DIY Calcium Reactor

[FutureInterest]

So looking at the various calcium reactors out there... it seems pretty darned simple.  You have a closed chamber that recirculates water... add carbon dioxide... feed tube... export tube... Not really a lot going on here.  I'm not sure what's wrong with me... I have no qualms buying a frag of coral for a grand but paying a grand for some equipment like a CaRx is just hard to swallow.  So... I decided to just make my own.

So far I've collected everything I need to make a dual chamber CaRx and the total cost was 60 dollars.  The chambers are 1.25 gallons each and seems sufficient considering the reactors I was looking at were much smaller.  I won't take pics of the process... as it's fairly ez for anyone to do.  I did water test it and it works well in that regard.  Very ez to open and close.   I'm picking up some co2 tomorrow and will start testing it out.  I think the key for any good CaRx after reading up on it is to have a very good regulator.  So I did pick up a new regulator though for 325... the aquarium plants carbon doser which seems rock solid.  Snowman recommended it and I absolutely love it.  I mean you turn a dial and it lets out bubbles per second based on your dial setting... how awesome is that?  I always strugged with needle valves in the past... hopefully that is a thing of the past as well.

 

[Adam]

Doug and I just bought regulators from a guy in Oregon. They're pretty damn good dual stage with a very good needle valve and solenoid. His prices range between $280 and what you paid depending on the plating. Plain brass is the cheapest and chrome plated is a little more.

How did you run the recirculating plumbing and pump on the reactor you built?

 

[bcavalli]

Im very i terested to see your design.  What media are you using?  Just a thought, I found using small particle ARM media is the most effective and will desolve at a higher set point so you end up releasing less cO2 into your system and you wont see as big of a drop in your pH.

 

[fishyfishy]

I got a nice used calcium reactor and learning a bit about it as well before it goes on the new build.  While the cost of the reactor is one piece of it, it seems that the cost of the feed pump and the regulator is what can really drive the system price up and give you the best results.

A lot of people seem to run peristaltic feed pumps rated for continuous use.  This gives better results than dialing in the valve at the output, which eventually will clog and lead to inconsistent volume out of the effluent line.  There are a few options out there but it seems that the best options are cole palmers or watson marlow.  These seem to be 200-500 for something used on ebay.  I am sure there are cheaper options, but these are rated for continuous use and should last a decade or more.  I would be interested to hear peoples opinions here, if some people are not running peristaltic pumps and their experiences.

Like you said the regulator is also a key part, which it seems you got the best with the aquarium plants regulator.

So even with building your own reactor.  the regulator, recirculating pump and feed pump can still drive the total cost of the reactor up quite a bit.  Please share some pictures of the design and finished product!

 

[FutureInterest]

Yes, I learned the hard way from my last CR that a cheap regulator is just a pain in the neck and not worth it.  I had no idea this regulator existed until snowman recommended it.  I don't know why they don't all work like this... perhaps it's an IP issue.  As for the feed pump, I'm just using a spare spot on my return pump manifold so there's no need for a feed pump.

I do absolutely agree with you FF that controlling the input seems to be the way to go as well instead of dialing back the output.  This will keep the internal pressure lower as well.  I'm using one of these to restrict the input line:

https://premiumaquatics.com/products/flow-control-pinch-valve.html

Very precise and easy adjustments.

Adam, the recirc pump for me is just an internal cobalt mj1200 that is plumbed internally with a spray bar.  Ez pz.  The co2 line just connects with the venturi input on the mj1200 which makes a nice fine bubble mist.

Brett, I'm just using coarse ARM and remag in the main chamber and fine ARM in the second chamber.  Thank you, for the recommendation.  It does make sense that the finer media would dissolve better due to the higher surface area.  I will take some pics once I'm out of the testing phase.  If it fails on me, which would only mean that my sealing is insufficient... then no biggie.  It wasn't much to try this out.

