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Show Us Your Calcium Reactor Setup


TheClark

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  • 1 month later...

Well, after having one for a while, I can see why people spring for the nicer regulator and needle valve.  

 

So far I have upgraded the needle valve, regulator is next.  The issue for me so far is this.  The solenoid can shut off when there is not enough CO2, but cannot open the valve up more when there is not enough.  I carefully tuned the bubble counter to not need to turn the solenoid off and on very often.  Great in concept, but not if your needle valve drifts.

 

The first few days I watched alkalinity like a hawk, but grew confident too soon.  The effluent PH worked its way up.  It remained under the apex alarm but too high to keep up with Alk demand.

 

Alk dropped rapidly to around 6.8 unnoticed, and as a result I counted 13 dead acros tonight, ugh!

 

All this could have been avoided by keeping up with the alk tests.

 

Ah well, everyone warned me to watch it like a hawk when switching over, live and learn!

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I feel your pain Jeremy. Definitely worth the money investing in a good needle valve and regulator. The first calcium reactor we had, the regulator kept going out. Had the same issues with alk too. Once they are dialed in they are great and cheaper than dosing. I'm loving having a nano and if I need to dose will be manually dosing.

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Any suggestions on a good regulator?

Plantedtank has a bunch of good articles on it. Cannot find the one I have been reading but a google of best regulator planted tank gets some good hits including solenoid and needle valves.

 

Wanareef/ Charles is our resident expert on them or at least one of our experts.

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Yikes man that really sucks! What reg were you running? What were your probe set points?

 

From my reading the carbon doser seems to be the most consistent and easiest to tune (bubble numbers and a dial). I'm just using an Aquaticlife, seems to be doing fine.

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Well, after having one for a while, I can see why people spring for the nicer regulator and needle valve.

 

So far I have upgraded the needle valve, regulator is next. The issue for me so far is this. The solenoid can shut off when there is not enough CO2, but cannot open the valve up more when there is not enough. I carefully tuned the bubble counter to not need to turn the solenoid off and on very often. Great in concept, but not if your needle valve drifts.

 

The first few days I watched alkalinity like a hawk, but grew confident too soon. The effluent PH worked its way up. It remained under the apex alarm but too high to keep up with Alk demand.

 

Alk dropped rapidly to around 6.8 unnoticed, and as a result I counted 13 dead acros tonight, ugh!

 

All this could have been avoided by keeping up with the alk tests.

 

Ah well, everyone warned me to watch it like a hawk when switching over, live and learn!

6.8?? I just completed my weekly tests this morning using API kits. Cal came up at 410 ish and all just tested at 6, which is 2.1 meq/l if I'm correct. That's about balanced am I wrong?

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6.8?? I just completed my weekly tests this morning using API kits. Cal came up at 410 ish and all just tested at 6, which is 2.1 meq/l if I'm correct. That's about balanced am I wrong?

 

I think for me it was the rapid swing from 8 to 6.8.  Shortly after that flesh started melting off the acros.  If your tank is happy with those params, I would never be the person to say 'change it' for sure as there is a range that works for every tank and each tank is slightly different.

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Thank you, it happens I suppose.  Sharing so that it might help the next guy.  Looking through the water test logs I was doing great for 13 days and testing regularly.  After a long stable run, was feeling good and did not test for a week.  Sometime during that week the drop happened.  

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That sucks Jeremy! Another tip I have that has worked for me is to set my rke display to show reactor ph as main display and a quick look at my water flow meter. I don't pay attention to my bubble counter because it's a pain. Still need to check alk to make sure the settings are doing the trick though.

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I first set mine up with so many bubbles per minute and flow as well, but I can't count that fast so now I just open my JG valve 3/4's and it runs into my effluent "cup" with a probe and let the Apex take care of it.  No fuss no muss

 

When I think about it I do a test of CA and Alk

Edited by wanareef
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