Recommendation on a Calcium Reactor Peristaltic Pump?

Dustin1300

Dustin1300

Reefaholic
I'm looking for recommendations on a good peristaltic pump to use with my system. From reading quite a few threads and reviews, seems that the Cole Parmer Masterflex is the best choice and I'm looking for model recommendations. Right now my reactor is fed via a line that is on the intake side of the Eheim recirc pump and I've got a Danner pump feeding a "consistent" water supply. I've had issues stabilizing alk and everything else in the Calcium Reactor setup is near top of the line so know that this is the weak link in the setup. Appreciate everyone's advice!

System Details:
- 600 Gallon DT
- 140 Gallon Frag/Grow Out Tank
- Would like to add more frag tanks in future (Possibly another 200 gallons worth)
- Mixed reef and only a few months old, total water volume is ~1000 gallons

Calcium Reactor Setup:
- Aquarium Engineering 50 lb Reactor
- Eheim 1262 recirc
- 25# Co2 Tank
- Electronic Carbon Doser Regulator
- Pinpoint PH Controller (Ignore Milwaukee one in pic, replaced after MACNA)
- Bad feed method which leads to inconsistencies!

Whole Setup
IMG_3594-XL.jpg


CR Only
IMG_1875-XL.jpg
 
Cole-Parmer Brushless Digital LS Drive with a stainless easyload pump head. New they are brutally expensive but can be found on ebay for a lot less money. Look for model 77301-40 or 77301-20. If you need help finding one, PM tkeracer619, I think he can help with the search when his busy schedule will allow. He has a knack for finding them.
 
Jack mentions a great one, I had the same or very similar model. You can find them used(sometimes even new) on ebay for about $350-$400 if you get lucky or are patient. That same model would cost over 2 grand new elsewhere.

I used to have the same issue with the consistency until I added one of those. Totally set and forget setup you would have then, save for changing the peristaltic tubing every 3 or 4 months...takes less than a minute with the easy load head.
 
I am confused. Why is a peristaltic pump needed with your calcium reactor? It should not be required at all.

My Geo reactor is fed with a Maxijet, recirc is a small Panworld, effluent rate controlled by small plastic tubing valve.
 
Not absolutely needed, but the amount of precision and consistency it gives is worth it. When I had the same setup as you, I would occasionally(once was too often) get a clog in the effluent valve and it would throw my salinity out of whack for days before I would catch it. There are cheaper adjustable masterflex pumps as well, in the $100 range.
 
Sorry to hijack. James, I have had effluent line clogs once or twice.

What I don't get is, how does the peristaltic work with the reactor? You just connect the intake to the effluent line and then set it to the output you want?

Intrigued.
 
Thanks for all the responses guys and right along the lines of what I wanted to hear. I actually saw the one James had for sale a few months back and wish I would have saw that then. This is not something I NEED immediately but something I want to put some feelers out for and wait for the right one to pop up on the for sell forums or eBay.

@ostrow, I like the idea of a completely consistent effluent. By using the pump it's going to be as consistent as you could get with a CR setup. My CR is much the same design as yours, do you not notice fluctuations in the effluent from time to time?
 
Dustin, two or three times in about four years have I seen fluctuation. That C-P pump at $400-$500 used is pretty extravagant.

Guessing you could use a Bubble Magus peristaltic to achieve same result?
 
ostrow said:
Sorry to hijack. James, I have had effluent line clogs once or twice.

What I don't get is, how does the peristaltic work with the reactor? You just connect the intake to the effluent line and then set it to the output you want?

Intrigued.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I had mine setup so that the inlet of the peristaltic pump was connected to the effluent line on the reactor. So I was pulling water through rather than pushing, though it could really be done either way.

With the typical setup, you are relying on a tiny valve, which results in a tiny hole, to control what comes out. A continuous duty pump means you take that point of failure right out of the equation, it would be very rare for one to clog.

The Bubble Magus are not rated for steady use, only dosing here and there. You can still find other variable speed Masterflex pumps on ebay, in the 100-200 range. The one Jack mentioned above, which I had, is the best. It was digital drive, dead silent....and I could adjust by revolutions, from 1-600. They last forever as well, being made for lab use. It just gives you that much more precision which makes it less frustrating to dial in and also adds more reliability. I had at first thought of it as splurging on the setup, but I would not run another calcium reactor without one :)
 
Dosing pumps are not capable of continuous duty and will burn up. The Cole Parmer are built for constant on use, it is just the best way to go. There are a few other peristaltic Pro's that can handle it, but none have the quality of the CP ones.
 
The only "dosing pump" I'd consider is the LiterMeter pumps which I use for top off/automatic water changes. I have the BM T01 for dosing but those heads are junk in comparison and would not last running that often.
 
ReefPharmer said:
Does the pressure out of the reactor and into the peristaltic pump cause issues long term?
Click to expand...

The pressure added is usually by the pump so it should not have that much back pressure. Since mine is on the intake side of the Eheim I'd think it'd have even less back pressure and would rather have suction.
 
I have the geo 618 and think I'm going to try it with just a plain ol' maxi jet and see how my results are. This is an interesting idea that I had not yet thought of or been aware of.
 
aandfsoccr04 said:
I have the geo 618 and think I'm going to try it with just a plain ol' maxi jet and see how my results are. This is an interesting idea that I had not yet thought of or been aware of.
Click to expand...

The MJ would be the feed pump into the reactor. What folks here are talking about here is on the output side of the reactor, running that output (effluent) through the dosing pump.
 
ostrow said:
The MJ would be the feed pump into the reactor. What folks here are talking about here is on the output side of the reactor, running that output (effluent) through the dosing pump.
Click to expand...

Did not catch that before...I assumed everyone hooked it in the intlet so it added pressure.
 
Yes, I have had experience with this. You take the effluent tube from the CaRx and attach it into the intake tube/side of the dosing pump; output end/tube goes into the system.

Rather simple concept ...

Do you still need a picture, since you have not had any experience with this
 
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