Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread

[hkgar]

Hey guys,
Running the masterflex system on a Korallin 1502 CA reactor with a 180 gallon tank. I have been maintaining 9.8 tank ph and reactor ph of 6.5 and flow rate of 50ml/min.

I tested the effluent alk yesterday and it was only 12 dkh. My media was down about a third so I added to bring it back to full. I used Coarse ARM media. Today my effluent alk is 9.4 dkh.

Why is it so low and how can I get it to where it should be?

my thoughts: The effluent flow rate is too high to allow for sufficient melting of the media. Would I be better off replacing the coarse with regular. I seem to remember something about the 1502 not being very efficient with the coarse media.

Since the tank and effluent alk are the same would that not infer that my usage is 0? So reducing the flow rate should have little effect except to drive down the reactor ph (and increas the dkh?).



If I lower the reactor ph to 6.4 or lower, will that increase the melting rate?

If I lower the flow rate will that cause a higher effluent ph as the water will be in contact with the media for a longer period of time.

OK, chime in everyone.

[tkeracer619]

I suspect your test kit or the test was botched somehow.

Assuming you meant your tank dkh is 9.8 and not ph the reactor isn't going to lower the dkh.

I would drop your reactor ph to 6.3 for coarse. 6.1 for extra coarse. When you run out of media switch to regular, the reactor will likely perform better.

It may be high simply because it hasn't had time to stabilize, the regulator cooled off and needed a bit to return to operating temps, or some other factor. I would try to bump gas input a bit and see where that gets you.

Was the tank stable before the media change? Could it be be that natural demand has increased and you didn't notice until the refill?

[hkgar]

The tank is about a year and half old and I have been adding frags since the tank was 6 months. The reactor ph has been pretty stable around 6.6 and tank ALK about 9.5 - 9.9 As the frags continue to grow and new ones are added I do a lot of changing of effluent flow and gas change to keep at about 9.5 tank dkh and 6.5 ph. Not so much changing that I would consider it out of normal for a maturing tank.

I generally test weekly and if I need to add ALK I use Randy's 2 part and make adjustments to bubble rate and/or PSI. If DKH dropped below 6.5 I would increase the flow to maintain the 6.5

I have currently adjust to 6.37.

[hkgar]

Effluent Dkh is now 21 with flow rate down to about 6 ml/min and ph at 6.37

[tkeracer619]

Cool . How about a pic or two?

[hkgar]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Cool . How about a pic or two?

Of what, my set up or my tank? Tank pics always suck for me as the lighting is LED and the camera is a cell phone with p poor white balance.

Here is a pic of my set up. You can't see the reactor hiding in the back.

[tkeracer619]

Tight fit! Both setup and tank :P. We all know about bad cell phone pics and don't care

[hkgar]

Yup it is a tight fit. The sump is 48 inches and on the other side I have a hang on carbon reactor and a GFO reactor. I tried moving the pump out and put it on top of the canopy, but it too noisy out in the open. It has a whining sound that I think may be gear related. I might replace it with a 7524 as the one I use for ATO runs very quiet at lower RPM's, It runs at close to 1000 ml/minute at night for top off is at that rate is quite noisy, but I am asleep and really don't care.

[tkeracer619]

That noise is probably typical of a brushed unit. Not an issue if noise isn't a concern. You could try changing the brushes but everyone of them i've heard has it or some variant of it. The brushed unit I have sounds like a freight train... it's seen 3 lifetimes of abuse. Works like a champ

Just noticed... You should put a chain on that bottle!

[gdemos]

Glad you got that settled. I use NeoMag and brightwells CoraLazarus running rx at 6.5 and effluent tests at 19.8dKh salifert.

But air problems persist. Not sure if it's really a problem or a nuisance. I moved the gas recirc to the lid outtake with the recessed chamber and mflex effluent now at lid with flush fitting. Also moved intake line out of sump and into tank just below overflow teeth. Slightly better. My rx is above sump so a bit unordinary. Thought is intake at tank level helps by way of gravity.

Thoughts Mark?

Hope pic shows

[gdemos]

Glad you got that settled. I use NeoMag and brightwells CoraLazarus running rx at 6.5 and effluent tests at 19.8dKh salifert.

