Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread

[DanConnor]

It's $88 for 25 feet of LS15 from cole parmer. Unpleasant, but not impossible expense.

[tkeracer619]

They do not publish wall thickness on the performance tubing. It could very well be 1/8" inch but I cannot be sure as I have never measured it and the only person I know who tried it only got a couple days out of the tubing.

Precision tubing has a 1/16" wall so you can use off the shelf tubing. The one you linked is probably just fine. Looks like a pharmed BPT tube.

The wall thickness is critical as that effects how tight the rollers pinch it. An incorrect wall thickness either causes a no flow situation or a rapid tube rupture.

If you do purchase the tube from CP make sure you are getting a pharmed BPT tube as it has excellent life and properties. Also, if you do so, please measure the wall thickness with a set of calipers. 20' of tube is going to last a very long time! Maybe you can split it with someone who else who has a performance head.

[balz3352]

Do you guys use apex with this system. If so how? What do you control. Outlets ph etc.


Sorry for all the questions.

[scuzy]

Originally Posted by balz3352

Do you guys use apex with this system. If so how? What do you control. Outlets ph etc.


Sorry for all the questions.

I user it to shut the masterflex off if pH is to far off.


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[ca1ore]

I set my regulator to dose CO2 such that a constant pH is maintained in the reactor. Apex keeps an eye out and shuts down CO2 if the pH drifts too low.

[hkgar]

I set the low ph - 6.2 - where it will turn off the regulator, I also have a high setting (about .2 dKH above where I maintain the reactor ph). I do this to prevent the regulator from cycling on off around the low number.

[scuzy]

How are you guys setting your carxph probe and co2 regulator on the apex with the masterflex?


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[scuzy]

So basically I should program my aquarium plant solunoid to stay on unless carxph < 6.3 and try dialing the amount of bubbles so the pH in the carx is constant at 6.5-6.6?


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[guc32]

Both my masterflex and solenoid are not controlled by the apex. Just plugged into constant power.

Set masterflex at say 30ml and adjust ph in CaRx to 6.5 then test my tanks alk change after a day. Then adjust to higher ph if its raising too much alk since 30ml is lowest setting. But if alk dropped then I would up my 30ml to 40ml and adjust solenoid to 6.5 ph again.

Adjust till constant alk readings.

[scuzy]

Ah ok


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[hkgar]

Originally Posted by guc32

Both my masterflex and solenoid are not controlled by the apex. Just plugged into constant power.

Set masterflex at say 30ml and adjust ph in CaRx to 6.5 then test my tanks alk change after a day. Then adjust to higher ph if its raising too much alk since 30ml is lowest setting. But if alk dropped then I would up my 30ml to 40ml and adjust solenoid to 6.5 ph again.

Adjust till constant alk readings.

Exactly, funny so many people just can't understand it. I do have to adjust mine
a bit as growth will continue to increase the amount being used and as you start using more the rate at which it increases also increases. I am at abut 2.3 dKH/day and have started supplementing the reactor with ATO with Kalk.

[hkgar]

Originally Posted by guc32

Both my masterflex and solenoid are not controlled by the apex. Just plugged into constant power.

Set masterflex at say 30ml and adjust ph in CaRx to 6.5 then test my tanks alk change after a day. Then adjust to higher ph if its raising too much alk since 30ml is lowest setting. But if alk dropped then I would up my 30ml to 40ml and adjust solenoid to 6.5 ph again.

Adjust till constant alk readings.

I have a virtual outlet "CAREACON" I switch from OFF to ON and the power outlets for the reactor, mixing pump and regulator monitor the condition and shut down "If Outlet CAREACON = ON Then OFF

[balz3352]

Grr working on setting up the reactor and the uniseals leak! Boo hopefully a lfs has a couple I can get in the morning

[DanConnor]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

They do not publish wall thickness on the performance tubing. It could very well be 1/8" inch but I cannot be sure as I have never measured it and the only person I know who tried it only got a couple days out of the tubing.

Precision tubing has a 1/16" wall so you can use off the shelf tubing. The one you linked is probably just fine. Looks like a pharmed BPT tube.

The wall thickness is critical as that effects how tight the rollers pinch it. An incorrect wall thickness either causes a no flow situation or a rapid tube rupture.

If you do purchase the tube from CP make sure you are getting a pharmed BPT tube as it has excellent life and properties. Also, if you do so, please measure the wall thickness with a set of calipers. 20' of tube is going to last a very long time! Maybe you can split it with someone who else who has a performance head.

OK, so I ordered both. I don't have calipers, but I would say the cole-parmer wall is about 1/8" thick, or about twice as thick as the other.

Seems to work fine. I plugged it in and turned it on and it was already set to 45 ml per minute- probably a good place to start. This pump seems to really be working to pump at that rate- normal? It's in a basement room so no worries on the noise.

People generally pull water through the ca reactor with these? Seems like a safer approach than pushing...

[DanConnor]

This pump seems to really be working to pump at that rate- normal?

I hadn't set it to the right tubing size, so was going crazy pumping too fast.

Now it is nice and quiet

[hkgar]

Originally Posted by DanConnor

I hadn't set it to the right tubing size, so was going crazy pumping too fast.

Now it is nice and quiet

Yup, helps to tell the pump what tube size you are using.

[Jonnywhoop]

600 RPM Cole Parmer Masterflex L/S 77300-80 Console


Is this a quiet, brushless motor?

[scuzy]

Originally Posted by Jonnywhoop

600 RPM Cole Parmer Masterflex L/S 77300-80 Console





Is this a quiet, brushless motor?

Is that 600 rpm constant not 0.1-600?


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[tkeracer619]

Originally Posted by Jonnywhoop

600 RPM Cole Parmer Masterflex L/S 77300-80 Console


Is this a quiet, brushless motor?

No, the 77300-80 is a brushed unit.

[tkeracer619]

You don't need to set the ph with a controller. If I am running a controller I will set it a couple points less than operating. So if I have the ph tuned to 6.5 at that particular moment ill have the ph set to turn off at 6.2.

The goal with this setup is to tune the reactor to the tank. let both the pump and the regulator to push constant amounts of effluent and gas (requires a good reg). By using a ph controller to maintain a set point it doesn't let the ph drop in the chamber as media dissolves. This is explained in the first couple posts. Using the reactor setup in such a manner as suggested the ph drops as media dissolves which then dissolves the media faster. The net output of the reactor doesn't change and there is no need to retune the reactor after service to refill the media. The only adjustments made beyond that would be for increased demand.

[hkgar]

I have been using this system since the beginning of this thread and it works great, with only periodic adjustments for increasing demand. My demand is now at 2.2 dKH/day.

Because of low PH (7.8 high) I decided to dose Kalk in my ATO (evaporation rate of about 6.8 G/day). The reactor needs more adjustment as the evaporation rate changes and the concentration in the ATO

[balz3352]

Anyway to get ph probe to stop leaking air? Thing is a sob to put in and take out. Please help.


Never mind I guess I had it cross threaded



Nope still leaks cannot pull through. Probably have to pushing through this reactor. This reactor is giving me some hell.

[vhuang168]

Would help if you tell us which CaRx you are using.


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[balz3352]

Originally Posted by vhuang168

Would help if you tell us which CaRx you are using.


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Old reeftek

[tkeracer619]

I always recommend full disassembly of any reactor. Re-assemble with some teflon paste. Most of the time they are put together with teflon tape, tef tape is junk for this application.

In your case the uniseals may be a pain.

That ph probe holder looks like it has seen better days. Maybe time to replace it.