Calcium reactor feed back

[wfv57]

Roger the calcium reactor is working great. To up date the readers Roger helped with advice on set-up and selection of a Tunze calcium reactor. I am using the current Comline reactor with the Tunze co2 control unit. The calcium level is at +- 400 and alk is 9.0 to 9.75. I am using one bubble of co2 per second and about 80 drips per minute of effulent. Now for the questions the fit in my sump is perfect for a Comline skimmer will the depth of eleven inches of water give good results? I saw in the release the information on the new skimmers in the Comline box. Worth the wait or not? I have a 120 gallon tank of lps and soft coral. Next question are the Comline cartrige filters a good choice for the use of carbon and or Rhowphos/ Phosban ? Thanks Bill

[rvitko]

The skimmer should work very well in that situation. Have you seen the new ones we are releasing in the fall? The Comline cartridges are great for carbon but Rowaphos is too fine. We have are own Iron Hydroxide media we are releasing shortly that is a proper grain size for the cartridge, we will also have a zeolite and a Aluminum based phosphate remover for the cartridges in the next month or so.

[ssheipel]

Nice timing Bill, I was just about to post a question about the Turbo Calcium Reactor. :D

It sounds like you are having a good experience with your Turbo. I'm setting up a 120 g, as well.

Love to have someone (Roger?) "sell" me on the Turbo as my supplier in Canada's price is way lower (yes!) than the competitor's reactors.

Keep in mind I have no idea yet just how one sets up a reactor, so ease of use comments, etc. would be appreciated, as well.

Thanks,

Steve

[rvitko]

The price being lower is deceptive because to properly operate you must have the 7074/2 CO2 controller. It costs about the same as any good reactor.

[ssheipel]

Hi Roger. The language used is "everything you need to get started" and includes the COz bottle, valves, ect., but I still should have been suspcious. Tunze does come with the cost of high quality!

I'll now certainly be calling the supplier for clarification.

Are there technical/operational highlights of the Turbo that I should be aware of when making my reactor buying decision.

Thanks,

Steve

[rvitko]

The Comline unit installs in tank or sump and must have at least 8" of water to function. The complete kit would have a regulator, cylinder, 7074/2 (pH controller with low voltage nickel plated solenoid) and reactor. The media is unique in that it is not from a natural source, it is an industrial by product and is pure Calcium carbonate designed to completely dissolve with no residue so you only need to top it up and not change the media. The complete kit would be about US $600. The way it is set up is the pH is set to 8.1 and when the pH goes above this point the unit comes on and when it goes below it shuts off. Bubble and drip rate vary with size aquarium and demand. The ideal configuration is to use it in conjunction with the osmolator and calcium dispenser as the kalkwasser will help absorb any extra CO2 and raise the pH slightly to help keep the unit running. It may take 2-3 months for the system to automate and keep all levels correct.

[ssheipel]

Excellent information, as usual!

Thanks.

Steve

[wfv57]

Roger yes I did see the release from interzoo on the new skimmer. What is the difference in design between the new comline and old? Do you see advantages that would warrent the wait? Is the difference between the tall comline skimmer marked in production over the shorter one? Steve I think Roger answered your questions on the reactor better than I could. I am well pleased with mine the setup is as Roger described and the unit is very compact. Thanks Bill

[rvitko]

The current Comline unit is personally my favorite. It is quiet and reliable and constant. It uses a plankton safe closed loop system. The water is recirculated and the proteins diffuse into the skimmer by osmosis. The new unit is open loop. This is for two reasons- with the current trend of SPS keeping high purity is more important than plankton content which can now be supplemented. Further, we lost out in marketing against other skimmers that could more effectively produce a cup of foul smelling brown stuff. Now we can do the same performance as our competitors with half the electricty of there units in a smaller size and for less money. I will personally continue to use the current Comline, I use a reefpack at home. The new unit does produce about twice as much skimmate though. BTW- the skimmer height didn't change at all, there is a new taller skimmer cup but it is the same cup used on the 3140/2.

[wfv57]

I assume the closed loop of the old style comline water is removed from the skimmer body air added at the venturi then retuned to the chamber. Is the bottom of the chamber open to allow the contact between tank water and skimmer water for osmosis to occur? I also assume the new skimmer intakes tank water into the pump intake then through venturi into chamber? Are the chamber body and pump easy to reach for cleaning? The height question was really a comparison of the 3130/2 and 3140/2 is the bigger model a significant upgrade in perfomance? Thanks as usual Bill

[nepuck]

Roger,

Is there a website where I can look futher into the equipment you guys are talking about?

[rvitko]

Bill,

You have the functions correct. The current version has openings at the bottom. The new one has an inlet on the front and an outlet at the bottom for tank use which is capped and switched to a front standpipe for sump use to allow it to work in varying water levels. The pump is fairly easy to get to. You slide open the bottom cover and pull out the pump and when the venturi becomes visible disconnect the airline. The 3140/2 is more powerful, the current model uses a 7100/2 electronic pump so it is a much higher flow, the new one will just have a different cup as the new design has so much performance the limiting factor is how far open you can leave the venturi so the small one just is opened a little and the big one is full bore. This is nice because you can upgrade at will with just a skimmer cup and a few accesories.

[nepuck]

Roger; anybody,

Is there a website where I can look futher into the equipment you guys are talking about?

Thanks,
William

[rvitko]

www.tunze.com

[nepuck]

Thanks much

[wfv57]

Well for a 120 would you suggest a 3130 ,3140 or what for the new one? I use a mangrove refugia as a primary filter so not exporting the debri from the refugia would seem the way to go? thanks Bill

[rvitko]

Here is a picture of Claude Hug's filter and aquarium. This is something new he is playing with, this is a new set up. He is basically using a T-5 lit refugium and a primitive prototype of the 9010. I think you could do the same with the 3130. There is no doubt the 3140/2 is a better performer but the 3130/2 would likely be sufficient.

[rvitko]

FWIW this is the final version of the 9000 series. The color scheme is blue and black and in the final version the venturi set screw is also blue. For in tank a cap replaces the stand pipe and the bottom plate is replaced with a ventilated one rather than the suction cup mount solid plate from the sump model.