Life system calcium reator help

[quicksilver]

I cant figure this reactor out I need some help any one know how to set one of these up please email me or pm me i need help.

[slandis3]

Take some pics of it so we can see how you have it setup now.

[quicksilver]

I will try to get the camera from the wife. I think i figured it out last night but it does not look like it is doing anything I see the bubbles going throw it (c02 ) so i guess its working.

[Joel]

how about a description of how you have it set up too.

IE.

Controller, what type?

Electric solenoid?

Probe location?

et-cetera....

[quicksilver]

I am sorry to say no probe. location is in the sump all my readings are fine I came home today and my squamosa clam was all sucked in I know its the Calcium reactor. On the instructins it tells me that i need about 2 bubbles per sec to run throw for my tank size so thats what I did time it out and checked calcium levels befor and after I set it up and then again this morning everything was fine everything looked great and then after work my squamosa clam was sucked in and the gigas was not open all the way up.
My readings are
calcium is 400
Magnisum is 1240
DK only thing that changed is a 12
alk 4.0
Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
amonia 0
Temp was 84
and ph is around 1.024

[slandis3]

does your temp go up and down or is it always that warm?

[slandis3]

Something else, If your not using a controller to turn this thing on and off your asking for trouble. What media are you running? Is it new or what came with it when you bought it used? Also check your ph. I belive you got your ph reading mixed up with you salinity reading.What size pump are you using as a feed pump?What do you have in your tank as far as coral's?

[quicksilver]

the pump is the one that comes with is a Life system 150 calcium reactor I have one blue hippo some other tang kind of small 3 huge clams and 3 cromis and 2 clowns yah i think i did mix up my ph i will go check that. I will post results when done. corals some frog spawn some hammers 4 or 5 different accoporas. and some purple alaba monti.

[quicksilver]

PH was 8.2.

[slandis3]

Your ph seems fine how about your temps? Do they always run at 84?

[Joel]

Running a Ca reactor with out a controller is a catastrophe waiting to happen. Allowing Co2 to get added with out being continuously monitored a huge risk.

I'm confused about giving a 'KH" Value and an "ALK" value, please explain this.

[quicksilver]

I am sorry the Test (sulfite) kit I have Is the Dk/Alk DK=ALk so Dk was 12 and= 4.0 alk I think I did it right. I Have no idea where a Ph meter would go I thought it was expose to be in the reactore to measure Ph in side it or something. Question about temp yah its aways around 82-84 degrees

[slandis3]

you need to get a ph controller asap. Thats why i havent set mine up yet i dont have a controller to run it.

[quicksilver]

so what are my options
what kind of ph meter?
are they easy to set up.

[Joel]

I wouldn't go so far to say that it is impossible but your saying that your DK went up to 12 but all else remained the same? I could be wrong, but I don't see how that is possible. By saying that your alk is 4, you mean that it is 4 meq/l (milliequivalents per liter) and by saying your KH (DKH) is 12 that would mean you have an ALk of 12 degrees of carbonate hardness. These are two different ways of measuring your alk and they seem pretty close to correct (technically if you have 4 meq/l you have 11.2 DKH) Anyway, my point is that these are just two different expressions of the same thing, if one value changes, the other one does as well because they are the same thing. Might want to double check you test method.

The desirable way to run a CA reactor is to put a ph probe in the reactor to regulate the ph inside the reactor and have the controller turn on and off the flow of CO2 VIA a solenoid actuated regulator as is needed. You technically could put a probe in the sump to regulate  but this is a riskier and less reliable method. Also, the manufactures recommendations of how much CO2 should be injected is not very reliable. The demand for calcium & ALk is determined by the load (population of organisms using up carbonates) not by the volume of water. Even set up properly, it can take several days to weeks to get it dialed in properly, this is definetly not a "set it & forget it" devise. In my opinion, you should shut it down untill you have the proper equipment to operate it and better knowledge of how it works. At that point, get it up and running while your going to be there like on a weekend where you can watch and test what is happening.

Joel

[quicksilver]

Thanks jole recomendation taken. I shut it down and did 25 gallons water change and everything seems back to normal all my clams are opend up fully and look good.
I will have to take a better look at this thing. Do you thing I could use a collection area where the calcium reactor spills into and then spills into the sump and the the collection area? I think I have seen that done there is no way to put the probe in the reacotor short of drilling it.

[Joel]

You should drill and tap the top for a compression fitting for the ph probe. I have the compression fitting in stock for exactly this.

American Marine has a nice ph monitor / controller that would be a reasonably priced controller to buy. I don't suggest attempting this with the probe outside of the ca reactor.

[quicksilver]

I will have to look into that if i am down that way I will pick one of them fitting up whats the going rate on them any ways.  I was trying to get a Milwaukee PH controller I was told they are the best on the market for the money and if I can get one used it will be that much nicer. Thanks jole your a Big bank of Knowledge.

[slandis3]

if your budget requires you to go used look for  a American Marine ph controller. I have been told them are much better than the Milwaukee's

[Joel]

Milwaukee are not the best bang for your buck. They are much lower quality than pin point / American Marine and are not that much cheaper, like about 100 bucks difference. (American marine is about $180.00-190.00 new, Milwaukee is about 100-ish new. ) The better quality is well worth the extra money.

A nice new one would be fine too but get a new probe and calibration solution.

[quicksilver]

crap we got like 5 of the 1000+ ph meters at work and none of them work right  .