Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread

My ph chart the last 24 hours


The high spike is from when I calibrated the probe.

Apparently last night at about 10 PM my reactor ph start diving. Apex shuts down the Aquarium Plants regulator at 6.3 so it never went lower than that.

Low side pressure was 7, flow rate 10 ml/minute, bubble rate 8 seconds. Nothing changed, just the PH start going down.

I now have the low PSI at 4 and the rate 9.5 seconds and at about 6.6. The only ting I can think of that would effect ph would be the size of the bubble. The rate didn't change as I timed the bubbles this AM and it match the setting.

Possibly the tank is starting to run low? Regulator may be bad? It is the standard set of guages that came with the regulator.

Did you get it figured out? Something definitely went screwy. Maybe the probe? Tube wear?
 
This thread has been great and very helpful. I was a little skeptical at first about spending so much on a feed pump, but now that I have I love my MasterFlex Pumps as in plural lol. I ended up picking up two.

I was originally feeding my GEO 510 off my return with a needle valve and it was never really consistent. I have been running this 7523-90 and it has been rock solid, really set it and forget it.

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I ended up winning another one, and I was originally just going to sell it but these things are so cool I was trying think of another use for it, and I was thinking about eventually getting a Kalk stirrer and feeding the Kalk stirrer with it rather than using my ATO, I figured that would give me so much more safety and control. Its so cool Id think I would hate to sell it now.

MY 7575-00.
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Awesome! Glad you found some great pumps. You really should take the cover off the 7575 and polish the snot out of it :lol:. It's not often you find a stainless cased drive.

Reefer comes over for a frag and sees it. "What kind of pump is that?"
You respond "Don't worry about it man, you can't get one."
 
Did you get it figured out? Something definitely went screwy. Maybe the probe? Tube wear?

It was the probe. It would calibrate just fine and hold for a few hours and then the readings would just start dropping. I have a new one and after a day or so of a bit of fine tuning holding steady at 6.5.

PS

This thread should be sticky. I send a lot of members with CA reactor question here ans I am convinced it is the only way to run a CA reactor.

Great thread
 
What did you get the stainless unit for those things are big bucks direct from Masterflex!

I bet he got a great deal, I just snagged a unit for $60, (don't present'ly have a use for it but I couldn't stop myself from bidding, I'll own a CA reactor eventually or just use it for dosing) not stainless but near mint condition, 230v 50/60hz with a European plug so the seller couldn't test it, HA, HA win for me! works flawlessly with a US plug installed and a quick look over the manual from Masterflex. Those guys have impeccable customer service even if you aren't the original owner.
 
I bet he got a great deal, I just snagged a unit for $60, (don't present'ly have a use for it but I couldn't stop myself from bidding, I'll own a CA reactor eventually or just use it for dosing) not stainless but near mint condition, 230v 50/60hz with a European plug so the seller couldn't test it, HA, HA win for me! works flawlessly with a US plug installed and a quick look over the manual from Masterflex. Those guys have impeccable customer service even if you aren't the original owner.

Nice thats sounds like a great deal!
 
Help with easy load head

Help with easy load head

I have an Easy Load head, model 7518-00, on my pump that makes a clicking sound 3 times with each revolution. I know it is coming from the rollers, but does anyone have an idea what is wrong and how to fix it?
 
I have an Easy Load head, model 7518-00, on my pump that makes a clicking sound 3 times with each revolution. I know it is coming from the rollers, but does anyone have an idea what is wrong and how to fix it?

I don't believe anything is wrong, all of my pump heads do that, especially at lower RPM. it is usally a little slack in the connector tab or possibly the gears, that click as the roller pops loose of the tubing with each turn. a little "padding" on the tab to make it fit snug should help to solve that if it bothers you. I used some teflon tape folded over a few times and that seemed to do the trick. I imagine anything would work.
 
