Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread

[tkeracer619]

So I had an idea.

So I had an idea.

I believe we may be able to use our reactor pumps as automatic water changers in addition to our reactors at the same time.

This involves 3 heads. P1 will operate the calcium reactor as described, P2 will draw water from the new salt water reservoir and deliver it to the display, P3 will pull water out of the display and dump it in a drain. Whichever between P2 and P3 has a longer tubing run (or higher head pressure) will get an adjustable occlusion pump head. The shorter run gets a standard head. This will allow you to balance the flow between the two heads.

Both supply and drain lines will need to run to a high point well above water level in the system. At the high point of each line a tee creates a vent. This vent goes through a normally open solenoid valve creating a siphon break preventing either P2 or P3 to prime unless told to do so via a controller. Both pump heads P2 and P3 will always be functioning but will not pump water unless the solenoids are closed.

In theory, this is all that is needed to add an auto water change to our already sweet systems for not a lot of additional investment. Thoughts?

*Using 1/4" tubing for the aquarium side of the solenoid vent and 3/8" tubing on the pump side of the vent on both P2 and P3 will further reduce possibility of starting a siphon inadvertently.
*Using the largest tubing available will shorten cycle times. I think its best to run the system in intervals compared to always changing.
*A salinity probe is mandatory for any auto water change system.

 

[gdemos]

Brightwells NeoMag and CoraLazarus.
Why is it that at the same reactor chamber pH (6.5-6.7) Testing the effluent when at a rate of 120mL/min yields different parameters Ca, Alk, Mg, versus testing the effluent say at 60 mL/min? Did closing the recirc down play a part in the media's delivery of elements?

My other thought is to dose A&B just to get me up to 420ppm and 11dKH but I've had such a bad experience with two part precipitate

 

[gdemos]

I put the Masterflex in a closet adjacent to my sump room. Here's some pics of the frag system that I've been talking about and the larger reactor on my display

 

[zachts]

I believe we may be able to use our reactor pumps as automatic water changers in addition to our reactors at the same time.

This involves 3 heads. P1 will operate the calcium reactor as described, P2 will draw water from the new salt water reservoir and deliver it to the display, P3 will pull water out of the display and dump it in a drain. Whichever between P2 and P3 has a longer tubing run (or higher head pressure) will get an adjustable occlusion pump head. The shorter run gets a standard head. This will allow you to balance the flow between the two heads.

Both supply and drain lines will need to run to a high point well above water level in the system. At the high point of each line a tee creates a vent. This vent goes through a normally open solenoid valve creating a siphon break preventing either P2 or P3 to prime unless told to do so via a controller. Both pump heads P2 and P3 will always be functioning but will not pump water unless the solenoids are closed.

In theory, this is all that is needed to add an auto water change to our already sweet systems for not a lot of additional investment. Thoughts?

*Using 1/4" tubing for the aquarium side of the solenoid vent and 3/8" tubing on the pump side of the vent on both P2 and P3 will further reduce possibility of starting a siphon inadvertently.
*Using the largest tubing available will shorten cycle times. I think its best to run the system in intervals compared to always changing.
*A salinity probe is mandatory for any auto water change system.

I'd already thought of that since I have some three head pumps........just no CA reactor yet

 

[gdemos]

Mark, Still working on Dialing In my system & parameters. just for some clarification, I know that you prefer to run the reactor such that the solenoid is always open (always on), with the only default being a Low Tank pH safety shutdown. And that doing so is a matter of 'tuning' and I like the idea of Always ON stability. Not terribly concerned about cycling On/Off as I'm confident in the regulator's durability, yet I'd still like to achieve steady state ON.

Well, i programmed mine:
OFF if pH Reactor < 6.40 // ON if pH Reactor > 6.60 // OFF if pH Tank < 8.10

(if i knew how to cut/paste the graph from Apex Fusion i would but not working).

So... it seems that the tank pH hit 8.1 (or slightly lower just before 2pm today), solenoid switched Off, came back ON two minutes later and has been ON since....yet Reactor pH won't come down from 6.69.

While it seems I am close to the "Always ON" sweet spot, i'm too high on the Reactor pH for my liking since it hasn't been able to work its way down from 6.69.

Suggestions on tuning from here?
My bubble count is too rapid/high to count at the regulator, and somewhat irregular to count at the hokey reactor bubble count window.

As of this morning:
Effluent is at 142 mL/min
Effluent tests at 476ppm, 19.3 dKH
Tank at 450ppm, 11.9 dKH

 

[hkgar]

Reactor ph is sensitive to 4 things

1. Bubbles per second or seconds per bubble
2. Size of bubble (controlled by low side tank pressure)
3. Effluent flow rate
4. Tank ph, i.e. the ph of the water entering the reactor.

Changing any one of the first 3 will change the ph. Thus the tuning.

Mine are 32ml/minute, 9.5 second between bubbles and 5psi pressure.
Tank stays at 176 9.8 dKh) and reactor ph steady at around 6.6, It lowers some at night when the tank ph drops, but comes back during the day.

