Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread

[NeverlosT]

Slief is there a risk to overheating the unit if you make a sound absorbing box around it? Or do they run very cool when used at our slower speeds?


I just spoke with cole-palmer regarding tubing, talk about good customer service.

For Pumping saline solution (seawater) with a precision head, the three best tubing options are:

1. Norprene tubing (recommended for longest life)
2. Pharmet PBT
3. Norpure tubing

Which should all get you about 10K hrs at normal temperature.

You might get 5K hrs using Puriflex or Seaflex tubing

Then like 2000hrs and lower using a bunch of other varieties.

Moral of the story, use the Pharmed PBT recommended on page 3 and you are in good shape.

 

[slief]

Slief is there a risk to overheating the unit if you make a sound absorbing box around it? Or do they run very cool when used at our slower speeds?


I just spoke with cole-palmer regarding tubing, talk about good customer service.

For Pumping saline solution (seawater) with a precision head, the three best tubing options are:

1. Norprene tubing (recommended for longest life)
2. Pharmet PBT
3. Norpure tubing

Which should all get you about 10K hrs at normal temperature.

You might get 5K hrs using Puriflex or Seaflex tubing

Then like 2000hrs and lower using a bunch of other varieties.

Moral of the story, use the Pharmed PBT recommended on page 3 and you are in good shape.

I don't think so but if your unit has a fan in the back, make sure the fan vent isn't covered.

 

[Wiskey]

I have sound deading material lining my stand, but this pump is loud enough that it doesn't stand a chance.

But! The garage thing is a real option! I'm totally willing to do that.

I have one other issue though, I have the High Performance head. Do we know what the ID and OD and rubber thickness for the LS 15 tubing is?

Or do we have a good source for the LS 15 tubing? I know we have one for LS 17 but my head supposedly doesn't take it.

Thank you!
Whiskey

 

[NeverlosT]

I have sound deading material lining my stand, but this pump is loud enough that it doesn't stand a chance.

But! The garage thing is a real option! I'm totally willing to do that.

I have one other issue though, I have the High Performance head. Do we know what the ID and OD and rubber thickness for the LS 15 tubing is?

Or do we have a good source for the LS 15 tubing? I know we have one for LS 17 but my head supposedly doesn't take it.

Thank you!
Whiskey

Whiskey I just went through this better and cheaper to drop 100 bucks on a performance head and use 17 tubing than try to find 15 or 24 tubing.


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[sfdan]

I first got a brushed unit and then kept playing the ebay game until I found a brushless that was affordable. As surprisingly loud as the brushed unit was, you'll be equally shocked how quiet the brushless is. It is just night and day.

 

[NeverlosT]

I just got my brushed unit. It is pretty darn loud. I needed to know why, and so I opened her up. It turns out that the motor itself isn't the cause of the sound, its function is relatively quiet, I think that the transformer controlling the motor is the loud bit.

I spoke with some EE's at work and they said replacing the capacitor on the transformer might help quiet it (the caps are designed to be replaced about every 5-10 years). So I might try that to quiet it down. That and build a little an-echoic house for it to live in.

Does anyone have pictures of what they did to silence their brushed unit or tips/tricks?

Let me tell you how stoked my wife was about the sound when I powered it on for her. Not super stoked. lol

Side note: I cannot believe that these things cost what they do. Opening it up and looking inside, there appear to be about $200 in parts in there. A potentiometer, a three way switch, power board, transformer/controller, and a big ol' DC motor. I am in the wrong business!

 

[scuzy]

I would assume building a sound proofing box that sits over it?


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[NeverlosT]

I would assume building a sound proofing box that sits over it?


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Yeah that is in the plan, need to maintain some ventilation.

Anyone want to share their soundproofing?


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[balz3352]

Is there an issue with one lowest setting being 10rpm?

 

[tkeracer619]

Is there an issue with one lowest setting being 10rpm?

No, there shouldn't be. Even my 34gal with frags and some corraline is good to go with a 10rpm pump.

 

[tkeracer619]

I would be careful boxing the pump in, they do produce some heat regardless of the speed.

If you want silent definitely go with a brushless unit.

I'm not sure about the performance tubing but I recall that it is a proprietary thickness so the pharmed bpt available at us plastics is probably not going to work.

Someone who has cp brand performance tubing could put some calipers on it and find out. I don't have any personal experience with it.

 

[nezw0001]

Can you folks help me determine which pump I should be looking for? I have a 220 gal DT with a LifeReef reactor but will be upgrading to a 450 in a couple of months. would like a brushless unit. Is Ebay the best place to find one.

I have been having non stop issues with consistent effluent flow using a rio inflow pump. It is driving me nuts and I am ready to upgrade pumps.

thanks

 

[vhuang168]

The models are listed in the 1st post I believe


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[nezw0001]

Its lists lots of models. I'm not super handy. So any of them will work equally well?


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[NeverlosT]

Get a 6-600rpm model with a precision easy load II head that can accept L/S 17 tubing and you will be fine. Brushless is quieter, my brushed unit I can hear two rooms away.


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[NeverlosT]

I wonder if tapatalk uploads work...

I surrounded mine with foam (except for the ventilation areas) and it may have quieted it down some but not a lot.

Also, mine with L/S 17 tubing has a min flow rate of 25ml/min. So if I needed less than that it would be an issue. The motor doesn't turn unless the potentiometer is at at least 20% speed.

Still, it's stable, so it's a win!


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[Ssteve]

Anyone seen any good deals on a unit with head lately? Tired of dealing with the cheap feed pumps. I'm not concerned about noise so a brushed version is fine, but I would like to keep the cost down so I'm looking for something around $300-$350

 

[hkgar]

I have a 7524-00 if you are interested pm me. It does not have a head.

 

[NeverlosT]

Steve there are 7520-40 units on eBay now for $150 and just buy a used precision head for $100. The hose and plumbing bits run about $50.

Or I'm sure the 7524 would work fine.


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[ca1ore]

Guys, are the easy load heads interchangeable across different masterflex pumps? My load head is in good shape, but the economy drive whirs, clanks, squeaks something awful. It's in a basement fish room so I'm not fussed about the noise just that as it's increasing the drive may be closing in on end of life.