Installing CA reactor, check my steps

[Thatgrimguy]

Ok! the day has finally come! I am home and have everything I need to install the calcium reactor... everything but the experience on what I am doing. I know in theory now, I have read about seventy eleven articles on it, lol. Check my process and give me feedback if you don't mind. I'm going to do my water tests now with the Salifert tests that just came in from the BRS group buy we did.


Step 1: place reactor and her friends under the cabinet (yes, it's a she)
Step 2: fill with media (Arm coarse)
Step 3: turn on peristaltic pump and fill with water (80ml/hour)
Step 4: Let run till there are no bubbles
Step 5: If all is good turn on the co2 (15lbs of pressure)
Step 6: Set reactor to (6.8ph on hysteris of .1?)
Step 7: Turn off dosing system
Step 7: Test alk after 12 hours to measure change.


Am I missing any steps?
What do I need to watch out for or be careful of?

Do my starting number sounds good?

[Thatgrimguy]

My equipment list for this includes:

Geo 818 Ca Reactor (ARM Coarse media)
Aquariumplants.com electric regulator
I'm using a medical grade peristaltic pump to feed an exact water flow through the reactor
Apex with a fresh ph probe to control it.
10lb co2 bottle

Lots of trial and error so far. Lots of leaked water.... but now I think I have it flowing and going as far as the pump and the unit. The pump I have... I vastly underestimated. I put way too much pressure through it at first. Leak. Then didn't put tape on a thread piece... leak. Got it all fixed up though and am letting it run!

I need to find one of these. Where can I get one on a Sunday? I got one with the regulator, but none with the co2 tank. I think that's my issue there.
http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/thatgrimguy/210%20Gallon%20Mixed%20Reef/7650e31e.jpg

Do you use teflon tape on the regulator fitting?

Anyhow, this is the rest of the setup. Take note, that's not a 5 gal bucket, it's the large salt bucket, lol. Took SOOO much media to fill up, 25lbs of media! Crazy.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/thatgrimguy/210%20Gallon%20Mixed%20Reef/c021d54e.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/thatgrimguy/210%20Gallon%20Mixed%20Reef/83ed8140.jpg

Hooking up the co2 when I get that piece and it's had time for the bubbles to run out.

[milkman55]

I setup a new Geo 618 two weeks ago. I didn't need the fitting you posted. I used a Reef Fanatics regulator and it screwed right on the CO2 tank with a gasket which they supplied. The CO2 supply hose hooked right on the regulator needle valve. I did use Teflon on all the pump fittings. I did a dry run on water before installing and only had to reseat the O ring seal once and then no leaks.

I started at 50 bubbles / min which gives me a pH of 6.7 in the reactor. My Alk is 10.5 after two weeks and my calcium is holding at about 400. I had a hard time keeping 350 before the CA reactor.

Very pleased after a couple of weeks

[Thatgrimguy]

That piece screws inside the hole in the regulator and it fits in a same size small hole inside the co2 tank. No idea what it is. But I'm leaking blowing air out of the connection.

Here is that piece and the regulator's fitting.
http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/thatgrimguy/210%20Gallon%20Mixed%20Reef/c7484880.jpg

Here is it with that piece installed.
http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/thatgrimguy/210%20Gallon%20Mixed%20Reef/0d82fe51.jpg

And here is the bottle's connection. That piece also fits perfectly in this connection. (but it came with the regulator)
http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/thatgrimguy/210%20Gallon%20Mixed%20Reef/2ed7e576.jpg

[milkman55]

My CO2 bottle didn't look any thing like that, more like a propane bottle. The regulator has a nut that screwed over stem and there was a solid washer in the middle to seal. No internal threads that I saw like what you pictured.

[tkeracer619]

There are two types of gaskets used. The rubber one like you have and a plastic crush washer. You can get the crush washer at the same place that fills the tanks.

The rubber one should work just fine though and it is the one I prefer.

The thread on the bottle looks like it is corroded. Does the regulator screw on all the way? When you get the leak is the regulator tight or does it seem loose. A single wrap of teflon tape on the bottle threads will make it easier to tighten the regulator onto the bottle if the threads aren't very good but I would probably hit them with a wire brush as well. Did you use an allen wrench to tighten the washer into the regulator? Make sure you don't go too tight but you want it snug.


With the peristaltic pump and your regulator you don't need to use your controller to set the ph and I would suggest not setting it up that way. The unit will be stable to the point you don't need the controller. Set the controller to say 6.4 and tune the reactor to something like 6.6. That way it is never shutting off via the controller but still has a backup in case something goes wrong.

[Thatgrimguy]

There are two types of gaskets used. The rubber one like you have and a plastic crush washer. You can get the crush washer at the same place that fills the tanks.

The rubber one should work just fine though and it is the one I prefer.

