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ca Reactor pump questions


The ReefBox

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Nice!  Good luck on your journey!  

 

So frustrating sometimes there are 20x ways to solve a problem, we all have our own interpretations and ideas and... results!

 

Some would say that your regulator, adjusting after the reactor as Arson mentions, and a high end peristaltic pump is the rolls royce setup for sure! 

 

Others might say none of that is necessary and anyone could argue they are right based on great results.

 

If i had the spare cash would definitely try the peristaltic pump route in the infamous masterflex thread, one less variable to contend with!

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2368618

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I am using a wannareef built regulator and adjust after the reactor as well I think the issue is from coming out of the manifold it throttled down because to much inlet pressure can cause leaks and or crack reactor. Jeremy I just read a good article about using perilistic pumps for reactors and says it can be done but requires a high end doser than can deliver 20-150 ml per minute so the cheap stuff is out of the equation

Brian,

      It might have to do with your DC main pump.  I never like DC pumps as they are sensitive and inconsistent flow ( experience from my SSS250 skimmer and the Int300).   

      My main pump for DT tank is external Baracuda/Hammerhead mainifolded with adjust valves ( to slow down flows) to Frag tank and CA reactor.  These things are running at constant rate so very stable.  I used to run my phosphate reactor off the mainifold as well but it's better off on its own maxject 400.

Edited by caolewis
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I just run an old school setup, I won't dare run my reactor via my apex. The only way my apex can turn off my bottle is if the overall tank ph does something crazy.

 

We were keeping stable sps tanks with calcium reactors without all this crazy controllers and stuff many years ago without problems.

 

Just some food for thought...

 

On a side note I still have a basic single stage regulator with $120 needle valve from Swagelok and my reactor really is a "set it and forget it"

 

Only problem I have is needing a bigger reactor to keep up with my tanks demand.

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I just run an old school setup, I won't dare run my reactor via my apex. The only way my apex can turn off my bottle is if the overall tank ph does something crazy.

We were keeping stable sps tanks with calcium reactors without all this crazy controllers and stuff many years ago without problems.

Just some food for thought...

On a side note I still have a basic single stage regulator with $120 needle valve from Swagelok and my reactor really is a "set it and forget it"

Only problem I have is needing a bigger reactor to keep up with my tanks demand.

 

Haha Chris that is such a bad problem to have!!!!! I for one believe fully in my apex and have several fail safes in place should an issue Arise but I hear what you are saying. I am picking up a maxi jet from Kim tomorrow and going back to how I used to run with an auxiliary pump it was very consistent then and one thing I like is looking at my apex graph for caRX and I see when the flow is reduced so I know it needs a fix!

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lol... Guess I should clarify that a little more, I refuse to use my apex to turn my c02 off and on to chase a specific ph in the reactor, too often I see people obsess about the ph value in their reactor yet can't keep they're tanks alk stable for the life of them.

 

By no means and I saying my way is right and everyone else is wrong, I just know what works for me. Personally in the 20 some odd years I've been doing this I've learned the more I add a fancy new gadget or fiddle with things more than the most simple and direct way of doing them it causes problems.

 

Hence why my whole system is so simple...

 

The MJ should get you back and running a constant flow.

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Mine is setup just like Arsonmfg, because he is the one who helps me with these things :D. It works great and has been very easy for me. It has been running almost a year and the only time my Alk has ever been off was when I ran out of C02 and didn't notice for 2 days. 

 

I feed mine with a maxijet 400. It is a consistent pump IME. My Apex will turn off the solenoid from the C02 tank if the pH in the system crashes, but I do not test the pH of the effluent at all. I increase and decrease the amount of C02 based on the alkalinity of the display. 

Even with the MJ 400 I have to restrict the output of the reactor. While a maxijet 1200 is a very good pump, I would be surprised if that high of a gph is needed for a reactor, but if you have a large or multi chamber reactor, or it has to pump a long way then it could be useful. MJ's do handle some head, I used a 1200 as a return for a 30g tank once. 

 

JME

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Mine is setup just like Arsonmfg, because he is the one who helps me with these things :D. It works great and has been very easy for me. It has been running almost a year and the only time my Alk has ever been off was when I ran out of C02 and didn't notice for 2 days. 

 

I feed mine with a maxijet 400. It is a consistent pump IME. My Apex will turn off the solenoid from the C02 tank if the pH in the system crashes, but I do not test the pH of the effluent at all. I increase and decrease the amount of C02 based on the alkalinity of the display. 

 

Even with the MJ 400 I have to restrict the output of the reactor. While a maxijet 1200 is a very good pump, I would be surprised if that high of a gph is needed for a reactor, but if you have a large or multi chamber reactor, or it has to pump a long way then it could be useful. MJ's do handle some head, I used a 1200 as a return for a 30g tank once. 

 

I went to their (georeef) site and specifically recommends the maxi jet 1200. My reactor hold 16 pounds of media and is a decent size reactor the 818. So it's gotta move a little water head is only a few feet. So I think it will work well . Fingers crossed hehe

 

JME

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