question and coral id.

[lookout888]

Ok first is this a Echinophyllia ( or are there any more common names for it) it is hard to tell but it is blue and red/pink

Next why would the kalk in my kalk reactor turn gray/black. I cleaned it out and it did it again within 2 weeks. ( i used a diffrent kind of kalk this time also and still did it) The only thing i could think of is the rubbermade container is leaching into the water?????

Thanks

Mike

 

[Ah64av8tor]

Mike,

You got me beat on the Kalk reactor, the only thing I can think is maybe you aren't getting enough flow through the reactor. You are using RO/ DI from a reservoir?

 

[myakkareef]

Mike not sure on the kalk reactor. Maybe post that pic in the chemistry forum for Randy to answer...Can'y help on the ID either..I'm useless...

 

[lookout888]

Yes i have ro/di in the rubber made. The sturing pump turns on every time the auto top off put turns on and that is at least one every hour if not a lot more.

I will try the lps and the chem. fourms

Thanks
Mike

 

[Ah64av8tor]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8926864#post8926864 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lookout888
The sturing pump turns on every time the auto top off put turns on and that is at least one every hour if not a lot more.

Thats an interesting Idea.....does it put kalk in the sump or just the clear water from the top of the reactor?

 

[myakkareef]

Greg, they add just the clear water from the top of the reactor. These units work great. I have a spare if you ever want to copy it. A dosing pump is the prefered method so that you are adding one drop at a time so your PH stays vary stable. I basically use 100% evap replacement as kalk water added 1 drop at a time...

 

[lookout888]

Just the clean water from the top
It would have to top off about 1/4 to 1/2 a gallon. Most the time it tops of for less then a min

I have the aqua medic sp 3000

Fixed flow rate of 0.8gph / 3lph

Mike

 

[Ah64av8tor]

I had my stirring pump on a timer so it would run about 15 min 4 times a day and if the top off would kick in while it was running sometimes (depending on how full it was) it would pass the stirred up kalk into the sump.

 

[lookout888]

Also if you look at the picture it pulls the water from the white ring so the only water that moves above that is as much water as it tops off.

the stirring put takes water from the white ring then pumps it trough a 1 inch tube what goes down the center of the reactor to the bottom. so if I leave the pump running a long time the top stays clear for the most part. If I leave the top off pump run as well the top will eventually get cloudy due to taking out water from the clear section but this would be like 15-20 mins of toping off. ( which never happons)

If that makes any sense

Mike

 

[lookout888]

Insted of buying a timer i figured this would be just as ez

 

[Ah64av8tor]

Makes sense to me Ill have to give that a try.

 

[lookout888]

It also has one less timer to fail/buy/replace/loss time and so on.

 

[Ah64av8tor]

Here is my old one it needs some work, all the John Guest fittings broke off in the move and I want to add a clear section of PVC so I can see when it needs to be refilled.

 

[lookout888]

You have your string pump going all the way to the top. I have a foot distance between my top and where the inlet for my string pump is..

You are more then welcome to stop by and take a look. I got my clear acrylic on e-bay for lie $30 or $40 shipped 4'inch x 6 foot long and they cut it for me into 2x 1 foot and 2x 2 foot. I will try to find the seller for you.

Mike

 

[Ah64av8tor]

The pick up for the stirring pump goes down the center about half way down on the inside.

 

[lookout888]

sent you a pm with a 11 inch long 4 inch od for 10 bucks.

 

[lookout888]

Oo ok. can not see that

Mike

 

[Ah64av8tor]

Thanks but I have about 6 foot of clear 4 inch PVC ....no messing with trying to get the fit right.

 

[stevemc]

It looks like you have too much CO2 in that part of the water. In closed circuit breathing apparatus(rebreathers) they use lime as CO2 scrubber, and when it gets spent(too much CO2 to work good) it turns purple. So I would check you CO2 if you can, I know pH will tell some, but you are changing your pH by having the lime in there, so that might not work to test. I would just change out the lime every so often. Do you get it in 50 lb bags? I just got some more and it has been a while, but it has gone up in price. I used to get food grade calcium hydroxide for $6 a bag now its $10. See you at the meeting tomorrow, Steve.