osmolater and reset

[jag1979]

Will the osmolater ever need to be reset? What if the 10 minute saftey feature turns off the pump will it start back up on its own? What if I use it for limewater and my controller shuts it off if ph gets too high? or for any other reason?

thanks

 

[rvitko]

It will need to be reset if the 10 minute delay is reached, you need to unplug it and plug it back in. I don't think connecting it to a pH controller is a very good idea.

 

[jag1979]

why is it not a good idea? I guess because it might cause it to reach the 10 minute delay?

 

[rvitko]

No, because you reset it everytime and defeat the 10 minute delay. Besides that, the unit doses so little that a major pH swing is virtually impossible as long as you install it correctly. When you hook it up the level should be where the sensor is off. The only disasters I have seen involve not using the float switch, lots of microbubbles, a siphon, or letting the water level drop substantially before refilling it so the top off amount is large. Normally it is adding less than a cup of water at a time.

 

[jag1979]

ok, thanks. I guess it probably wont be good for what I need. I want to use the top off to maintain a stable ph throughout the day/night. I set my ato to turn off at 8.15, which basically stops the ato during the day and slowly fills the water to the fill line throughout the night while mainting a ph of 8.15 almost all the time. I have done it w/o the ph control but then the ph drops to around 7.85 by the morning because it doesnt add as much during the night.

thanks for the help and clarification

 

[rvitko]

I can suggest a way to get a dead on pH but it isn't really necessary. This notion of an 8.3 pH is based on the hypothetical pH of a bicarb/carb solution. The reefs run from 8.0-8.2 as a general rule. They experience fluctuations as well and high flow and a reasonable KH 10-12, goes a long way. If you really want an exact pH control the best set up in my experience is dose kalk through out the day with your top off, use your pH controller to turn on a calcium reactor when your pH crosses 8.1, or ideally 8.15 but you need a fairly precise controller to do that. In a couple months you should get a pH that is stable between 8.10 and 8.20, at least until you run out of CO2. This system works well because the kalk takes up free CO2 and the entire sytemms works together. When used this way you want to run the calcium reactor a bit toned down, so the drip rate is higher and the CO2 addition is lower, otherwise you get a too high KH.