CA reactor or Dosing?

[GMGQ]

Great feedback everyone, thanks so much.

I think my main issue could be the CO2 regulator/solenoid.

I've been reading about this new Digital CO2 regulator. No more mechanical needle valves/bubble counters -- this one is all digital/electronic. You turn a dial to set the # of bubbles, and that's it. $170. They'll even install it on your existing regulator for you for free (you just gotta ship it to them).

So that's another option... Hmm....

Well my reactor setup has been running steady the past 3 days. I'll just keep an eye on it and 'make do' with it for now. But I'm glad there has been some good discussion on this topic, as it's good to know for the next setup (or if I get fed up with this one!).

Thanks again everyone!

[Dez]

As far as an accurate bubble counter, I have a really crappy 8 year old rusty one and I can't dial it in even if I tried. So to fix the problem, I just set the bubbles to come out in sort of a steady stream (so that I can't count them), and I just let my controller turn the solenoid on the CO2 on and off. This has worked really well for me. The controller keeps the ph in the reactor stable. I used to try to dial in the "bubbles per second" years ago, but I just ended up letting the controller do the work and that's the best thing that I've done with the whole reactor set up. Hope this helps.

[GMGQ]

Hmm, so basically you would let the reactor flood with CO2 until the pH is too low, then your pH controller would shut off the CO2, and the reactor would slowly fill back up with regular pH water, then the controller would restart the flow of CO2?

What CA level do you maintain?

Originally Posted by Dez

As far as an accurate bubble counter, I have a really crappy 8 year old rusty one and I can't dial it in even if I tried. So to fix the problem, I just set the bubbles to come out in sort of a steady stream (so that I can't count them), and I just let my controller turn the solenoid on the CO2 on and off. This has worked really well for me. The controller keeps the ph in the reactor stable. I used to try to dial in the "bubbles per second" years ago, but I just ended up letting the controller do the work and that's the best thing that I've done with the whole reactor set up. Hope this helps.

[Dez]

Originally Posted by GMGQ

Hmm, so basically you would let the reactor flood with CO2 until the pH is too low, then your pH controller would shut off the CO2, and the reactor would slowly fill back up with regular pH water, then the controller would restart the flow of CO2?

What CA level do you maintain?

Yes, that's the basic idea except it's not as exaggerated as it sounds. The CO2 will kick on and off as needed. I set the controller to maintain the ph in the reactor chamber between 6.65 and 6.67. To be honest with you I have no idea what my calcium and alk is. My target a year ago when I did test was 380-400. I have over 100 sps colonies in my tank that has been in there for more than a year and they were mostly grown from frags. Quite a few of the colonies are reaching the 12" mark or have surpassed that size. I haven't tested in over 6 months as I found the groove after quite a few months and realized that my reactor keeps up with the growth. I probably fill the reactor with an entire jar of ARM media every 4 - 6 months maybe? So the reactor media is definitely being consumed and used by the corals. I've never used the dosing method and I don't think I want to try. I know that the reactor media is a balanced way of maintaining calcium/alk.

Know that I'm not trying to persuade you either way, just giving you my experience as to what has worked well for me. I have seen gorgeous tanks on the dosing method as well. I think I'm a "try to get away with as little maintenance as possible" kind of guy.

I had a Deltec reactor and I didn't like the way it opened and closed so I bought a reactor that was easier to fill. I have the dual chamber Reef Octopus reactor and it has a screw top - this is AWESOME!. Simply turn reactor off, unscrew the top, drain the water a bit, and fill with new media, then screw it back on. the deltec had a twist top that you had to twist about 1/8th of a turn but it was a pain cause it was so difficult to do that I had to take it offline, stick it between my legs, hold it with my legs and tug as hard as I could and I thought it would break every time I filled it.

Hope this long ramble helps.

[Aquattro]

Dez, how long do you go between cleanings on your pH probe? I have one, and a holder to install in my reactor, just kinda lazy if I have to clean the probe too often..

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Dez

I have the dual chamber Reef Octopus reactor and it has a screw top - this is AWESOME!. Simply turn reactor off, unscrew the top, drain the water a bit, and fill with new media, then screw it back on.
Hope this long ramble helps.

don't you clean the pulp out inbetween fills?

when I built my first reactor I make it hold 55 lbs of ARM so I only had to clean it and refill once a year

as for bubble counters.. make your own. a chunk of 2" dia tube, about 6" long, seal the top and bottom and drill two holes in the bottom to accept JG 1/4 to 1/4NPT tap the holes put a chunk of tube that goes to almost the top of the unit and then put a plug in the top face for filling. use glycerin or mineral oil inside the bubble counter instead of water unless you have one of thoes silly ones that automaticly fill the bubble counter with water.. if so I am sure you can disable this feature. and finaly spend the 20 bucks on a good 1/4" needle valve and use this to control the bubble rate. so all ou are using you regulator to do is put a specific pressure out and you use the good brass needle valve to set the bubble flow.

using a more viscous fluid will make it simpler to set your bubble speed. I know mine I would set the bubbles then re adjust after about an hour after the pressure inside the reactor stabalizes then I would check it once a week.. went 8 months with out touching it.

Steve

[Dez]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Dez, how long do you go between cleanings on your pH probe? I have one, and a holder to install in my reactor, just kinda lazy if I have to clean the probe too often..

I give it a good wipe/rinse every time I change the media cause the probe goes in the lid. Seems to work well I guess.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Dez

I give it a good wipe/rinse every time I change the media cause the probe goes in the lid. Seems to work well I guess.

So every 4-6 months? That I could manage

[amoreira]

Just to let those that might be interested know and I hope I'm not interjecting here.

I don't bother with pH control in chamber. The reason is that if the flow through the chamber stopped or the probe failed, the controller had no means to handle this (i.e. no controller wind-up proection). I use a timer instead and bubble CO2 in the chamber for a period of 9 minutes every hour. The bubbles are introduced at a good rate and I'm sure that the pH in the chamber is dropped to a level that the aragonite will dissolve. I used trial and error to come up with the 9 minutes, just as one would with finding the sweet spot for a 2-part doser. I don't bother trying to target any particular bubble rate - just vigorous bubbles.