But air problems persist. Not sure if it's really a problem or a nuisance. I moved the gas recirc to the lid outtake with the recessed chamber and mflex effluent now at lid with flush fitting. Also moved intake line out of sump and into tank just below overflow teeth. Slightly better. My rx is above sump so a bit unordinary. Thought is intake at tank level helps by way of gravity.

Thoughts Mark?

[gdemos]

Sorry on dub post. So would you advise to keep gas recirc line open or closed at this point? Thanks -Greg

[gregr]

A couple days ago I came home to see about an inch of gas/air at the top of the reactor- something I'm not unfamiliar with. I reversed the lines so the CP pump is pushing water thru the reactor and this picture shows the pH of my tank and the reactor effluent since then. Effluent pH drifted from 6.47 to 6.6 and I'm happy with that. But then I figured I went this far I might as well get a new regulator too Carbon Doser is on the way.

[tkeracer619]

Originally Posted by gdemos

Thoughts Mark?

Can you take some closer pics?

Originally Posted by gregr

Effluent pH drifted from 6.47 to 6.6 and I'm happy with that. But then I figured I went this far I might as well get a new regulator too Carbon Doser is on the way.

Awesome, good choice! I only recently started pulling through my reactor, I am not sure but it seems some reactors are more sensitive to pulling then pushing and trapping gas. Theoretically there shouldn't be much of a difference. Something it will likely take several of us to figure out.

[tkeracer619]

Originally Posted by gdemos

dub post

Greg, Are both reactors still building up air inside them?

Maybe try pushing through the reactor instead of pulling for now.

[gdemos]

Well the 1000 has more air 5000 is running nice and tight (no mflex on the 5000 and less concerned on that one since all coral is in qt with 1000) As I have it now both reactors are running with gas recirc shut off. Putting intake in tank seems to have helped some but still more air than I'd like.

I've got some travel coming up this week so will reverse from pull to push once back in town

[gdemos]

Here's a closer pic

[gdemos]

Here's a closer pic of air

[gdemos]

Momentary lapse of reason here.. When we say push vs pull would push mean running intake through CP then to main in on Rx pump? Would this not defeat the purpose of relying on CP in controlling effluent rate? And I imagine most Rx integral pumps draw enough on their own?

[vietnam]

Originally Posted by gdemos

Here's a closer pic

Originally Posted by gdemos

Here's a closer pic of air

Because I can't see tapatalk

[tkeracer619]

Originally Posted by gdemos

Momentary lapse of reason here.. When we say push vs pull would push mean running intake through CP then to main in on Rx pump? Would this not defeat the purpose of relying on CP in controlling effluent rate? And I imagine most Rx integral pumps draw enough on their own?

They are closed systems so water going in is the same as water going out. The masterflex as far as water movement is concerned easily overcomes the suction of the factory pump so placement in the system shouldn't matter. In terms of gas building up I am curious to see if setting it up to push water into the main input would help.

Before seeing your pictures I thought the gas was building up above the sponge in the lid. Seeing as its trapping under the sponge will it continue to build up? I assume once it builds up enough then some of it will purge from the reactor. I know its a pain but can you pull the pump and make sure its not clogged? This may be as simple as using a thinner, coarser sponge.

[gdemos]

I will double check the pump, it did clog on me a couple months back so recently cleaned. I often jostle the Rx to shake bubbles loose.

By thinner coarser sponge you mean less surface area right; i.e., easier for bubbles to pass through?

[tkeracer619]

Yup.

[hkgar]

I can only think of two reasons for gas bulid up.
1. Inefficient mixing of the gas and water. Generally cause by a bad pump or anaspirating-Venturi which is what my Korallin 1502 has. Your should have something similar.

2. Mor gas than the water can absorb during the period that if is in the tank.

[gdemos]

I'd lower gas but I am keeping Rx pH at 6.45-6.55 to melt media. I am stable in parameters so rather not adjust too much. Now wondering if that's too low of a pH. Take a look at the pump now this is only after one month. One would say I'm melting too much but aragonite In chamber remains coarse (no paste there). Also see one of the washers on the impeller is broke down and impeller is scuffed. Guys think I'm running too much gas? 6.5 really too low? Or is something else causing problem? Media was rinsed pretty well for starters. -Greg