Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread
- Thread starter tkeracer619
- Start date
awais98
SPS
Mine works perfectly fine otherwise
Very reliable except occasionally on priming (which we never really have to do) shows the error. I press any button and it resets and starts working normally
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Bpb
New member
Well...Finally remedied a big fauxpaux I made with my masterflex. When I got mine I opted for the quick setup and use rather than the correct one. Ive had mine for about a year now. Served me really well for the first couple months. As some of you saw a few pages back, I inquired about LS15 tubing. Well apparently I had been using the wrong kind. Clear Tygon LS15 tubing. Rated for very short life. I was getting a month or two out of each tubing run before holes would form.
Eventually I also began getting massive leaking from where the roller head tubing would join the effluent tubing. Rather than ordering the correct parts from usplastics.com, I used cheap 1/8" airline tubing connectors with zip ties. Yeah they held the tubes together...But didnt form a tight seal. Eventually I came home to a soaked equipment cabinet and puddle under it that had slowly formed.
Having multiple setbacks in a row really kicked me into gear. I actually contemplated selling my entire calcium reactor and getting a ghl doser and tropic marin balling salts. Glad I didn't. Finally placed my order with US Plastics today and got the correct adaptors outlined in the first page, and the correct Pharmed BPT tubing. Need to give the rollers on my easyload head a rinse in rodi water and get this reactor back up and running. Kalkwasser works fine and can keep up with my tanks demand (barely), but I feel like I'm missing all the other goodness a reactor supplies. Hopefully my tubing will last longer and be leak free this time around.
Watch my old brushed and beat up pump die all together next time I fire it up.
Eventually I also began getting massive leaking from where the roller head tubing would join the effluent tubing. Rather than ordering the correct parts from usplastics.com, I used cheap 1/8" airline tubing connectors with zip ties. Yeah they held the tubes together...But didnt form a tight seal. Eventually I came home to a soaked equipment cabinet and puddle under it that had slowly formed.
Having multiple setbacks in a row really kicked me into gear. I actually contemplated selling my entire calcium reactor and getting a ghl doser and tropic marin balling salts. Glad I didn't. Finally placed my order with US Plastics today and got the correct adaptors outlined in the first page, and the correct Pharmed BPT tubing. Need to give the rollers on my easyload head a rinse in rodi water and get this reactor back up and running. Kalkwasser works fine and can keep up with my tanks demand (barely), but I feel like I'm missing all the other goodness a reactor supplies. Hopefully my tubing will last longer and be leak free this time around.
Watch my old brushed and beat up pump die all together next time I fire it up.
SkyReef
New member
What U.S. Plastics Pharmed Tubing Matches Masterflex LS 17 Tubing?
What U.S. Plastics Pharmed Tubing Matches Masterflex LS 17 Tubing?
I purchased a Masterflex Easy-Load II pump head, Model No. 77201-60. It uses L/S tubing 13, 14, 16, 25, 17, and 18. I gather from the many posts in this thread that most folks use L/S 17 tubing. I see also that the longer-life and cheaper alternative to purchasing tubing from Masterflex is to buy Pharmed tubing from U.S. Plastics.
Sounds great. What actual Pharmed tubing product do I buy for the L/S 17 from U.S. Plastics? From a previous post, it was suggested that I order Pharmed 57320, having an interior diameter of 1/4" and an outer diameter of 1/2", with a wall thickness of 1/8". However, it is not clear to me that this is the correct U.S. Plastics tubing that works with an L/S 17-compatible pump head.
Could someone please confirm what specific product I should be ordering for a long-life, Pharmed tubing from U.S. Plastics, to fit my Masterflex Easy-Load II pump head that accommodates LS 17 tubing? Thank you.
What U.S. Plastics Pharmed Tubing Matches Masterflex LS 17 Tubing?
