LaCl Reactor

[bmanzie]

So how much are you dosing now and over what period of time?
Thanks for your help..
Oh, just placed my order for the reactors.

[insomniac2k2]

Originally Posted by bmanzie

So how much are you dosing now and over what period of time?
Thanks for your help..
Oh, just placed my order for the reactors.

Present rate is about 3.5ml per hour. I dose for 15 seconds at a time with a 1.1 mm doser. I will post up my apex code tomorrow, but you get the idea.

[terri_ann]

Can't return a pm to you Insomniac...you're inbox is full! lol

[insomniac2k2]

Fixed!

[terri_ann]

:0) sent! :0)

[bmanzie]

Thanks, I am dosing with the same pump and controller.
Could you also take a pick of the stuffing you are using?

[bmanzie]

Any information on the filter floss you are using?

[insomniac2k2]

Sorry, I've been real busy. This is what I'm using.

[bmanzie]

Thank you
How fast are you running the water through your reactor? I thought I saw 5g an hour.

[insomniac2k2]

I have since doubled that rate to an estimate of 10g/hr. Seems fine, plus polishes my water well.

[knight2255]

What fish do you have in your system insomniac2k2?

[insomniac2k2]

5" yellow tang, 4 2" pj cardinals, 2" damsel, 2" chromos, fire and skunk cleaners, and soon to be 3" purple tang


I know I'm missing something....

Originally Posted by knight2255

What fish do you have in your system insomniac2k2?

[insomniac2k2]

2 2" clowns and a anenome, full cuc

[bmanzie]

Can you explain this a little better? Maybe a picture? I am curious to see how you are entering the dose into the water stream. Thanks

Originally Posted by insomniac2k2

I hate that I can't edit the original post after an hour..... Anyway, I forgot to add a check valve between the dosed and the T where the LaCl is injected. This keeps from putting back pressure on doser

[insomniac2k2]

Not sure that I can. You want a 1/2" T (reactor size tubing T) . You run you water pump on one side. Your reactor on the other. On the 3rd port, you will need to find some tubing that snugly fits inside of the 1/2 reactor tubing, so that you can downsize to standard 1/4" rodi tubing. After you have the third port downsized, put a standard rodi check valve on it. This will keep the flow from going back up the third port and into your dosing pump. It will also keep the water from touching LaCl3 at all times. You will want moderated, exact doses. This is the way to do it.

Originally Posted by bmanzie

Can you explain this a little better? Maybe a picture? I am curious to see how you are entering the dose into the water stream. Thanks

[insomniac2k2]

Forgot to say that there is a picture of my reactor with the T on it further up in the thread somewhere.

[insomniac2k2]

Just changed out floss today. The stuff that came out of the cartridge must have almost weighed a pound! nasty stuff.

[bnumair]

i went ahead and go a triple reactor. i did the following:

1st chamber
reaction chamber with lower foam removed from cartridge top foam left in to trap the debris.

2nd chamber
cartridge filled with sand with lower and top foam in place.

3rd chamber
cartridge filled with polyester filter floss

i am thinking to put the out of this reactor to inlet of a carbon reactor filled with ROX.
i am using 5ml diluted in 2lts ro/di water and about 80ml per day. have not started the system yet just put together.
what do u guys think?

[insomniac2k2]

Sounds like a pretty good experiment. If you are running a carbon reactor, you could probably omit it and run carbon similar to how I am running (floss-carbon-floss sandwich). It seems to be working quite well to force the filter floss to capture more precip.

That is, if you needed some space savings. I also feel that since you are going to run sand, you will likely catch most of the stuff in that chamber anyway.

My only concern about such a small sand filter is that you may have problems getting a proper flow rate. Too slow, and you wont be moving too much water through it due to quick build-up. Too fast, and you will just blow all the precip past the sand and into the 3rd chamber. I prefer the slowest possible flow rate (within reason). I want to give the LC the longest possible contact time.

I'd love to hear how it works. I'm still very happy with mine. Time will tell all!

[Rare Angels]

insomniac,

Do you have any problems with the dosing pump overcoming the pressure on the check valve? I built a reactor last night and went to start it up but the dosing pump wouldn't prime. Once I removed the dosing line from the inlet side of the check valve the lines primed fine.

Did I maybe have too much flow to the fist canister and it was holding the check valve closed?

Anyone else with this set-up have a problem like this? Thanks for any info you have.

Dave

[insomniac2k2]

Are you sure that you do not have the check valve reversed? How much flow are you running through it? No, I do not have this issue.

[Rare Angels]

I don't believe I have the check valve reversed, I can pull the dosing line off the inlet side of the check valve on the T with the system running and water doesn't come out the open port so the check valve must be in correctly. I didn't measure it exactly, since I just started the system up last night, but I think it's in the 5-10 gph range. Hopefully I can find the exact flow tonight after work.

[insomniac2k2]

What's in your reactors? If you are causing too much back pressure, the water will want to go somewhere.

Originally Posted by Rare Angels

I don't believe I have the check valve reversed, I can pull the dosing line off the inlet side of the check valve on the T with the system running and water doesn't come out the open port so the check valve must be in correctly. I didn't measure it exactly, since I just started the system up last night, but I think it's in the 5-10 gph range. Hopefully I can find the exact flow tonight after work.

[terri_ann]

Insomniac,
It's me again I've been trying to figure out if I can make the reactor...cheap and space saving as I have minimal room under the tank.

I have a "Jumbo" BRS Carbon/GFO reactor that I'm not using...Could this work for one of the chambers?...If yes, would it be best for the mixing/contact time chamber or the floss/carbon sandwich chamber?

I also have an RO canister not being used. Would that work? It has no fittings but there is a lid.

More questions to come after your reply Thanks!

[Rare Angels]

My set-up is just like yours, the first canister is empty then a 3 foot piece of 1/2 tubing connecting to the 2nd canister which is stuffed with floss when out a 1/2 tube to the skimmer inlet.