The thread on the bottle looks like it is corroded. Does the regulator screw on all the way? When you get the leak is the regulator tight or does it seem loose. A single wrap of teflon tape on the bottle threads will make it easier to tighten the regulator onto the bottle if the threads aren't very good but I would probably hit them with a wire brush as well. Did you use an allen wrench to tighten the washer into the regulator? Make sure you don't go too tight but you want it snug.


With the peristaltic pump and your regulator you don't need to use your controller to set the ph and I would suggest not setting it up that way. The unit will be stable to the point you don't need the controller. Set the controller to say 6.4 and tune the reactor to something like 6.6. That way it is never shutting off via the controller but still has a backup in case something goes wrong.

Ahh, I had hand tightened all parts at that point. I'll try again and report back with using some tools.

[tkeracer619]

Yeah. I usually go hand tight and then about a 1/4-1/2 turn more on both the washer and the regulator. If you have any silicone grease I would apply the smallest amount (almost nothing) you can to both sides of that rubber oring.

[Thatgrimguy]

After further inspection, t's the back of the regulator that's blowing gas out. Not the fittings. I have the black knob completely closed.

[Thatgrimguy]

Figured it out... I'm lucky I didn't ruin the regulator.. I had it open... not closed and could have blown the guage!! working now as expected!!

[tkeracer619]

Right on. I made the same mistake when I first got a carx. Pretty common. Here are some tuning tips.

Gas increases can be made either by the speed knob or the pressure. To get your initial set point start at say 8 psi. This is going to take a few hours to settle down. As the regulator heats up its going to creep a bit. Just re-adjust when necessary. Use the speed adjustment only to get your target ph.

Once you get the reactor stable at say 6.6 without using your controller and you need more supplementation increase effluent flow first then retest the next day and follow up with a gas increase by adjusting the pressure to try to get back to your 6.6 (or whatever you choose). Repeat these tests and adjustments every 24h and before you know it your tank will be stable.

Once you are up and running on your target ph and effluent flow rate that provides adequate supplementation the system will only need adjustments for increased demand. Increase pressure and effluent first, when you hit 15psi then reset to 8psi, and bump the speed up until you are back to target ph.

When tuned test weekly and keep a detailed log. If your demand decreases it can be a sign that your coral is not happy or something else is going on that needs your intervention.

Test multiple times daily at first to make sure nothing crazy happens like 30dkh. If you overshoot by a lot turn the gas off and let the tank naturally fall. Once it gets back where you want it turn it back on but with less gas and effluent.

Adjust with 2 part. Dose measured amounts.

A python makes short work of cleaning out a reactor. I usually refill the chambers once or twice hitting them with a python before adding media. Will need to be broken down from time to time for a complete cleaning. When it goes back together all of the settings will be the same so you won't need to readjust anything.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Thatgrimguy]

Once the gas on the main tank, do i open it fully then use the black knob? and the bubble count adjuster. Or should I be tweaking the gas knob on the tank as well?

[tkeracer619]

The main tank can flow a tremendous amount of gas. You don't need to open the valve all the way but doing so is no issue.

The knob on the regulator itself adjusts psi (bubble size) and is also the fine adjustment on the regulator. Just set this at some number for now.

The knob on the electronic box adjusts the speed. Adjust this one to get to your target ph.

[Thatgrimguy]

The main tank can flow a tremendous amount of gas. You don't need to open the valve all the way but doing so is no issue.

The knob on the regulator itself adjusts psi (bubble size) and is also the fine adjustment on the regulator. Just set this at some number for now.

The knob on the electronic box adjusts the speed. Adjust this one to get to your target ph.

Ok, you said 8 psi, I'll use that as my number!! I'm hoping to make some headway this evening. I may have to wait till tuesday because I want to recalibrate the probe in 4/7 instead of 7/10.

[Andrew johns]

calcium reactor are a good bit ok if you set them up properly, I have a Bubble Magus on my tank and it keeps it all stable.

[tkeracer619]

I want to recalibrate the probe in 4/7 instead of 7/10.

It will be close enough. No need to wait till Tuesday.

[Thatgrimguy]

Co2 hooked up. 8lbs pressure, 6bpm (1 every 10 sec) and all has been running for about an hour. So far I'm not seeing any decrease in the ph of the reactor.

[tkeracer619]

more bubbles

[sbeason]

At 6bpm CO2 injected into the reactor, it would take forever for your ph to drop inside your reactor. Increase your bpm to maybe 1 per second.

-Steve

[Thatgrimguy]

AS of this morning I recalibrated my ph probe in 4 and 7 and am running at 100bpm and 15lbs of pressure and it's finally slowly reducing the ph in the reactor.

[Thatgrimguy]

My sumps ph is down to 7.61ph and my reactor is still managing to climb above 6.7ph despite being fed with 106 bubble per minute at 15lbs of pressure... This is on a freshly checked and properly calibrated ph probe.

I also slowed down flow through, it's a very broken stream....

[Thatgrimguy]

Talked to George from Geo. He suggested I break the equipment down. Turns out I didn't remove the stoppers that the pan world pump was shipped with and there was no recirculating happening. Explains a lot!