Make small adjustments in bubble rate tell you see the reactor ph holding steady.

Simply put you want to get to the point where the CO2 is lowering the ph as quickly as the tank water increases the ph.

 

[gdemos]

My co2 tank is at 15psi. Never thought of limiting it. I have a 20' run from CO2 tank to reactor so I just assumed keeping the tank wide open made sense given the need to run pressure. If anything it seems I need to Increase bubble count to lower reactor pH.

Sorry to occupy this Masterflex thread with my tuning problems, yet I know for sure without the Masterflex my effluent would be all over the map!

 

[hkgar]

The pressure effects the bubble size, i.e. more pressure bigger bubble more CO2. Not sure the effect of the run length.

What is your time between bubbles.

Personally I wouldn't shut down if tank PH reaches a certain level.

 

[gdemos]

Bubble count at the regulator is too rapid to count, pretty much a machine gun pace ... But I found that I needed this high count to bring my reactor pH down. There is a crappy bubble count built on the reactor but it is inconsistent (meaning not regular in its cadence), maybe 70 bpm

 

[zachts]

The pressure effects the bubble size, i.e. more pressure bigger bubble more CO2. Not sure the effect of the run length.

What is your time between bubbles.

Personally I wouldn't shut down if tank PH reaches a certain level.

Run length should have minimal effect on pressure in the line.

 

[gdemos]

Ok I can buy that, yet am I correct in that the bubble count is really hinged upon the pH of the reactor, so therefore I need the high bubble count to hit my pH

Ah. So that pH climb in the reactor today, just got home to find my water blaster return pump had failed. Froze by carbonate (and I cleaned it two months ago). While I was at it tore down my skimmer. It was the next to freeze. I've gone through white outs due to precip before (kalk OD and 2 part OD). This is why I went with a reactor in the first place! Nightmare

Well she's clearing up now. Glad all I got to do with the effluent is press some buttons on the Masterflex.

Please tell me I can hit cruise control soon!

 

[james1990]

if you cleaned the return 2 months ago that's a pretty short period of time for the kalk/ 2 part to seize the pump. are you dropping them into a high flow area?

on a side note i will have my Masterflex controlled cal Rx in by the end of the month so I will post here with pics and reviews. tkeracer619 has been a huge help with everything and has a ton of hands on experience with this topic... and the hobby in general.

 

[james1990]

not trying to go off topic but we are discussing high quality dosing pumps here and I'm looking for one to dose Kalk. maybe the stenner?

 

[gdemos]

Knock on wood but looks like I finally got my Ca/CO3 reactor dialed in. Day four holding at 6.4 pH in reactor, 8.15 tank. 11.5 dKH 450 ppm very very steady. Before the Masterflex I would set the effluent at 120 mL/min and wake up to find it dry. Masterflex has been a critical component for my system. Optimistic that she has found a balance.

 

[jimmy n]

I think we've driven up the prices Hard to find the right pump in good shape for less than 600

 

[zachts]

I think we've driven up the prices Hard to find the right pump in good shape for less than 600

Just have to be sneaky and quick!

 

[Joel_155]

Okay this is a thread I need to find time to read

 

[tkeracer619]

Knock on wood but looks like I finally got my Ca/CO3 reactor dialed in. Day four holding at 6.4 pH in reactor, 8.15 tank. 11.5 dKH 450 ppm very very steady. Before the Masterflex I would set the effluent at 120 mL/min and wake up to find it dry. Masterflex has been a critical component for my system. Optimistic that she has found a balance.

Awesome! Welcome to cruise control Sorry I have been a bit afk last week or so, work gets crazy from time to time.

I think we've driven up the prices Hard to find the right pump in good shape for less than 600

Yup, I think we have to a point. They are definitely harder to find at a good price for the casual browser, when a good one pops up it sells quickly. Thus making it difficult for me to recommend them as easily as before. A couple times now by the time I linked the purchaser and they came online the pump was already gone.

tkeracer619 has been a huge help with everything and has a ton of hands on experience with this topic... and the hobby in general.

Thanks

Run length should have minimal effect on pressure in the line.

What it does do is creates a bit of lag between the input and output. You will find gas delivery to be a slight bit less consistent but in the end it should all even out once you get it happy. The optimal way to bring the regulator closer is remove the black box from the regulator and put a pressure rated hose between the two bringing the black box close to the reactor. The will allow better control of the individual bubbles. But since gdemos has (knocking on wood) found the happy spot I would leave it be for now.

 

[gdemos]

Yes I'm hoping my fidgeting is behind me. Week plus rock solid pH in reactor; Rick solid parameters in the tank. Happy spot indeed. Thank you all for the help. And now I'm in the market for another pump for my DT reactor.

 

[zachts]

Yes I'm hoping my fidgeting is behind me. Week plus rock solid pH in reactor; Rick solid parameters in the tank. Happy spot indeed. Thank you all for the help. And now I'm in the market for another pump for my DT reactor.

Good to hear. Happy hunting! :lolspin: