Equipment Room, or not?

Ca Reactor

Well, I've been making noise that it was time to get serious about starting up the Ca Reactor...

I don't yet have Ca and Mg at the proper levels. I'll be running a full water test tomorrow and post the current results.

So, I modified the pump inlet with a T and adaptor to mount a pH probe. As you can see in the pic, the pH currently is 6.6 after 12 hours of operation. I have set the CO2 control band to ON @ 5.7 and OFF @ 5.2. I will be picking up a short 3 prong power strip and adding a pH safety with one of the RKE channels.



There are 2 pending mods remaining for this build.. one is to add a flow meter to the outlet/return to the sump combined with a 1/4 solenoid valve to work with the RKE low pH safety (plan to shut off the pump, CO2 pH controller, and the solenoid valve return to the sump).

I chose to go with a 2 chamber system. So I'm re-using the Tuzine Second chamber I had with the previous tank. So, it is carefully "wedged" into the live rock in the sump and suspended about 1 inch above the substrate (water exits out the bottom of this container).



So, Is the CO2 control band adequate?

 

So, with a promise to return the pan...combined with a bit of wine, chocolate, and flowers....she brought me the pan...



And....her hobby is choosing livestock for the DT and cake decorating....



Enlarge the pic to see the lady bugs on the rose stems...

 

Re-Reading the link Otty sent on setting up a Ca Reactor...I see that I set the control band too low...

http://www.cnidarianreef.com/faq.cfm?FID=37


This morning, pH in the reactor was 6.5...So, back out to raise the control band to 6.6 - 6.8....

 

Re-Reading the link Otty sent on setting up a Ca Reactor...I see that I set the control band too low...

http://www.cnidarianreef.com/faq.cfm?FID=37


This morning, pH in the reactor was 6.5...So, back out to raise the control band to 6.6 - 6.8....

 

I keep mine at 6.7 pH in chamber. I would increase the effluient rate to just past a fast drip and get your bubbles at 1.4 to 1.6 bpm and see what reactor has for pH in about 2.5 to 4 hrs. Just remember any adjustment done to this reactor needs to have AT LEAST 2 hrs between adjustment. This is why setting up a reactor takes so long as things don't change immediately they take time.

 

....Ok, the pH control band has been reset to 6.5 (off) - 6.75 (on) for CO2 addition to the Ca Reactor...The bubble rate is a bit lower...closer to 2 bps....and the effluent drip rate is now a slow dribble...

Time to walk away and re-check this afternoon...

 

ORP Logging to the rescue...

I had, for the last 12 weeks a very steady cycling of ORP levels...3 days ago the cycling stopped...

Here is the trend chart...


Note: back on 2/7 I dialed down the O3 generator output...probably too much...tweaked again on 2/9...

After checking out the Air pump, dryer, air flow through the dryer, increasing O3 output, Air flow through the O3 generator....the problem was a clog in the 1/4 inch air tube nipple on the Skimmer....fixed with a wooden skewer...

The result, ORP levels came back and the skimmer immediately went nuts...

 

I love the graphs that my ACIII put out. Very handy when trying to diagnose a problem.

 

I have noticed that the flow from my closed loop system has been going down...markedly just recently...

So, today I shut down the closed loop, and pulled the pump from the system, It was a very tight fit, but as designed it did come out of the hole I put it in...upon opening the pump case and inspecting the impeller, I found all veins of the impeller were pluged with shells...

It required about 20 minutes to pick out and clear the impeller. So, after the pump was re-installed, I changed out both of the 3-way inlets with egg crate screens to standard 1.5 inch pump suction screens.

This should keep out the shells, for now...but, the reason I was using them in the first place is that the pump screens sit lower and suck up some sand from time to time...it took only about 30 minutes to get enough sand into the OM 4-way valve to stick it...and I nicked the O-ring when re-assembling...so, I'm waiting on Paul to ship me a couple of O-rings...

 

Coil De-Nitrator...



It just sits there doing it's job...