Help! Can't get Ca Reactor works!

[neoyhng]

I got my H&S Ca Reactor for over 1 month and still unable to set it up. No matter what I done I can't increase the KH of the effluent. Increase bubble rate, decrease output, change media.... no use at all. I even tested the purity of CO2 I use (it's ok).

So did I buy a piece of junk or do I missed something else?

Thanks.

Neo

[bubbaOPPD]

My Geo reactor says in the manual that to increase eff. alkalinity you need to increase bubble rate. Then to wait a day to check results. The manual also says that the calcium level and alk can get skewed, so you might have to add some kalkwasser to raise alk to get it back into balance.

[neoyhng]

I tried, even up to a rate of over 100 bubbles per second but no effect what so ever. After 1 day The effluent was still only 9 dkh, just 1 dkh above the tank level.
That day my tank PH dropped from 8.1 to 7.7 in 12 hours...

[bubbaOPPD]

Where are you adding the effluent to in your tank? And have you tried to add some kalkwasser to the tank.

[neoyhng]

I add the effluent near the input of my skimmer. I had been using Kalk for all my make up water. I suspect the CO2 just disolved into the water without changing to KH.

By the way I took samples of the effluent water directly from the output, so I am sure that the effluent KH had not increased.

Huge investment with nothing but headache...very disappointed.

[old salty]

Adding too much CO2 is only going to waste it as not all of it will dissolve into the water. Let's step back and start over. I will assume that you are using Ca reactor media, whether it's the large Schuran type or the ARM pellet stuff. Turn the CO2 off and open the effluent valve to wide open and let it run like this for 24 hours. You are doing this to remove any air pockets that are formed in the media. Reduce your effluent rate so that it goes dripdripdripdrip a fast drip, but not a constant stream. Make your bubble rate 1 bubble per second. Leave it like this for 48 hours

Make sure that the CO2 bottle is full; usually about 900 psi (62 bar). When you get your CO2 going, check it every few hours to make sure that the bubble rate remains constant.

[neoyhng]

That were exactly what I did...Anyway I will try again and see what will happan.

By the way I am using ARM media.

[old salty]

Great, you shouldn't have any issues with ARM as it is known to dissolve quite well in a reactor. Again, let it run untouched for a few days to allow the CO2 in the reactor to build up enough to begin dissolving the media. The important part is not to overshoot as you would have to start all over and wait for your levels to come back down. Trust me, once it's all up and running, you will be happy!!

[neoyhng]

Give you an update...
48 hours has pasted.

output rate - 2 drops per second
CO2 rate - 3 bubbles per second
Tank dkh - 7.4 dkh
Tank ph - 8.15
effluent dkh - 8.2dkh
effluent ph 7.6

Well I can't agree that this is effective...

I will maintain the current setting and wait for another 48 hours...may have to add some buffer to the tank though.

[neoyhng]

Another update:

output rate - 2 drops per second
CO2 rate - 3 bubbles per second

Tank dkh - 7.4 dkh (notes: buffer added on 24 hours ago to maintain this level)
Tank ph - 7.85

effluent dkh - 7.8dkh
effluent ph 7.2

So what can I say...

I shall disconnect it this Saturday when I am free. Will buy some Calcium Acetate to see if it is more trouble free.

[MCary]

Your pH is not low enough. There is no use changing media. Its not a media problem. For some reason, CO2 is not getting mixed enough in the water. Usually this either means that the effluent rate, or rate the water is flowing though the reactor is too high, or the CO2 bubble rate is too low. My rate of CO2 is 1 bubble every 2 seconds. Yours is 6 times faster, so that doesn't seem right and the drip rate is slow. Hmmm, tough one. You said your sure its CO2 right? I even tested the purity of CO2 I use (it's ok).

Yep. Is it hooked up right. Is the CO2 entering before the pump and getting chopped up in the impeller? Are there any leaks where the CO2 can escape? This is pretty basic, it should work if your reactor was made out of an old soda bottle. Check to make sure all valves that CO2 can escape are closed and make sure all O-rings are in place.

If everything checks out, you have a real mystery in your hands.

Mike

PS if you have a check valve between your CO2 feed and your reactor, make sure it isn't on backward or isn't faulty.

[northbay-reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8169304#post8169304 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by neoyhng
Another update:

output rate - 2 drops per second
CO2 rate - 3 bubbles per second

Tank dkh - 7.4 dkh (notes: buffer added on 24 hours ago to maintain this level)
Tank ph - 7.85

effluent dkh - 7.8dkh
effluent ph 7.2

So what can I say...

I shall disconnect it this Saturday when I am free. Will buy some Calcium Acetate to see if it is more trouble free.

The calcium reactor need time to settle down, the main thing is NOT to make quick changes or your DKH will fluctuate and mess up the dkh of your tank.

your output rate is fine, and the effluence dkh is good but is increasing which means your buble count is high, decrease it to about 1 buble per second, all you need now is to bring your effluence ph down to about 6.7. Once you have your drip rate at 2 drops persond and buble count as 1 persecond (my buble count is only 1 every 2 second)... wait a week and measure again. By that time your effluence ph should start to drop. BTW what are you using to measure the effluence PH?

the calcium reactor should only be use to maintain Calcium and not to raise calcium, use a turbo calcium to raise it to the level that you want and then use the calcium reactor to maintain it.

Hope this help.

