Mike de Leon
New member
How necessary is it? Who uses one and who doesn't??
Thanks
Thanks
How necessary is it? Who uses one and who doesn't??
Thanks
Thank you. I know a while ago I had a Schuran Pico that I ran without a controller and just watched the ph and adjusted accordingly.
This time around I am running a large Geo.
Would you recommend a reliable controller without breaking the bank? What about a feed pump? The Masterflex seems expensive.
Thanks again..
They're helpful, especially when starting out but I've been using a CaRx long enough I don't need a probe anymore.
Yes but that is one of the advantages that our Masterflex pumps afford us. Very precise flow rate control and when coupled with a good regulator, we can dial our pH levels in so well that the reactor pH is nearly flat line. That is much more difficult or even impossible when you have fluctuations in effluent rates that one would normally encounter (due to effluent lines clogging) in the absence of a feed pump with precise flow control.
I've used calcium reactors off and on for a while and steady effluent was always my biggest challenge. Masterflex looks like the way to go.
But to your original question-I don't trust pH probes with anything critical. It seems everyone uses a pH probe to control calcium reactors these days. You can run a solid calcium reactor without a pH probe controlling things. I'd much rather check the alk in the effluent than trust a pH probe. Don't get me wrong, I think pH probes are great, I use one to monitor pH in my tank. But when it gets out of whack, it's not making unwanted changes happen.
There must be other feed pumps out there other than Masterflex??
Is that spectrapure pump rated for continuous duty?
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They and GEO have been working together for this very application. I actually introduced the two companies to each other at MACNA. This pump will not run continuously but rather, it will run on and off in spurts every few seconds depending on the desired flow which will work just fine for a calcium reactor. Instead of pushing a drop a second out of the reactor, it will push a few drops every few seconds. That said, it has a 5 year warranty so even if it's not a continuous duty rated pump which it essentially is, it will last for many years and is backed by a great warranty. Spectrapure has been testing this pump for a while now and they have over 50,000 gallons pushed through the pump. These pumps are bulletproof. The only downside compared to a Cole Parmer is that they don't offer as precise of control in terms of ml/min but they are tunable enough that you can meet your tanks alk/ca demands by balancing flow and reactor pH.