Setting up Ca Reactor

LobsterOfJustice

LobsterOfJustice

Recovering Detritophobe
Hello everyone,

I am having a preoblem with the pH in my reactor being very inconsistant. I have a Milwaukee pH minitor and regulator/solenoid and an Aquatics Systems Design dual chamber reactor. I am just setting this reactor up - this is my first. Here is the problem I am having:

When the solenoid clicks on, no CO2 comes out. I have to loosen the valve a little on the regulator. Then a lot of CO2 comes out (too fast to count bubbles). The pH then drops to the low 6's (pH continues to go down after the solenoid has shut of for a minute or so). Then the pH slowly rises back up, and when the solenoid trips on I have to loosen the valve again because no more CO2 is coming out. So I guess I have two real problems: major pH swings inside the reactor (6.3-7 ish) and the CO2 stops coming out after the solenoid shuts off then on.
 
Do you have the Milwaukee pH montor or controller first of all?

When the Co2 starts bubbling out very fast play with the needle valve, you can adjust them to as slow or as fast as you want.

If you do happen to have the Milwaukee pH controller (SMS122) then what is your pH setpoint at?

I have a single chamber reactor from Aquatic Systems Design and I absolutely love it!
 
ok well first off, dont use the controller to turn the co2 on and off to keep the reactors ph. use the needle adj on the regulator to set you bubbls at something like 1bubble to every second or two . then set your ph controller to turn the c02 off if the ph drops too low, like a point or two under where you want to run the reactor at. this should help out with your problems. really, once you get the regulator set you shouldnt even need the ph controller but it is a nice failsafe.

Tim
 
Sorry, I said monitor but I meant controller. It's hard to tell where I have the pH set - I'm pretty disappointed that its not digital and has a range from 5.5 to 9.5. I try to have it set around 6.7-6.8. I dont know if I can have the controller turn off Cos if it gets too low - I didnt think thats how it worked. I thought it would just add CO2 until you got it to where you set it then keep it there. I guess I have some fine tuning to do.
 
hmmm are you sure your co2 tank is full? I'd make sure your psi on your co2 is atleast 900psi. To be honest it sounds like your tank is empty. That is usually what happens when the co2 is getting low.
 
I just swapped it out yesterday. I just ran downstairs and the gauge says just under 1000PSI (how high should it be right after filling?). It seems to me this would happen if there is a major leak or something. I am also thinking I may have recieved a busted regulator - the low range gauge is not working at all. The needle is at the 12 oclock position - not even on the scale. It was like this before I even attached it to the CO2 bottle. The directions mentioned the gauge reading under 10 when bubbles started appearing - the gauge has not moved, although I am now getting bubbles.
 
do you have those little washers that connect to the solenoid to the CO2 nozzle thing? maybe its leaking through there?
 
My Regulator came with a plastic washer type thing and it said to put it between the tank and the regulator. The regulator, solenoid, and bubble counter came assembled as one unit. The regulator actually came with two plastic "washers" but I only used one. The tak also came with one.
 
i think your regulator is busted. the psi of the tank (left) should be around 700-900 psi when full. the second low psi dial (right) should be set using the big triangular knob to around 10 psi give or take, not that important.

there's no problem using the controller to control the solenoid to maintain pH inside the reactor.

this is what i do:

1. use the needle valve to set the bubble rate to a high rate, higher than you would need it to be. the controller will keep the ph stable.
2. now u only have to fiddle with the effluent until your alkalinity is stable.
3. reduce your bubble rate so your controller isn't constantly cycling on/off
4. if your alk/calcium is too high just turn off the co2 completely for a few days or do a water change.
5. if your alk/calcium is too low boost it with some b-ionic or do a water change.
6. have a beer
 
Alright I will email the place I got the regulator from and let them know. For now I have just closed the valve on the actual tank - I will work on it tomorrow.
 
you may have a little water build up in the regulator . i had this problem with a Milwaukee regulator i called the company and they walked me through the steps to fix it . here's thier
# 877-283-7837. hope this helps.
 
i havent heard that many good things about the milwaukee regulator, this is why i bought a JBJ regulator, i can set the bubble reate and it doesnt budge for weeks on end. one of the bad things about using the controller to regulate the co2 is that you have a milwaukee ph controller and its accuracy is only +/- .2, so if you set the regulator to a high drip rate and use the controller to cycle it then you are not being that accurate. so if you set the ph with the controller rather than using a low bubble rate then you are asking for problems when you try and fine tune your effluent. so set the bubble rate to like 1bubble per second and slowly go from there.

Tim
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6724986#post6724986 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LobsterOfJustice
Every time I set it to a certian rate, say 1 bubble/sec, after about a minute it slows down and/or stops bubbling.
Click to expand...

I have the same setup you do... Its the regulator, you have to keep adjusting the knob on the front (the black one) of the regulator, it'll pressure up then slowly bubble out so you have to open it up a tad bit more... It only takes 4-6 times to get it where it'll stay steady.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6727892#post6727892 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zapata41
i havent heard that many good things about the milwaukee regulator, this is why i bought a JBJ regulator, i can set the bubble reate and it doesnt budge for weeks on end. one of the bad things about using the controller to regulate the co2 is that you have a milwaukee ph controller and its accuracy is only +/- .2, so if you set the regulator to a high drip rate and use the controller to cycle it then you are not being that accurate. so if you set the ph with the controller rather than using a low bubble rate then you are asking for problems when you try and fine tune your effluent. so set the bubble rate to like 1bubble per second and slowly go from there.

Tim
Click to expand...

Use the Milwaukee bubble counter not the reactor's.

I have ran Mikwaukee regulators for years and never had one problem at all. They are easy to tune in once you read the instructions and understand them. I had one MA957 regulator set for almost 14 months straight without having to adjust the reactor or regulator at all, then I ran out of CO2 :)
 
Your pressure on your regulator should be set with the hose disconnected first....This is how you set up a oxy/*** cutting set. Then ajust the micro ajuster for bubble count...other wise you will dealing with internal regulator pressure changes, which could take hours to set. example. ( you could ajust oxygen on a cutting torch to 40lbs and then start to use it, opening the valve and lighting the torch pressure drops and the gauge drops too, to about 25 lbs...} see { flow regulated pressure and dead head pressure. same on argon/ co2 regulator. Some regulators show flow volume and not pressure, there is no reading when gas isnt flowing.
 
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