Calcium reactor question.

[CyanoMagnet]

I have a korallin 1501 ca reactor, I have had it over a year.

I just have a question on the drip rate. I want to make the drip rate 70-80 drips per minute. I have a PH controller. Will this be a problem? Bubble rate is at 1 every 5 seconds.

This would make it alot easier keeping the gasses from accumilating at the top.

[MarkGP]

Drip rate should be ml/min! Your pH controller doesn't control your drip rate but will shut off and turn on your co2 going to the reactor.

[CyanoMagnet]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13034158#post13034158 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MarkGP
Drip rate should be ml/min! Your pH controller doesn't control your drip rate but will shut off and turn on your co2 going to the reactor.

What do you mean its should be ml/min?

Not understanding.

[SDguy]

I have the same reactor. What is it you are trying to achieve by setting that desired drip rate? After having it for a year, I would suspect that it's already dialed in correctly, yes?

[CyanoMagnet]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13035311#post13035311 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
I have the same reactor. What is it you are trying to achieve by setting that desired drip rate? After having it for a year, I would suspect that it's already dialed in correctly, yes?

No. I have always had problems with gas collecting up top and even thoe the top valve is slightly open it just stops.. Then I have to open it more and I hear a big hiss as all the gas comes out.

Has been doing it since day 1.


Basicaly what I am trying to do is allow the top outlet to have a higher drip rate so gas does'nt collect.

[SDguy]

OK, then yeah, you could increase your drip rate. What is your current rate? What is your effluent alk? How is the reactor fed water?

[CyanoMagnet]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13035427#post13035427 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
OK, then yeah, you could increase your drip rate. What is your current rate? What is your effluent alk? How is the reactor fed water?


Not sure how I would measure ALk, but its deffinetaly greater than 16dkh on salifert. Thats all that test kit measures up to.

Right now I got the drip rate to 40 drips per minute BUT the top valve is actualy dripping 2 to 1 on the outlet valve (pretty much opposite what the instructions tell you to do).

Effluent PH is 6.47 and holding steady there.

I feed the reactor with aqualifter from the sump, same level.

The aquafeeder intake is in an overflow container for a sulfur denitrator outlet drip which itself has a effluent ph of 7.38.

The calcium reactor then drips its own effluent to another overflow container to de-gas which then drips into the sump.

I know , very confusing but I do this to buffer the acidic water the sulfur denitrator spits out by running it through the ca reactor. The sulfur denitrator is about 20 drips per minute faster than the ca reactor.

Bubble rate right now is 1 bubble every 4 seconds.

What I was concerned about was, is there anything different with the effluent coming from the top valve as opposed to the outlet valve? If not I would have done this long ago.




Thanks for replies

[SDguy]

You are not utilizing your CO2 efficiently if you are using the top hole as your effluent outlet to bleed off excess CO2.

You can check your effluent alk simply by refilling the syringe. Then, once you have a reading, simply add 1.0 to it, and calculate. This reactor should be able to do about 25dKH for effluent, at a pH of 6.5-6.7