Probably a dumb question

[rostato]

Um, how to I figure out my output from the calcium reactor in ml per min? Count drops or something?

I have my new schuran JS1 reactor running withough any C02 on because

1. my solenoid was stuck (fixed)
2. I don't know how to figure out my effluent rate
3. My Miluakee PH controller is broken (I think, it wont turn the solenoid on or off no matter where PH is at)
4. because of all that I am scared to crash my tank without monitoring PH...

 

[rostato]

Here is what happened to the PH controller. I don't know how or why that happened. I am going to take it apart today and see what I can do.

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[william1]

Here a link to calcium reactor set ups. I used a little medicine measuring cup to measure the enfluent. Just takes a little time to dial in. Each tank is different depending on the amount of livestock. Just remember adjust it a little at a time.

 

[rostato]

Thanks. Well I realized that my Reef keeper does ph control so I am using that to control the PH in the reactor now, and the Miluakee as my tank monitor. Right now I am set at 30 bpm Ph slowly diving down it's at 7.0 now, and the controller is set to maintain between 6.5 and 6.7.

I am just eye ballinf effluent rate now. I may not even worry about this because this reactor is so big for my set up I probably will only run the co2 4 hours a day.

Tank Alk 8.5, Calc 380

I am hoping to keep the alk around 8.5-9 since I want to do VSV again. But i am waiting to get the reactor dialed in first.

I will see if I have a good measuring cup.

 

[rostato]

Great idea by the way. I didnt realize one of my measuring cups for Kalk had ml's...DUH!

I am running 50ml pm and 30 bpm

Thanks for the help

 

[william1]

I use the little Ml cup from the childrens tylonel.... Is it a single or dual reactor? If you dont have the second chanber your going to have a P.H. drop. I was told to start off with a very low bubble count and enfluent drip rate. Depending on the media and where your ph probe is. If its mounted right in the chamber or in a drip cup.

 

[rostato]

Here are some pics. Its a single chamber, and I alreay have low PH problems so I don't see it being too bad of a problem. Hopefully it doesnt get worse. My probe is in the recirculating pumps tubing...so in the chamber basically.

But my tan kPH is usually 7.6 at night and 7.8 during the day before the reactor, and with dumping kalk in my top off...

This reactor is too powerful for my puny 90G so I have the co2 on a timer. it will only run 4 hours a day one hour at a time with two hour breaks. I think this should help the PH problems and keep it from overdosing my tank.

I have been reading over 30 pages of info on this reactor yesterday on RC and many people only run there reactors for a part of the day. I am starting at 4 and working my way up. I think changing the time would be easier than messing with effluent and bubble counts all the time.

but I could be wrong.

I had to make it fit...

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[william1]

rostato;316802 wrote: I think changing the time would be easier than messing with effluent and bubble counts all the time.

but I could be wrong.

I had to make it fit...

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After you get it dialed in you dont have to mess with it. Plus did the probe insert come like that. Im not sure how productive that would be if its not reading the ph right in the chamber... I could be wrong though.

 

[rostato]

Yeah thats the way schuran put them in there. You see where that blue valve is...thats where the PH probe is hooked into...

It should be ok I would think. This unit recirculates the co2 throughout the entire unit, so (in theory) it "should" read correctly.

You cna also see in that picture that my pressure gauge is broken for the feed side:doh: all sorts of broken stuff here!