Calcium reactor pointers

[daplatapus]

Ok, so I got my (new to me) calcium reactor. (thanks Peter and Rich!) I've got it all cleaned out, shined up, and now sitting beside my sump. I plugged in my water line and I've got water flowing through it and all seems good so far.
Here's the skinny:
Vertex RX-4
American Marine pH pinpoint controller
Main chamber is filled with Carib-sea corse aragonite media
second chamber is empty
I've got 2 CO2 bottles, one is full and the other has 1000lbs left in the bottle but the hydro on it is expired. Not sure how old the CO2 is in it but I was thinking of using it to get everything set up and running, then send it away to get hydro'd.
I'm going to be setting the pH controller at 6.5 and starting the drip rate at 60 drops per minute.

Has anyone got any other tips, things to watch out for etc that I should know before I fire this thing up. Any personal experiences that might help me avoid any headaches.
I've read a ton, but for some reason still a bit nervous to replace my dosers with this :redface:

Thanks in advance

[Aquattro]

There's a really good article online somewhere about tuning them, I'll try to find it. On mine, I don't run a controller or count drops or any of that, I just run it and let a small stream of effluent come out the tube. For bubbles, I just set it to a quick rate, probably a bubble/second or so...

[Aquattro]

You probably read this one...

http://www.melevsreef.com/calcium_reactor.html

this also looks good..

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=56499

[daplatapus]

Cool, thanks Brad. I'd read the one on Melev's and the one in reefkeeping that the other article linked. But I hadn't read the second one you have there.
Have you ever had your effluent line foul up? If so, do you know why?

[cale262]

I keep my RX4 running at 6.8-7.0 with ARM in the main chamber and Mag in the small chamber.

[cale262]

There's also a good thread on the Vertex Reactors here...

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=74294

[Bblinks]

I do the same with arm media in the main chamber and zeovit mag stones on the secondary, with the rx6 you get n extra chambe which I like to fill it with either reborn by two little fishes or DD brand of fine media. I figured it's always good idea to have a variety. One thing you have to watch out for is to make sure the main chamber is filled with corse media and nothing else or it might make the recirculating pump fail prematurely.

As for the effluent, first I would hook up the ph probe and set it to 6.5-6.7 so it will activate the solenoid once it goes over the desired ph value then I would test your water parameter(I usually keep a log on all my testing but I have been lazy and the wife is doing it for me:redface:). Now start the effluent at a drop or two pre second depending on how heavy your tank is stocked. It is very important to test and retest your water for the next week or two so you can dial in the effluent rate. Then it's pretty much hands off. I do check my kh once or twice a month just to make sure I am still on point, not until my corals started growing rapidly that I noticed a decrease in my alk and calcium but that was easy as a turn of the knob to increase the output. Since you have the ph regulated, it will automatically accommodate and raise up the bubble rate.

One last thing, I do run a feed pump for the intake instead of using gravity. I like the idea of a low pressure feed pump cause it will always keep the reactor circulating and at the same time prevent it from clogging. It does put a little more pressure on the oring seals but I am confident on those silicone orings will hold up just fine.

Let me know if you need more help.
Rich

[Lampshade]

This helped me get a ballpark for starting at:

http://reef.diesyst.com/reactor/reactor.html

THe other articles pointed out are very good as well.

[Aquattro]

Have you ever had your effluent line foul up? If so, do you know why?

Ya, every now and then it plugs up, mostly Ca deposits, but once in a while I get an air lock in the reactor..once this year, so not often.
I feed the reactor off of a T in my return line, so slight pressure going in.

I imagine in the beginning I probably messed around with all the setting and measuring, but after I tossed the pH meter and just let it run, I noticed no difference, so I stopped worrying about all the details.
It's good to have an understanding of the details, but I'm not sure how closely you really need to pay attention :)
I have the Apex pH probe in a box, the grommet to plumb it in to my reactor, the solenoid is plugged in, but I've just never got around to doing anything with it. My Ca currently sits at 450ppm

[Top-dogg]

Do you still need magnesium additives like mag stone/zeomag if you already are using high magnesium Media like Caribsea ARM course?

[rhody605]

I so far have needed to use to mag stones. In my case I'm quite sure it is because my mag was low to start with. 1100.
I am also slowly adding mag dose till I can reach 1320.

I am using course arm media as well.