Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread

[skidrow52]

This thread is amazing, made a lot of folks to start their calcium reactors including myself Thx to all here

[tkeracer619]

Awesome setup iu! Looks great.

I love the progression of this thread and everyones participation. You all rock!

[EvMiBo]

Cool pics IU. I have a geo612 and the same pump I believe (can't remember the numbers off the top of my head). Are you running it with an aquariumplants reg?

[IUfan]

Yeah with the AP regulator. Rock solid.

Here's my first couple of tests.



Been dropping the Ph down slowly, started at 6.70, then 6.60, 6.50, and now at 6.45.

For 6.45 Im at just under 3psi, and 30bpm, running at 40ml/min

[hkgar]

Hey IU, whats your flow rate?
MSU fan here.

[IUfan]

40ml/min right now. Only been running with Co2 for 3 days now though.

[hkgar]

If you need to increase or decrease the ALK change the bubble rate or th pressure. So not adjust the flow rate. Decreasing flow rate decreases reactor ph and increasing flow increases ph

[IUfan]

Not sure I understand, so I'm going to write down how I interpret what you said.

You mean if I need more ALK in my tank, increase the flow rate, then increase the bubble count to set the PH again, this creating the same effluent alk, but in higher quantities because of the extra flow?

Is this what you meant?

[hkgar]

No, TKE makes reference to it somewhere in this thread, but either change the bubble rate and/or the pressure (bubble size). Do not change the flow rate. You want to change the effluent alk. If you want to increase the alk and you increase the flow rate your ph in the reactor will go up because the flow through water will be in the reactor less time therefore decreasing the effluent alk (less media being dissolved). It would be like the cat chasing its tail.

[IUfan]

Ahh got you now.

Yeah I was planning on leaving it at 40ml/min, and working with the Co2.

I saw where many use 30ml/min, but mine has to travel almost 10' so that's why I was leaving it at 40. Do you think I should drop down to 30?

[d2mini]

What can ya'll tell me about...
Cole Parmer Masterflex L/S 7550-30 Drive & 77250-62 Pump?

Also, i see a lot that come without power cords.
Where can i get one of those and how much typically?

[Boa1277]

Power cord is a typical computer power cord, it's also the same kind that comes on the AC side of a DC pump.

[hkgar]

Originally Posted by d2mini

What can ya'll tell me about...
Cole Parmer Masterflex L/S 7550-30 Drive & 77250-62 Pump?

Also, i see a lot that come without power cords.
Where can i get one of those and how much typically?

If it is the one listed on ebay for $250, note that it is listed "for parts, not working".

[BigMike75]

If anyone is looking for a AP Carbondoser CO2 reg, you can get 75.00 in store credit after buying the regulator for Cyber Monday. Bought my reg, got a gift certificate and ordered the rest of my parts.

Sorry late notice.

[Adamc1303]

Great thread!

[IUfan]

Here's my ph reading over last 24. This is running without any intervention from the controller, everything running as it should so far I think.

[EvMiBo]

^^^ I love the AP reg... It's spot on, and with the peristaltic pump it's just a matter of messing with bubble count and maybe some mL/Min. Predictable Accuracy.

[d2mini]

what size tubing would you use for auto water changes, figuring you'd want to change out around 5g per day?

[hkgar]

Depends on how fast you want to change the water. Five gallons would be a little over 13 ml/minute. one gallon is 3785.41 ml

Check the flow chart for you pump at www.coleparmer.com.

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by hkgar

Five gallons would be a little over 13 ml/minute.

Huh?
And I don't see a flow chart... tried a search for it too.
Unless this is it, and if it is I have no idea what it's saying.
http://www.coleparmer.com/Assets/PDF/U-1421.pdf

I'd split it up by around 10x so probably around a half gallon each time.

I was looking at different heads and see the tubing sizes listed on them but have no idea which would be preferable.