I assumed that cadence clicking sound was normal... once in a while I get an irregular squeak. since my masterflex is in a remote closet the sound is not so much of an issue, but if it were front and center I can see how the sound would be unnerving.

will be interested in response to this as well.
 
I don't believe anything is wrong, all of my pump heads do that, especially at lower RPM. it is usally a little slack in the connector tab or possibly the gears, that click as the roller pops loose of the tubing with each turn. a little "padding" on the tab to make it fit snug should help to solve that if it bothers you. I used some teflon tape folded over a few times and that seemed to do the trick. I imagine anything would work.

Are you talking about the the tab on the back of the pump head that fits into the slot on the pump body? I think I will try that.
 
+2 I am going to give this a try also, slight clicking at lower RPM has been bothering me for awhile, but these things are so much quieter than any other pump I have just wrote it off, but if there is a easy fix I am in! I used a silicone spray lubricant on the squeeky wheel thing and it fixed it right away. I had a can of garage door silicone lubricant and this is what I used. I sure diddn't take much...a very slight tap on the sprayer and that was it.
 
Seems to have fixed the problem. I used about 3 inches of teflon tape and folded it over a few times and put over the tab and all is quieter. Not perfectly quiet but much better. Maybe a little more tape next time.
 
Seems to have fixed the problem. I used about 3 inches of teflon tape and folded it over a few times and put over the tab and all is quieter. Not perfectly quiet but much better. Maybe a little more tape next time.

Yep, that's all I did. Depending on how tight the gears fit they may "click" a little also but this is all I've needed to do to get things very nice and quiet to where I could run it in my living room without noticing.

The tape will squish down over time so if you hear it again, just remove the head and add some more tape.
 
Awesome! Glad to hear that problem was resolved and it was just a probe.

If you have a head that clicks often its from extra slack in the bearings or in the shaft area where it meets the drive. The rollers themselves are very durable, especially the stainless ones.

I use this stuff between my head and drive. It has a lot of uses (like pesky rear view mirrors that want to move around with your subwoofer). One package is enough for a lifetime.
http://www.amazon.com/3M-08578-Black-Strip-Calk/dp/B000PEZ1L4

This is definitely the only way I would run a reactor, I made this thread so you guys could enjoy the successes I have. Glad it has had such positive results!
 
It stays soft. It's a paste that is so thick it acts like a rope. Cut it with a razor blade and use nitrile gloves when handling it. The stuff is extremely tacky, its essentially a very thick tar material.

If you have ever pulled apart a car door and had to peel back the plastic layer, this is the same stuff they use to put that plastic on. I keep mine in a freezer bag in my tool box, you find all sorts of stupid uses for it. It's one of those things that you didn't know you needed until you use it once. It and 3M Super 33+ electrical tape are part of my required tool box stashes.
 
Got my Masterflex in the mail today and I fired it up with the tubing to make sure it work. It is pleasently quite at a normal RPM but does get a bit loud at 4 l/min. Not sure I'll ever need that fast of a flow through my CARX but good to know.

One thing I did notice is that the tubing included is huge (3/8"). A friend suggested that I put some 1/4" silicone tubing inside the larger tube and run that through the reactor. The issue that I have is that the short run of larger tubing is getting pulled through the pump head. Is there a way to fix this? I don't know if I have the head set up incorrectly.

Here are the details and a few pics.

MASTERFLEX - I/P # 7592-90 DIGITAL MODULAR DRIVE CONTROLLER
20 - 260 RPM'S - 90 VDC OUTPUT

~ MASTERFLEX - I/P / 90 VDC PUMP DRIVE / 0.2 HP
MODEL # 7592-40 / 20 - 260 RPM'S
INPUT VOLTAGE - 90 VDC

~ MASTERFLEX - I/P - EASYLOAD - PERISALTIC PUMP HEAD
MASTERFLEX ITEM # 7529-10

~ MASTERFLEX - 3/8" CLEAR TUBING - 14' SECTION
MASTERFLEX ITEM # 6408-73
 
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