ReefTek Club

Hopefully I will be getting my new needle valve from Jorge soon.

Now moving on to the controller question.
I've got the Milwaukee PH controller, which device should be plugged into the controller? Currently I plugged the Maxijet 1200 (the feeder pump) into the controller. But I was thinking perhaps I should plug the CO2 Solenoid into it instead.

Thanks again!
 
If you plug the maxi-jet into the PH controller, and your PH drops below your set point (i.e. 6.5 PH), it will stop feeding your sump water to the reactor BUT, it will not stop the CO2 from entering into your reactor chamber. That means CO2 will continue to be added to your chamber, thus dropping the PH even more, and turning your media to slush.

So, the correct thing to do is plug the solenoid into the PH controller. It will not allow excess CO2 into the reactor chamber if it drops below your set point.

If you really, really want to take pre-caution, you can get an adapter, and plug your solenoid and maxi-jet into your controller.
 
Rebels23 said:

So, the correct thing to do is plug the solenoid into the PH controller. It will not allow excess CO2 into the reactor chamber if it drops below your set point.

If you really, really want to take pre-caution, you can get an adapter, and plug your solenoid and maxi-jet into your controller.
Click to expand...

Yep, you definitely want the ph controller to shut off the solenoid (which then shuts off the CO2) once the effluent ph drops too low. I leave the effluent continue to flow through the reactor so the effluent ph gradually increases and the ph controller then turns the solenoid (and CO2) back on. The controller is a great safety net, but once you get the system dialed in, the CO2 won't be shut down very often.
HTH,
Tagamet
 
Thanks for the very logical answers! Why did't I think of it? :-(

Now I am worried, just hope the ph don't drop that fast so I have
time to change the configuration tonight.

BTW, this thread is awesome! RC should make it a sticky on the top so I don't have to search for it all the time.
 
zhangg3 said:

... RC should make it a sticky on the top so I don't have to search for it all the time.
Click to expand...

Just click "subscribe to this thread" (below) and you'll be notified everytime someone posts to it. If you just keep one of those email notices, it'll have the link to return here.

Tagamet
 
No problem Gang, that's why I started this thread in the first place! :dance:

Your PH should be fine. As long as you are not shooting in like 200 BPM into your reactor..... :eek2:

I leave the effluent continue to flow through the reactor so the effluent ph gradually increases and the ph controller then turns the solenoid (and CO2) back on.
Click to expand...

You are totally right Tag. Only reason I suggested to Gang possibly plugging in his solenoid and feed pump into the controller was because of this thread :

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=204100

He is a local reefer around here that had an amazing tank. After reading that, I can't help but feel paranoid...... :D
 
Media base window screen replacement......Idea
I found in the craft Dept. Wal-Mart a plastic screen that they use for yarn crafts that is much stiffer. Hole size is just about the same as the window screen.......... This removes the landslide problem where there is voids in the egg crate that the window screen will not suport the media....

CAUTION X 10 owners

My x 10 will not shut off the solenoid. The light stays dimly lit.
and the Co2 keeps pumping.
Even though I could hear the contacts open in the X 10 the IC circuit must be letting enough current flowing to keep the solenoid energized
The tiny LED still glows when the contacts open.

I assume the solenoid doesn't have enough current draw to bleed off the IC chip and drop out circuit.

Electronic circuits Use forward bias logic to turn on or off circuits If there isn't enough load the circuit won't switch off when given the sig to do so.

Has anybody had this problem?


Koijoy
 
What did you use to cut the screen into shape? Are you sure that the screen will allow enough flow?
 
I made a templet using a compass to draw the circle on paper.

I then checked the fit inside the reactor. It took two tries to get a nice snug fit.

Once you have it right
place the paper templet on the sheet of plastic screen and cut it out with household sissors.

There was two hole sizes at my Wal-Mart I got one sheet of each
One size has holes just a little bigger and the other is real close to the window screen that comes with the reactor.

I used the small hole screen in the first stage chamber and the larger hole screen in the secound chamber.

In the long run even the window screen would plug up with bio film in time. I think Jorge recomended to clean the reactor out every 6 months of use anyway.

If I run into problems I will let you all know

The plastic sheets were under $1 each

Koijoy
 
Ph drifting high?

Ph drifting high?

OK, I'm officially confused (situation normal). My stats are as follows:
effluent ph 6.6 occassionally (like this minute) drifts downward shutting off the CO2, usually to turn back on within an hour.
effluent 55 ml/min
Up until today the tank ph had been rock solid at 8.3 until lights out. Very slight drift downward after lights out, but never lower than 8.1 in the a.m.
Today the effluent started moving downward and is at 6.2 (CO2 shut off at 6.5) for the last 2+ hours. CA and alk had been great around 425-450, and 10 to 11 respectively. Now the confusing part. Tonight the CA was 400, the alk 9.31, but the tank ph is at 8.4 ish (high 8.3's to low 8.4's). So the effluent ph is lower than usual and the tank ph is higher than usual. What's up???
Should I lose sleep tonight? I will, btw, just from the confusion (lol).
Tagamet
 
:lol: you got me on that one Tag!!!

Is your effluent PH dropping because your effluent output is slowing down?
 
Rebels23 said:
:lol: you got me on that one Tag!!!
Is your effluent PH dropping because your effluent output is slowing down?
Click to expand...

Actually, that's amazing. The rate HAD slowed down (I increased it right when I last wrote), but that still doesn't explain why the tank Ph would still *increase*. It's now 1 a.m. and the effluent is just now close to turning on the CO2 (effluent is 6.52) The tank lights have been off for an hour and the tank's down to 8.22, so I guess I'll be ok.
Tagamet
 
Just set my new reeftek reractor up. Had a leak where the blue flex tube goes into the black fitting at the bottom of the reactor, but that seems to have stopped...not sure why it leaks off an on.

One thing though, I can't get all the air bubbles out of the reactor. I have some on top under the lid, and a little within the media. Not a whole lot, but they're there. Evertime I shake the reactor the bubbles just recirculate into the pump.

Are these bubbles gonna trap C02 somehow? Should I be concerned about this?
 
Make sure your ph probe is clean and on cal. Sometime they will read high if dirty.

My problem is low ph.
my ph will drift from early morn 7.9 (shut off point ) to 8.3 late eve
so the reactor shuts off sometime late night and doesn't come on till mid morn when the ph gets above 7.9....

Koijoy
 
I too replaced the window screen w/ plastic canvas before I put the reactor in use. Works great. No leaks here...knock wood. :)

The problem referenced above w/ runaway CO2 release isn't that unusual, especially w/ the less expensive regulators. Seems like it is most common at end-of-tank... :(

Search the Krib and other FW planted tank sites for all kinds of fail safes that the plant people have come up with to avoid pushing all of that CO2 into the tank.

The simplest solution that I've seen is simply to maintain an air gap at the reactor effluent/ tank interface-- Have the reactor effluent drip into the sump by falling through the air a couple of inches. This way, if the regulator stops regulating due to low tank pressure, the gas that blows through the reactor will mostly vent to the air around the tank rather than be dissolved in the sump.
 
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