TKERacer619's Masterflex Lanthanum Chloride Reactor

tkeracer619 said:
The display measured .316ppm PO4 tonight. I refreshed the bucket.

Day 1 - 2/25/18 - 1.410ppm - Start
Day 6 - 3/02/18 - 0.843ppm - Exhausted 5gal, refreshed bucket.
Day 10 - 3/06/18 - 0.500ppm - Exhausted 5gal, refreshed bucket.
Day 15 - 3/11/18 - 0.316ppm - Exhausted 5gal, refreshed bucket.

And for visual people...
40753684911_b3a989f7eb_c.jpg
Click to expand...


The above data point for day 15 (4th data point) was incorrect. I had copied and pasted the info from the previous data point but didn't update the text with the correct data. The chart was correct. Correction in bold...
 
5th Data Point

5th Data Point

The display measured .276ppm PO4 tonight. I refreshed the bucket. The effluent measured .046ppm PO4. I added the data points for the effluent output to the chart.

Day 01 - 2/25/18 - 1.410ppm - Start
Day 06 - 3/02/18 - 0.843ppm - Exhausted 5gal, refreshed bucket.
Day 10 - 3/06/18 - 0.500ppm - Exhausted 5gal, refreshed bucket.
Day 15 - 3/11/18 - 0.316ppm - Exhausted 5gal, refreshed bucket.
Day 19 - 3-15/18 - 0.276ppm - Exhausted 5gal, refreshed bucket.

And for visual people...
40834631701_aeb84cf642_c.jpg
 
Something you may notice about the chart is that the effluent is dropping a little bit and the measured amount in the display tank is starting to level out. During my 1st run with this reactor I ran enough tests and allowed the system to shut off for a few times as well as changed effluent flow rates and LaCl concentrations.

The reactor isn't removing less phosphate from the system, it is actually removing the same amount as it did from day one. We are dosing a set amount of LaCl into a set amount of effluent, so it will only precipitate out so much phosphate. What is happening is the rock and sand are now leaching the phosphate into the water column since the levels in the display are lower. If I turned the reactor off, you would see a jump back to whatever is equilibrium between the rock and the water. Upon restarting the reactor you would see the initial phosphate drop that has a slope the same as the original drop. This represents the amount of phosphate removed from the water before significant amounts of phosphate leach into the water. It would quickly level back out to a slope equivalent of where it was prior to turning off the reactor, you can see this around day 7 on the chart shown in the original post.

We can adjust the rate of removal by increasing or decreasing the effluent/lacl mixture through the reactor.

Eventually I will need to reduce the concentration of the LaCl mixture to keep the precipitation reaction inside the reactor. This will likely be in 2 to 3 weeks if I had to guess.
 
zoolan70 said:
Have you added the pressure switch yet? If so, what model did you go with?
Click to expand...

Not yet, but I do have one picked out. I just haven't gotten around to ordering it yet though... I'll post it here as soon as I do. The reactor started to clog around the 3 month point so we have some time before it's a requirement, however, I plan on adding it long before then!
 
6th Data Point

6th Data Point

The display measured .205ppm PO4 tonight and the effluent measured .040ppm PO4. I refreshed the bucket.

Day 01 - 2/25/18 - 1.410ppm - Start
Day 06 - 3/02/18 - 0.843ppm - 0.080ppm Effluent
Day 10 - 3/06/18 - 0.500ppm -
Day 15 - 3/11/18 - 0.316ppm -
Day 19 - 3-15/18 - 0.276ppm - 0.046ppm Effluent
Day 23 - 3-19/18 - 0.205ppm - 0.040ppm Effluent

And for visual people...
40204096464_391b3b489a_c.jpg
 
I built one of these and it is working great. Low and slow flowrate of tank water until I get the concentration of LaCl dialed in. Buying the pump and heads was an experience, but I managed to build 2 working units with the parts I picked up. One is running my LaCl reactor, and one my calcium reactor.
 
Glad to hear it!

Work and getting ready for the wedding have swamped me. I'll start back up with the tests after next week.
 
I don't appreciate all these cool ideas of your using the masterflex peristalic to manage certain parameters because now I can't find a masterflex to run my kalk stirrer without paying premium.

Please slow down and let the market price on them dropped first [emoji14]

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
HBL said:
I don't appreciate all these cool ideas of your using the masterflex peristalic to manage certain parameters because now I can't find a masterflex to run my kalk stirrer without paying premium.

Please slow down and let the market price on them dropped first [emoji14]
Click to expand...

:lol: ... I know what you're talking about. There's a shortage caused by someone :uhoh2:

46034579982_6ea8e00cc7_c.jpg
 
Last edited:
Resurrecting this. Tank went through a lot since my last post here...

I dosed my system again with Chloroquine Phosphate because crypto made it through the last dosing attempt. I purchased the equipment to measure CP in a reef tank and came to the conclusion that it metabolizes too fast to be effective in a running FOWLR system. Afterwards I brought the system down to hypo levels which appears to have finally taken care of the crypto. After bringing the system back up to full strength, and running all the test kits, the phosphates are up to 1.56366ppm. Yikes.

I'll bring the system back online tomorrow evening and barring anything absurd happening i'll take measurements every 5 days. Hoping to have the tank ready for sps withing 1-2 months.
 
Last edited:
Alright guys and gals. There will need to be a revision. Until I can figure out a solution pay close attention to the junction where the LC and tank water meet. Mine clogged last night and got water everywhere... I suggest cleaning the filter every other month and when you do so, soak the fitting and tube in the vinegar with the filter. Make sure it's clear.

Other than that, this thing has been rock solid. The internal pressure switch will not solve this issue. I have never cleaned this or even looked at it since building this contraption... so with regular maintenance here there shouldn't be much of an issue.

48867991413_9f0ceb66c6_c.jpg


48867991423_33599b8f98_c.jpg
 
A spare might be the solution while you soak the dirty one.
Personally if I had to clean it regularly I would use the correct size drill bit between my fingers. Regularly being the optimum word here.
 
Vinny Kreyling said:
A spare might be the solution while you soak the dirty one.
Personally if I had to clean it regularly I would use the correct size drill bit between my fingers. Regularly being the optimum word here.
Click to expand...

It's relatively soft so a small screwdriver or even the end of a zip tie is sufficient to dislodge it.
 
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