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super7
10-10-2007, 02:15 AM
I was wondering where to find detailed diagrams of a Ca reactor.
Thanks Super7

mark
10-10-2007, 04:39 AM
Check here (http://members.shaw.ca/canreeftank/mainpage.html) (and here (http://members.shaw.ca/dj88/rx/) for the drawings) by a Canreefer DJ88. He also had a huge thread believe on RC for a dual chamber square design with drawings. Probably also a link on Canreef.

But don't need drawings, just wing it, here's a picture of my first DIY acrylic project (6x19" upflow using a Mag3)



http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h316/das75/ca_f.jpg

super7
10-10-2007, 05:22 AM
Thanks Mark, so you pump the water up to the top and allow to flow though and out the bottom, what do you use to increase Ca, what's best.
Thanks Super7

mark
10-10-2007, 02:59 PM
The style is upflow. The pump discharges to the bottom of the cylinder and water flows upward. The idea is the media doesn't become compacted. Tank water enters the reactor in the red tube, exits in the blue. Clear line is for CO2, the bubble counter in the center, excess gas that may buildup is recovered through the fitting in the the center of the top flange and cycled back in.

To supply water, I tapped a 1/4" John Guest into the line after my main pump for my sump return. Flow (drip rate) is controlled by a valve between the tap point and the reactor. Had originally put the valve after the reactor but found I was getting weeping from the flange since I was pressurizing the unit. The weeping was probably more from the irregularities in depth of the groove I cut for the o-ring while trying to get fancy but since replaced the flanges with no grooves, but left the valve on the input.

Remember the reactor is to maintain Ca levels, not raise then. To get the values initially up, bought Ca and Mg from littlesilvermax (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=67) . Something I've started to look into to maintain the Mg levels is adding ZeoMag (http://216.187.96.54/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=34374&highlight=zeomag), mixed with Ca reactor media at 10%.

mark
10-10-2007, 06:35 PM
Super7, here's a link (http://www.melevsreef.com/dj88.html) to DJ88's dual chamber square design (and within the link to RC)

super7
10-11-2007, 12:44 AM
What is the purpose of adding CO2. Is it definately needed.
Thanks Super7
I am a newb concerning Ca reactors

mr_alberta
10-11-2007, 01:07 AM
CO2 lowers the pH of the water within the reactor chamber, thus slowly dissolving the media.

super7
10-11-2007, 01:13 AM
is there another way of lowering the pH of the water within the Chamber.
Thanks Super7

mr_alberta
10-11-2007, 01:15 AM
Not that I have heard of.

mark
10-11-2007, 01:54 AM
Thanks Super7
I am a newb concerning Ca reactors
start reading http://216.187.96.54/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22085

super7
10-11-2007, 02:40 AM
the problem with me using CO2 is I don't know where to put the cylinder of CO2. I now know how the Ca reactor works. Would dosing kalk work, the tank is only 75 but I am looking at enlarging the system by adding another tank. So there will be about 100 gallons of water.
Thanks Eric

mark
10-11-2007, 02:58 AM
Kalk works as well as other Ca supplements.

Back this up a bit, what are you keeping, as in do you even need a reactor? Are you now measuring your Ca levels and how much is being depleted daily/weekly?

super7
10-11-2007, 03:24 AM
I am planning for the future as I will be keeping hard corals also since I sell marine merchandise I like to kow how it works. Meaning I like to make one for myself then use it. My system that I am thinking about has only been running two months roughly.
Thanks Eric

super7
10-11-2007, 03:30 AM
Does a kalk reactor do the same thing or is it the same thing/.
Thanks Super7

mark
10-11-2007, 04:31 AM
Different than a Ca reactor but similiar in that they both add Ca. No CO2 bottle required.

See here (http://216.187.96.54/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22078)

mr_alberta
10-11-2007, 04:36 AM
A Kalk reactor is different than a Calcium Reactor. A Kalk reactor used Kalk powder which is mixed in a freshwater solution. The freshwater solution is then dripped into your sump usually during the lights out hours of the tank to raise pH or with your auto topoff system.

A Calcuim reactor uses basically old coral skeletons and dissolves them in a mixture of CO2 and salt water from your aquarium. The CO2 lowers pH to about 6.5-7.

Kalk seems to raise Alkalinity and maintains it quite well but not so much for Calcium levels. The solution is very basic (i.e. pH 12 or so) so care must be taken when dosing Kalk solution.

Calcium reactors raise Calcium levels and maintains them well but do not maintain Alkalinity as well as Kalk. The solution has a moderately low pH (usually 6.5-7).

As for building either, I would say a Kalk reactor is *slightly* easier to build than a Calcium reactor since it has fewer parts, but neither of them are terribly difficult to figure out and build. The inital cost of setting up a Calcium reactor is higher, but the overall maintenence of it is lower than a Kalk reactor.

super7
10-11-2007, 10:38 PM
How small can you get a CO2 canister
Thanks Super7

mr_alberta
10-11-2007, 10:59 PM
5lb is the smallest that I've seen used.

super7
10-11-2007, 11:28 PM
Thanks mr alberta
Super7