[AcroporAddict]

I use L/S 15 size tubing on my AWC, and change out about 4.6 gallons in 45 minutes, or 1% total net volume daily. If your console is variable speed, you have a lot of control. The wider the tubing ID, the more it will pump per revoluion of the pump head. Main thing is get a measurable flow rate at whatever RPM and tubing ID you choose to use, like run the pump for a half hour, then get as accurate a measurement as you can for the total volume pumped, and divide that by 30, so you have ounces or gallons or quarts or liters or ml per minute, then just divide the total volume per day you want to change by the total water change periods you want to use, and divide that volume by the previously calculated pump rate, and that should give you the number of minutes to run the pump each water change session.

I do mine at the same time every day. Have the pump pull old water from the skimmer section of the sump, and return new water to the return section of the sump. At least that is how I do it.

I would look for a 1/4" to 3/8" ID tubing for an AWC setup, given what I know about your total system volume.

[hkgar]

Look for the flow chart line in the specifications.

http://www.coleparmer.com/Product/Ma...chTerm=7550-10

LS 17 will handle from 28-1700 ml/minute.
LS 16 from 8- 480

Here is a link to the manual for your pump. Check the section on calibration and then run the calibration ( I am assuming that you got the 7550-10?)

http://www.coleparmer.com/Assets/man...%20rev%205.pdf

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by AcroporAddict

I use L/S 15 size tubing on my AWC, and change out about 4.6 gallons in 45 minutes, or 1% total net volume daily. If your console is variable speed, you have a lot of control. The wider the tubing ID, the more it will pump per revoluion of the pump head. Main thing is get a measurable flow rate at whatever RPM and tubing ID you choose to use, like run the pump for a half hour, then get as accurate a measurement as you can for the total volume pumped, and divide that by 30, so you have ounces or gallons or quarts or liters or ml per minute, then just divide the total volume per day you want to change by the total water change periods you want to use, and divide that volume by the previously calculated pump rate, and that should give you the number of minutes to run the pump each water change session.

I do mine at the same time every day. Have the pump pull old water from the skimmer section of the sump, and return new water to the return section of the sump. At least that is how I do it.

I wold look for a 1/4" to 3/8" ID tubing for an AWC setup, given what I know about your total system volume.

Thanks.

I finally found this chart which helps a bit.
http://www.coleparmer.com/TechLibraryArticle/772
So with 1/4" to 3/8" ID i'm looking more at something like 24-36 tubing.

But even if 15 tubing could change out almost 5g in 45 minutes that would be more than enough and is about spot on with the pumps and 1/4" tubing i'm using now.

[tkeracer619]

The smaller tubing will give you a greater head pressure (likely more accurate). How far of a run are you talking? You will want at least one of the heads to have an adjustable occlusion (pinch). That way you can adjust to compensate for the different head pressures if the lengths from fresh to tank and tank to drain are different.

This is the chart you are looking for.
http://www.masterflex.com/TechLibraryArticle/772

I would go with this tubing. It has roughly double the pressure capability of the one I usually recommend for the reactors. It is an LS16 equivalent.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/ite...5398&catid=864

You will get .8ml per revoltuion. ~Half a gallon would take an hour at 40rpm with LS16 tubing.

These flow rates are based on triple rotor heads.

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

The smaller tubing will give you a greater head pressure (likely more accurate). How far of a run are you talking? You will want at least one of the heads to have an adjustable occlusion (pinch). That way you can adjust to compensate for the different head pressures if the lengths from fresh to tank and tank to drain are different.

This is the chart you are looking for.
http://www.masterflex.com/TechLibraryArticle/772

I would go with this tubing. It has roughly double the pressure capability of the one I usually recommend for the reactors. It is an LS16 equivalent.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/ite...5398&catid=864

You will get .8ml per revoltuion. ~Half a gallon would take an hour at 40rpm with LS16 tubing.

These flow rates are based on triple rotor heads.

And if I wanted to do it faster for any reason I could just up the RPM's?

So basically as long as the head has a variety of tubing diameters listed on it like 15, 24, 35, 36 I should have plenty of options, correct?