 

[bcavalli]

Anytime sir.  I also run a peristaltic feed pump.  I started out with a regular feed pump and could not get a consistent effluent rate.  Then I tried feeding it with my manifold. That was as bad as a feed pump if not worse due to inconsistent flow.  So I moved to a peristaltic pump and I couldn't be happier.  The only issue with using one as a feed pump is you really do need to use the recommended tubing from the manufacturer.  If you substitute with cheap tubing you will run into the problem of it wearing out very quickly and could possibly cause a catastrophic dump of co2 that is build up in your Chambers.

The big issue with using the manufacturer tubing is it is very expensive but lasts for a year or two for a 10" piece of tubing.

Just a few things to think about.  

 

[FutureInterest]

Hmmm... good input.  The feed line I have for my reactors from the manifold seem to be steady but yah perhaps for this lower flow application it might not be as consistent.  We'll see... If not I'll go your route.  Thanks for sharing your experiences.

 

[bcavalli]

Your welcome.  The great option with cole palmer peristaltic pumps is you can add up to 3 more heads on the pump.  So if your dosing or doing auto water changes you can add a lower flow head and smaller tubing to get the proper rate of dosing or water changes.  Its makes it very versatile.  

 

[fishyfishy]

Interesting, do all the cole palmer pumps accept multiple heads?  I have been browsing ebay looking for a deal, but I think I need to do more research before pulling the trigger as there are so many different models and vast different prices.  So the motor runs at a consistent speed but you set your tubing and dosing head up to be lower volume? I wonder if you could get away with cheaper tubing on that run, as it could easily be 20+ feet and since it doesn't need to be as accurate.

 

[bcavalli]

There is a vast amount of information on them.  It can get rather confusing.  Only 10" of the tubing will need to be manufacturer tubing.  The reason why is because the head is constantly turning and that is where the tubing wears out.  You can extend it with inferior tubing to and from the pump head.  I would highly recommend getting it a adjustable RPM peristaltic pump then you can fine-tune it to your needs.  I am not sure if all of the units well except multiple heads.  I do know that there are cartridge pumps and then what I have is a regular pump and I'll post some pictures when I get back home.

 

[bcavalli]

Here's a picture of my peristaltic pump.  I have 3 additional heads to add on a kalk drip and auto water changing system.

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[fishyfishy]

That's awesome.  So the motor will drive all 4 at the same rate?  But you will manage different flow rates based on the head and diameter tubing you choose?

 

[bcavalli]

Yep thats exactly right.

 

[Adam]

Also when using a peristialic pump you put it on the output/effluent side of the reactor so it pulls through. For the input you just have a line were you want to draw from secured below the water line and connected to the feed of the reactor.

I've been reading up for some time now. And this is most definitely the most accurate way to implement a carx and easiest to dial in. It's just the cost of the pumps has really shot up with the demand.

 

[urbanknight]

Adam mentioned earlier that he and I had purchased custom made regulators from the guy in Oregon. Prior to receiving it, I thought the Carbon doser was hot stuff. I own one and will say this about them. They are not all they are said to be. Mine, got to the point where it released multiple bubbles (7-10) at the same time. I could continue setting the time the bubbles were released but there was no adjusting the amount of bubbles released.  I said that to say, keep an eye on your carbon doser unit because it is prone to fail like anything else in this hobby. Here's an interesting read on the carbon doser vs the regulators our guy builds:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/carbondoser-vs-2-stage-regulator-system-supply-pressure-effect-on-co2-flow.397486/#post-4787113

 

[FutureInterest]

Great info man.  Appreciate the share .  Hopefully I won't run into that issue.  If I do, I know who to ask.

 

[FutureInterest]

So a quick update... I ended up finding a CaRx for sooo cheap it was more cost effective than building my own. If I find that it cannot handle the volume I need in the distant future then I'll retry this but right now its more than sufficient. I did end up going with a peristaltic pump after finding the effluent rate would vary over time from the return manifold. I think because the flow rate is so low it is more susceptible to getting clogged. If I were to run the CaRx at full bore and just adjust the ph it would probably be fine. I'd rather adjust the flow rate though and keep ph steady so I went ahead and got a peristaltic pump. It has made all the difference. Thanks guys for that recommendation!