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View Full Version : Were to start with CA Reactor

Jason McK
12-29-2003, 09:35 PM
I was wondering what a good starting bubble count/min. would be. I just filled my CO2 tank and tonight I will piece together my new reactor. Any other tips would be great. It's a PM 422


Thanks
Jason
BCOrchidGuy
12-29-2003, 09:47 PM
What kind of media are you using, I'd start with about 30 bubbles a minute and then measure your pH and aim for the recomended pH the media manufacturer suggests. I used ARM and found that 19 bubbles a minute gave me a pH of 7.48 or 7.49 the ARM packaging said to get a pH of 7.5,

Doug
Jason McK
12-29-2003, 10:22 PM
Thanks Doug. Ya I am using ARM as well. Of course I have yet to read the instructions on anything. I just thought I would read as I'm doing it so I could actually understand what I was reading :lol:
Jason
BCOrchidGuy
12-30-2003, 12:03 AM
lol I do that as well but sometimes I'll forget to read the instructions and think things are going along just fine. Then one day I'll be doing some cleaning or something, and find the instuctions then read through and go, OHHHHH thats why that did that...

Doug
StirCrazy
12-30-2003, 12:07 AM
What kind of media are you using, I'd start with about 30 bubbles a minute and then measure your pH and aim for the recomended pH the media manufacturer suggests. I used ARM and found that 19 bubbles a minute gave me a pH of 7.48 or 7.49 the ARM packaging said to get a pH of 7.5,

Doug

one problem to quantify 30 bubbles per minuit you have to also state a effulent flow.

I started mine at 60 bubbles per min with a effulent flow of 100 ml/min but this will also depend on tank size.. if you want to start at 30 bubbles per min I would sugest starting with a efulent flow of 50ml/min and then adjust your effulent flow to set your PH. this will alow you to have ahigher flow for a Ca demand heavy tank. and after you get that set you can play with both to fine tune it.

Steve
Canadian
12-30-2003, 06:38 AM
Of course bubble rate is dependent on the size of the bubbles. A lot of the guys with DIY Reactors and bubble counters on this site will have different tubing diameters for the inside of their bubble counters. However, you also have to account for effluent flow rate as Steve has pointed out.
BCOrchidGuy
12-30-2003, 06:01 PM
Sorry, yeah I used either a 1 gph or a 1/2 gph irrigation dripper to control my effluent, it worked but I've heard that they will clog up quickly.

Bubble size, well heck I never thought about that.

Doug
Jason McK
12-30-2003, 06:23 PM
Well I used the very vague instructions from PM on the flow and the PH Values of effluent for the A.R.M
I guess it's a matter of waiting and tweaking as required.

Thanks for all your advise

Jason
Jack
12-30-2003, 10:37 PM
It's all in the tweaking. Takes awhile to dial it in. Just keep testing ca and alk every week.

I remember when Christy was first setting up her OA reactor she said: "Oh, there isn't a knob for turning it to... say... 400ppm, well then how do you dial it in??"

I don't know if she was joking or not :wink: Just kidding Christy. I know you were... I hope. :mrgreen:
christyf5
12-30-2003, 11:02 PM
Good grief Jack! I hope I was joking too :razz: I think what I said was that it should have a knob on it for that. God knows it took forever to get that thing adjusted properly (well, I was a bit impatient :wink:)
Jack
12-31-2003, 12:28 AM
:lol:
Andy
12-31-2003, 01:31 AM
Jason

I have the same reactor as you have. On my 280, I have got to the point where I don't count bubbles or measure volume of effluent any more. I just watch for a constant dribble out of the effluent tube and a bubble rate of about 1 per second. That keeps my Ca up around 400 ppm and alkalinity at 10 dKH. I also use a kalkwasser reactor in line with my dosing pump. You may want to measure the 2 parameters for the first while until you figure out the Ca demand of your system.

Andy