I purchased a Masterflex Easy-Load II pump head, Model No. 77201-60. It uses L/S tubing 13, 14, 16, 25, 17, and 18. I gather from the many posts in this thread that most folks use L/S 17 tubing. I see also that the longer-life and cheaper alternative to purchasing tubing from Masterflex is to buy Pharmed tubing from U.S. Plastics.
Sounds great. What actual Pharmed tubing product do I buy for the L/S 17 from U.S. Plastics? From a previous post, it was suggested that I order Pharmed 57320, having an interior diameter of 1/4" and an outer diameter of 1/2", with a wall thickness of 1/8". However, it is not clear to me that this is the correct U.S. Plastics tubing that works with an L/S 17-compatible pump head.
Could someone please confirm what specific product I should be ordering for a long-life, Pharmed tubing from U.S. Plastics, to fit my Masterflex Easy-Load II pump head that accommodates LS 17 tubing? Thank you.
LQT
Active member
The information on the correct equivalent for LS17 tubing and connectors is laid out by tkeracer619 in posts #2 & #3 in this thread. The actual measurements of the 57320 tubing is 1/4” ID and 3/8” OD, and based on the info in post #2, that is the LS17 equivalent.
https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=25534
https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=25534
SkyReef
New member
Awesome. Thanks, SFDan.
yellojello
New member
Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread
My pump came with two heads, and I looked for a single head screw instead of the expensive Cole Parmer set. Found this at Fastenal, except had to order it and ship to store, minimum $10 order so I got 10 of them. Have extra so I can ship to anyone that needs it.
#8-32 x 2-1/2" ASTM F837 Hex Drive Grade 18-8 Stainless Steel Socket Cap Screw
Fastenal Part No. (SKU) 0171097
The original is 2-1/4", so it's tad longer, but still tightens all the way barely, another 1-2mm and it would bottom out. Gonna add a stainless steel washer for extra measure. No cutting like with a threaded rod.
My pump came with two heads, and I looked for a single head screw instead of the expensive Cole Parmer set. Found this at Fastenal, except had to order it and ship to store, minimum $10 order so I got 10 of them. Have extra so I can ship to anyone that needs it.
#8-32 x 2-1/2" ASTM F837 Hex Drive Grade 18-8 Stainless Steel Socket Cap Screw
Fastenal Part No. (SKU) 0171097
The original is 2-1/4", so it's tad longer, but still tightens all the way barely, another 1-2mm and it would bottom out. Gonna add a stainless steel washer for extra measure. No cutting like with a threaded rod.
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Here is my setup guys, was able to get a good deal on a new Watson Marlow peristaltic pump. Currently, I am using 1/8"ID neoprene tubing but I am expecting some 1/4" ID neoprene tubing tomorrow. Dont want to work my pump as hard.
Here is the pic, these Watson Marlow are really sweet looking and quiet!!
Here is the pic, these Watson Marlow are really sweet looking and quiet!!
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LQT
Active member
Here is my setup guys, was able to get a good deal on a new Watson Marlow peristaltic pump. Currently, I am using 1/8"ID neoprene tubing but I am expecting some 1/4" ID neoprene tubing tomorrow. Dont want to work my pump as hard.
Here is the pic, these Watson Marlow are really sweet looking and quiet!!
Wow... those Watson Marlow 520s are really nice, adjustable down to the milliliter like the higher end digital Masterflex pumps. I have a 220 RPM Watson Marlow 505s that gives me adjustability down to the RPM, thus I use the smaller LS25 sized tubing so I can have more incremental adjustability when dialing in. I do love it though because even though my 505s is bushed, at the low RPMs required to run my CaRx, it is absolutely dead silent!
https://flic.kr/p/YDqAF7
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My 505 is on the fritz. No matter what it try, the control pad won't unlock any more. I suspect it's got a short somewhere.
They sent me a reset procedure, but no dice. I'm just going to hook up my DOS for a bit and see if I can get the WM running properly. If not, back to Fleabay.
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