calcium reactor survey

cjps67 · Post by **cjps67** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 3:00 pm

Hello,I need some feedback on different brands of calcium reactors.Mainly interested in the the models that the water enters the bottom.When the reactor is running is the media being stirred up.My reactor running looks like the media is churning around and the really small particles keep clogging the effluent line.I just want to know if the other brands do this and what kind of solution to fix problem.

Post by **snoopdog** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 3:50 pm

All brands do this, easy fix though that Liz's husband found. If you pump a very small airpump somewhere on the effluent line the vibration keeps it from clogging.

cjps67 · Post by **cjps67** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 5:37 pm

when the reactor is running can you phsically see the media being turned over or is the mag 3 I am using to big

Amyjoe · Post by **Amyjoe** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 5:45 pm

With both of ours - you could physically see the media being moved around while it was on.

old salty · Post by **old salty** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 11:10 pm

The aragonite in a calcium reactor should not be churning like a fluidized bed filter. If the media is moving around that much the flow is set way too high.

The throughput of a calcium reactor has to be very slow to work properly. Particulary if it is a single chamber type.

You should check the output of the reactor to make sure your co2 is dissolving completely. If you have higher co2 levels at the outflow of the reactor then the flow rate is too high and is not dissolving all the co2 in reaction to the aragonite. Overly high throughput will also result in extra low pH readings.

Post by **snoopdog** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 11:12 pm

Your should see the top inch of the aragonite churn some, but that is about it.

ShagMan · Post by **ShagMan** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 7:03 am

Agree with old_salty, you should NOT be churning up your media, that's a sure sign of too much flow.

tbmoore · Post by **tbmoore** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 8:00 am

There is a special small pump that fits under the reactor that works best for this purpose....very quiet....low output....you feed this pump with a sidestream off your return...If you have 50ml or so coming out should though mag 3 should not be putting that much in the reactor .... something is not hooked up right.....

old salty · Post by **old salty** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 8:45 am

I think a Mag 3 is too much pump for a calcium reactor.
A 150 gal/hr (or less) pump will give you much better results.
Think of a cal reactor in terms of less is more when it comes to flowrate.
You have to give the co2 enough reaction time to fully dissolve.
Slow is good.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 8:34 pm

I have a K2R that uses a Ehiem 1036 recirculation pump. When I got it (used) the guy had it plumbed all wrong but I have since fixed it. Sometimes you can see the media moving.

Where is the reactor feed valve located on most reactors? Mine is on the return but I didn't think that was right (I thought it would pressurize the chamber some) even though I used it that way.