filled with water and the reactor is running very quietly. The Mag 7 is very cool to the touch.
Here is a view of the probe holder with a Neptune Systems pH probe installed:
Thanks again to Melev for his tutorial on this very reactor.
More pics tomorrow after I fill the reactor with ARM Coarse media and reassemble. I will then attach the CO2 to the bubble counter and do some experimenting over the long weekend to monitor my ALK, MG and CA levels... any suggestions or tips are welcomed!
LL
Last edited:
crvz
Team RC
Good to hear you got everything worked out. What I've found (I've used mag pumps external myself) is that the plumbing fixtures can often be the reason the impeller housing doesnt seat well on the body of the pump. Looks like you've got a pH probe coming off yours, which should be fine now that you've got the problem solved, but if it returns make certain that there's no side-to-side loading on the plumbing coming up off the pump (make sense?).
IBASSFSH
New member
Are you going to use that food grade Glycerin (Melev uses it in his)? It is supposed to make counting the bubbles easier.
http://www.marinedepot.com/Bubble_C..._for_Aquariums-Korallin-KL3311-FICOBC-vi.html
http://www.marinedepot.com/Bubble_C..._for_Aquariums-Korallin-KL3311-FICOBC-vi.html
Yup, I can believe that "torque" applied by imperfect plumbing alignment can cause leakage in the Mag 7 and similar pumps. When you disassemble one, you'll note it's just plastic to plastic in there. The plastic impeller housing just "snaps" onto a ridge on the motor housing. There are no gaskets anywhere. Anything slightly out of tolerance will allow water to leak out...
Thanks for the tip!
LL
Bubble counter liquid
Bubble counter liquid
You are psychotic.... err I mean psychic!
As a matter of fact I ordered a bottle of the bubble counter fluid yesterday along with a second Neptune pH probe, another gallon of ARM media and a backup pump for my Tunze Osmolator. All that stuff should be here on Wednesday. It never ends... :eek2:
The Hogs are going to have a rough Saturday October 17. Go Gators!
Chomp Chomp
Thanks for saying hello again in the thread! How's my old 180G tank doin'?
LL
Bubble counter liquid
You are psychotic.... err I mean psychic!
As a matter of fact I ordered a bottle of the bubble counter fluid yesterday along with a second Neptune pH probe, another gallon of ARM media and a backup pump for my Tunze Osmolator. All that stuff should be here on Wednesday. It never ends... :eek2:
The Hogs are going to have a rough Saturday October 17. Go Gators!
Thanks for saying hello again in the thread! How's my old 180G tank doin'?
LL
Maintenance is done...
Maintenance is done...
It's Saturday; time for the 55G hands free water change and tank maintenance.
The doors come off the stand so I can access and replace (4) filter socks - two more in the Rubbermaid sump:
Push back the light rack to allow cleaning and inspection of the tank and overflow...
Test the new saltwater mix in the left tank before pumping into the system:
Stir the cheato - trim a little off and clean the return chamber:
Here is where the CA reactor will go when I get back to that project later this weekend:
LL
Maintenance is done...
It's Saturday; time for the 55G hands free water change and tank maintenance.
The doors come off the stand so I can access and replace (4) filter socks - two more in the Rubbermaid sump:
Push back the light rack to allow cleaning and inspection of the tank and overflow...
Test the new saltwater mix in the left tank before pumping into the system:
Stir the cheato - trim a little off and clean the return chamber:
Here is where the CA reactor will go when I get back to that project later this weekend:
LL
melev
Well-known member
I'm glad Jeff talked you through the pump leak problem. Mine is due to be replaced soon as it is getting a strong accumulation of salt creep on it that I knock off every two weeks. This Mag pump is probably three years old, purchased from Jeff when he answered the phone for me one night.
If you've already got some ARM, soak it in RO/DI water for a few days, stirring it daily. Some have noted that ARM contains PO4, which you can test for if you wish.
Just fill up the reactor. Add water to the top, and seal the lid. It's ready to run.
The bubble counter on Jeff's reactor is a part I've never used. It's a little tough to fill up, and when I did do that, I put in RO/DI water. I prefer to use the bubble counter on my regulator, and that is the one I fill up with the Bubble Counter Fluid from Marine Depot.
If you've already got some ARM, soak it in RO/DI water for a few days, stirring it daily. Some have noted that ARM contains PO4, which you can test for if you wish.
Just fill up the reactor. Add water to the top, and seal the lid. It's ready to run.
The bubble counter on Jeff's reactor is a part I've never used. It's a little tough to fill up, and when I did do that, I put in RO/DI water. I prefer to use the bubble counter on my regulator, and that is the one I fill up with the Bubble Counter Fluid from Marine Depot.
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