[old salty]

Seems to be a real issue. With that effluent and bubble rate, you should be melting reactor media rather quickly.

Verify that your CO2 is indeed CO2; it may be cheaper just to have the bottle refilled.

Make sure that CO2 is getting inside the reactor. Remove the CO2 line and blow inside; you should see air going into the reactor.

Again, with your current setup, you should be turning the ARM into a slurry, so something isn't correct.

[mhurley]

Barring plumbing problems/leaks, I don't think you have Co2 in that tank....I think you've got 02. At those bubble rates, it's a chemical impossibility that effluent pH or alk is not lower. Since both your alk and pH kits seem to agree on the lack of Co2 input, that's how I'm coming to that conclusion. If only one of those two numbers were off, I'd suspect a bad test kit.

[neoyhng]

Dear all,

Thank you all for your advice. The problem is I have done almost everything you mentioned. I am dame sure that I am adding Co2; it is new from the shop and I have a chemist tested it. The CO2 went into the reactor; I once trun the needle value all the way open and see the reactor turned into a soda water bottle. As for plumbing, the H&S is so well built that it is impossible for me to dismantle it and check for defects. The only things I can be sure are that the pump is running well and there is steady output.

I was testing the tank water and effluent with Salifert KH test and my Pinpoint PH meter, which is recently calibrated. I also verified the KH result with Sera test kit; it is less precise but can verify the result of Saifert. I even tested the water at abput the same time everyday.

Actually I am worrying about the drop in my tank PH. It wents down from over 8 to 7.8 now.

So.............

:(

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8169304#post8169304 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by neoyhng
Another update:

output rate - 2 drops per second
CO2 rate - 3 bubbles per second

Tank dkh - 7.4 dkh (notes: buffer added on 24 hours ago to maintain this level)
Tank ph - 7.85

effluent dkh - 7.8dkh
effluent ph 7.2

So what can I say...

I shall disconnect it this Saturday when I am free. Will buy some Calcium Acetate to see if it is more trouble free.

First, If you want an effective Calcium only buffer I would not use Calcium Acetate, it has a tendency to create bacterial blooms if added in quantity. Besides it will do almost nothing for your Alkalinity.

Now to the issue of the reactor.
Assuming your tests for effluent alkalinity and PH are accurate and that you are adding 120 dpm of effluent and 180 bpm CO2 the only way you can get almost no alk increase on the ffluent and that little drop in CO2 is that there is no recirculation.
I understand the H$S is an upflow reactor, so there is always the possibility that some media had entered the pump and the impeller is stuck and not pumping.
If the pump is not recirculating the CO2 will flow trough the riser pipe and directly to the ouput without dissolving at all and without passing trough the media.
To find out if it is working I am afraid you need to disconnect the pump and inspect the impeller. then test the pump on a separat container to see it actually recirculating.
Alternatively you may introduce some air bubbles into the pump inlet to have a visual aid in tracking the flow and see if you get bubbles under the media and trough it.

[neoyhng]

Dear jdieck ,

Don't know how come you dig out my old post


;)

I had disconnected my Ca reactor and has been using Calcium Acetate as Ca/KH maintenance for almost two weeks now. The result so far has been really encouraging. All my SPS react positively to the change; grow rate increase is very obvious and they start to colour up. I now have stable values of Ca and KH, and the baterial boom never occured. PH is lower than before, but still within acceptable range.

I am now adding about 13g of Calcium Acetate Monohydrate , which contains about 22% of Calcium by weight, everyday. 1 Kg can last for nearly 80 days and I only need to handle a single chemical. Really suits a lazy guy like me.

The only problem is the cost...1KG 99% pure Calcium Acetate Monohydrate costed me US$55. But since I don't have access to cheap chemical as you lucky people in US (I lives in Hong Kong), this is not more expensive than using two-parts additive like C-balance.

I will continue using Calcium Acetate until, well, there is other better alternative.

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8280213#post8280213 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by neoyhng
Dear jdieck ,

Don't know how come you dig out my old post


;)

I had disconnected my Ca reactor and has been using Calcium Acetate as Ca/KH maintenance for almost two weeks now. The result so far has been really encouraging. All my SPS react positively to the change; grow rate increase is very obvious and they start to colour up. I now have stable values of Ca and KH, and the baterial boom never occured. PH is lower than before, but still within acceptable range.

I am now adding about 13g of Calcium Acetate Monohydrate , which contains about 22% of Calcium by weight, everyday. 1 Kg can last for nearly 80 days and I only need to handle a single chemical. Really suits a lazy guy like me.

The only problem is the cost...1KG 99% pure Calcium Acetate Monohydrate costed me US$55. But since I don't have access to cheap chemical as you lucky people in US (I lives in Hong Kong), this is not more expensive than using two-parts additive like C-balance.

I will continue using Calcium Acetate until, well, there is other better alternative.

That is good to hear. Did you ever found what was wrong with the reactor?

[neoyhng]

No. I still cannot figure out why the H&S failled to work. Everything seems to be in order, there is no water leakage, the pump functioned normally, the test kits are OK and the CO2 is really CO2. A real mystery.:confused:

Nevermind, I found my solution. And if my friend asked me about Ca Reactor I would still recommend it, provided that he has the patient to go through the set-up stage. Reef keeping, I suppose, is still not an exact science and we must go through try and error to find the ways that best suit an individual.:rollface: