Calcium Reactor help!

[Tropical Paradise]

hi Everyone,

Two months ago, I bought a calcium reactor from King Ed. This is my first calcium reactor, so I don't know that much on how everything works.

I tried to hook it up today, but had no success in doing so. I use a rigid airline tubing and gravity feed the tank water into the reactor. I am stuck on how to adjust the output. WHen I turn on the CO2, it shoots out too much CO2, and the pH immediately drops.

If anyone is willing to help me out by coming over to check out the tank and fiddle with the reactor, I will glad to give you some snails in return.

Tank is a 46 gallon bow-front. With mostly soft corals and two Derasa clams. The tank is lit by 2 96W PC light and uses Ecosystem filter.

If u can help, please let me know. Thanks

Kai-Wei [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]

[DJ88]

What type of reactor is it? How fine does you needle valve adjust? Try closing the needle valve, turning the tank on then slowly open the he needle valve a touch. then open the regulator valve.

I dont know all the fancy names right now.. but I'll take a pic shortly to show you what mine looks like and how I do it with mine.

[Shadetree]

Kai-Wei,

I will be around tomorrow afternoon if you need a hand. I will send you my number.

In the picture you can see the regulator in the middle (black with red writing and two white bars) That adjusts pressure coming out of the tank. I have mine set around 15 I believe. The gold thin piece directly in the middle bottom part of the picture is the needle valve. You adjust that to obtain your actual co2 rate into the reactor. My guess is that the regulator is all the way open.

Scott

[ 10 December 2001: Message edited by: Shadetree ]

[Tropical Paradise]

Thanks, Scott and Darren!

Yes, the problem is with the needle valve, it's not exactly a needle valve. It was all the way open and I didn't know how to adjust it. And I am afraid of the CO2 tank, all that pressure.

I'll call you tomorrow, Scott. Thanks! =) [img]images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]

Kai-Wei

[DJ88]

Guess ya dont need this then huh? [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[reefburnaby]

Hi,

Yah...I had some problems at first. Say, we are aiming for 30 to 60 bubbles per minutes. This is in range...may be a bit high...but it should be close.

Turn off the regulator. Turn on the CO2 Tank and needle valve.

1. Adjust the regulator to around 2 psi. There are two dials. One is the pressure from the tank and one is pressure after the regulator. The pressure from the tank should read 800 psi or so. The other one should range from 0 to 40 psi (or so). This is what I use...each system will vary with this value. Rememeber to turn on the needle valve -- doesn't matter if it is full blast...it doesn't matter as long as CO2 is coming out. We need to turn the needle valve so that we can properly adjust the regulator. 2psi.
2. Turn off the needle valve and then turn the needle valve on a little bit -- just a hair (say 1/8th or less turn). Since the regulator is controlling the pressure to a very low value...you can fiddle around and see how you can turn off the needle valve. Just enough for CO2 to make some bubbles (say 1 bubble per second or so). If you see bubbles...that's enough. Don't worry about the exact rate -- just be in the right range (1 bps). If you see too many bubbles (i.e. you can't count them), then you need to back off a little bit.
3. Okay...we have some bubbles going to the reactor. Maybe 200 bpm...maybe 10 bpm. Adjust the regulator (i.e. PSI) so that you can get the right bpm. Adjust slowly (1/8th turn or less). Remember to leave it running for a couple minutes for the bpm to settle down.

4. With some patients, you should get it running at 30 to 60 bpm. Measure the effluent and check if it is around 6.5 pH. pH too high -- more bpm. pH too low -- less bpm. It will take roughly an hour for the pH to settle down to a stable value.

Hope that helps.

.....
Darn...somebody beat me to the bell.

- Victor.

[ 10 December 2001: Message edited by: reefburnaby ]