Calcium reactor effluent (1 Viewer)

[eraser2001]

Hello

I have problems to keep my effluent from my calcium reactor and I want to know how other reefers are doing to keep it constantly.

Thanks


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[PSXerholic]

What is the excact issue you have?

-Andre

 

[eraser2001]

What is the excact issue you have?

-Andre

My effluent from calcium reactor reduce after couple hours.
I set in 80 ml/min and when I come back from my job, was in 70 ml/min

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[PSXerholic]

My effluent from calcium reactor reduce after couple hours.
I set in 80 ml/min and when I come back from my job, was in 70 ml/min

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Well,
I have experienced the following has effect:

You should have a needle valve after the reactor, with a short tube after.
That keeps the reactor pressure high and drip rate stable.

A good working stable Pressure regulator should be used.
The fluctuations on the pressure regulator have impact on the pressure inside the Carx and therefore on the effluent flow rate.

What pump do you use for the rector feed?
I have my one connected to the return pump manifold, and basically tank level has influence in that case since the head in the discharge line can fluctuate a bit when overflow get stuck etc. (minor)

-Andre

 

[PSXerholic]

Also what is your PH in the Carx? Stable continously?
If your Solenoid turns on and off, the reactor pressure is always fluctuating since the pressure regulator turns on and off.
That affects reactor pressure and drip rate as well.

ATX recommended to me to keep stable PH with no solenoid activity ideally.
That was very true and helpful.

-Andre

 

[eraser2001]

Also what is your PH in the Carx? Stable continously?
If your Solenoid turns on and off, the reactor pressure is always fluctuating since the pressure regulator turns on and off.
That affects reactor pressure and drip rate as well.

ATX recommended to me to keep stable PH with no solenoid activity ideally.
That was very true and helpful.

-Andre

I feed my Carx with my return pump and the ph is controlled by Milwaukee ph controller. I have an electronic co2 regulator. Today I set 1 bubbles every 2 secon to see if the pressure reduce.
I going to put some photos today

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[PSXerholic]

I feed my Carx with my return pump and the ph is controlled by Milwaukee ph controller. I have an electronic co2 regulator. Today I set 1 bubbles every 2 secon to see if the pressure reduce.
I going to put some photos today

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So you have activity in the solenoid? I mean on and off ?

 

[eraser2001]

So you have activity in the solenoid? I mean on and off ?

Yes, to on and off

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[Cody]

Yes, to on and off

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Like Andre said, the fluctuation of the co2 being induced could effect your flow rate, especially if you don't have a needle valve at the effluent outlet.

 

[Cody]

Yes, to on and off

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Like Andre said, the fluctuation of the co2 being induced could effect your flow rate, especially if you don't have a needle valve at the effluent outlet.

 

[eraser2001]

This is how I feed my Carx

My co2 doser

My needle valve.

I just came to lunch to my house and the effluent is low, I adjusted again but now I reduced co2 pressure to Carx

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[gm357]

I would run the Carx 24/7 without any solenoid activity and adjust co2 drops as necessary to keep up with your coral uptake. Leave effuent wide open. That way any fluctuations would be minimal. This is how I've run mine in the past successfully.

 

[PSXerholic]

The solution will be a constant PH of e.g 6.6-6.65 in the reactor, but stable, so the solenoid is always open.
If you see the PH in the reactor fluctuating too heavy with the daily tank PH, reduce the effluent rate out of the reactor.

Also measure your effluent ALK level to see the current reactor performance.
You might not need 80ml/min ;-)
25-40 dKh is the typical alk rate of effluent.

-Andre

 

[eraser2001]

The solution will be a constant PH of e.g 6.6-6.65 in the reactor, but stable, so the solenoid is always open.
If you see the PH in the reactor fluctuating too heavy with the daily tank PH, reduce the effluent rate out of the reactor.

Also measure your effluent ALK level to see the current reactor performance.
You might not need 80ml/min ;-)
25-40 dKh is the typical alk rate of effluent.

-Andre

I just set up again and checked my alk,
I'm running ReBorn media en my Carx. Do you think 6.6-6.5 is good for the media?

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[eraser2001]

The solution will be a constant PH of e.g 6.6-6.65 in the reactor, but stable, so the solenoid is always open.
If you see the PH in the reactor fluctuating too heavy with the daily tank PH, reduce the effluent rate out of the reactor.

Also measure your effluent ALK level to see the current reactor performance.
You might not need 80ml/min ;-)
25-40 dKh is the typical alk rate of effluent.

-Andre

Yesterday I left my Carx in 6.6 constantly all night and my drip on 30 ml/min and this morning I found it at 20 ml/mim. You are right the problem is pressure building up inside of Carx.
Today I set at 6.8 at 40ml/mm to see if it keep the effluent.

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[FarmerTy]

If I may, I've run 4 different CaRX over the last 6-7 years and what I've observed at least with the reactors I've run personally were that some were designed well and were able to keep a stable effluent and others were not and I could never get the effluent stable for the life of me. In those scenarios, the only way it would work is to run a peristaltic pump with the reactor to keep it stable.

And trust me, I'm no quitter and ran that monster Deltec Skimmer for 5-6 months constantly adjusting it every couple days as the flow slowed down time and time again. It definitely was a pressure build up scenario but no matter the millions of ways I tried to fix the issue, it would never resolve.

I gave up and bought an MTC ProCal reactor and never had to mess with an unsteady effluent again.

Not sure if yours is the same scenario but from what I'm reading of your situation, my gut tells me your only option is to buy a really expensive peristaltic pump or a new reactor.

Isn't Lifereef located in Houston? Perhaps you can take it to their shop to diagnose?

 

[FarmerTy]

I just set up again and checked my alk,
I'm running ReBorn media en my Carx. Do you think 6.6-6.5 is good for the media?

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I run mine at 6.4 pH with the Reborn media and my effluent rate is about 40ml/min.