CalcFeeder Basic/Pro - latest generation calcium reactor

[Przemek_PacSun]

Originally Posted by Ted_C

FYI. For those installing the new firmware and turning on the degassing, degassing mode runs the controller pump in reverse it seems.

This means if you collect your normal ouput in a cup that overflows into your sump, the cup can be emptied and you'll start sucking air into the reactor.

Your cup is going to need to be below the sump's water line to avoid having this occur.

It also seems running degassing mode is a simple timed program to run the pump in reverse. There's no sensor or anything involved that would tell the program it's complete.

It also seems like when you turn degas on, it's a program that can run at some time on it's own. This hasn't actually happened for me yet. If this runs and our output cup is above the water line, you'll suck air back into the media chamber.

Hi Ted
Yes, it';s very important - both tunings(input and output) need to be installed under water level.
During degassing process reactor check when sensor stop seeing gas - and work predefined time longer removing the rest(many as possible when main pump work) CO2/air/gas from mixing chamber.
After that refill mixing chamber again and start working on optimal parameters.
That function is automatically called when CO2 sensor "see" gas for too long(when "new" saltwater is pumped into reactor) but gas is not dissolving(water level is not raisin above optical sensor).

About using our CalcFeeder in regular reactors - I suggest waiting a little cause in this year we will present another version of CalcFeeder PRO controller with active pH probe - so it will be like step motor dosing pump with aquarium pH computer in one housing.
Stay tuned!

[lionfish300]

Originally Posted by dz6t

Thank you very much for taking your time to explain this.
So there is a blanket of gas inside the reactor at the top? Thanks again. I just can't figure out how this reactor works. I can understand how a traditional reactor with pH probe works.
In fact when higher amount of CO2 dissolved in the water, pH is lower. So in the PacSun reactor, CO2 is always saturated?
Any one had measured the pH of the water coming out of the reactor? Thanks

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My Ph coming out of reactor when just start up the 1st day or so will get 6.4. This is what suppose to be for Media to work but goes up over days after that

[dz6t]

Thanks for the information.
So the controller is doing two things:
1. Control the drip rate
2. To make sure there is gas coming into the reactor
Is that correct?
Thanks


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[Ted_C]

Question for everyone. How should the mixing chamber look during normal operation?

From looking at Rob's video - he has bubbles mixed w/ water down to the optical sensor.

My mixing chamber looks much different. I have a little bit of bubbles in my mixing chamber but I pretty much have a pocket of gas at the top down to the optical sensor.

[Przemek_PacSun]

Hi
It looks like your plate is too high - maybe during transport some bioballs moved up. Please remove few of them - plate should stay on white t-elbow (the same where optics sensor is mounted).
How you have set your main valve ? Co2 reflow valve is closed right?

[Ted_C]

Main valve is probably 60% open. CO2 reflow is closed.

That's going to be difficult to do. I have to remove screws for both the media and mixing chambers to drain water so I can work in the mixing chamber. Since I have to do this anyway, I might look into replacing all the thumb screws with stainless steel bolts with wing nuts and washers. While it is nice to have the slide lock to open the chambers it is too hard to re-seal everything.

[PacSun Service]

@Ted_C - please open little more valve for circulation pump. It will make higher flow and water will be better mixed with CO2 in mixing chamber.

Best regards
Pacific Sun Service

[Ted_C]

Ok - just for your information Przemek - The manual really needs updated. Pictures would be immensely useful.

The bubble plate now sits near the bottom of the piece of acrylic that holds the clear tube between mixing chamber and media chamber.

For everyone else's information:
The bubble diffuser plate has a white piece of acrylic glued to the middle of it. You also have a friction fit piece of acrylic that's designed to fit inside the Tee fitting that's connected to the tube.

The white piece of acrylic on the bubble plate should be pointing towards the top of the mixing chamber. You are going to need to insert the friction fit piece of acrylic into the bubble diffuser plate first (with the black ring on the friction fit acrylic above the white ring on the bubble diffuser plate) then insert the whole assembly into the Tee fitting - pushing down until you cant push anymore.

You cannot put in the bubble plate then try to put in the friction tube. At least on mine - it was slightly off center.

I also spent $80 yesterday to replace the plastic thumb screws with stainless steel bolts , washers and wing nuts.

After opening it up and changing everything and having it running now - I am getting the same problem that was brought up before: the mixing chamber is filling with gas (air? CO2? I dont know) about 4 inches above the inlet for the pump (6 inches below the optical sensor).

[Ted_C]

The last thing I am unsure of: the piece of acrylic that's designed to fit into the tee - it has an open end and an end with a piece of acrylic inside of it with a small 6 mm hole in the middle. I dont know if that is designed to have the small 6 mm hole pointing up towards the top of the reactor or to be inside the tee fitting. Right now, I have it pointing down into the Tee fitting.

[Przemek_PacSun]

This small hole should be on top - not inside Tee fitting
I saw your movie - please check mailbox !
You need set correct pressure on regular and restart reactor (using degassing function )
New be soon of manual together with video setup is almost finished - it shows is help on initial settings.
Your plate was to high - probably during shipment biobals were shaked and left correct place taking too much space = moving plate too high.

[bearpeidog]

I'm seriously considering one but am a little fearful after reading this thread. Is this ready for prime time? Any success stories? When is the manual going into production and complete so it's an effortless setup?

It looks like a great reactor but it needs to be easy to setup.

Anyone have any regrets after purchasing?

[Ted_C]

Its a good reactor bearpeidog - once you get it working. Its not quite as expensive as a DASTACO here in the states (I think). New functions are being added through firmware updates as we discover them and communicate them to support.

[robbous]

One of the issues I was having was the pH would fluctuate and go above desired level to melt the media that I was using in the reactor. It would run fine for four or five days then I would notice that the pH would climb above 6.7 - 6.8. Etc. how I know this was because I would monitor for the pH via my apex app on my phone, I had a pH probe hooked up to my apex in a cup where the enffluent from reactor would exit the reactor and into the cup and dump into my sump. By monitoring the ph via the apex I knew whether or not I needed to go down and reboot the reactor so I was getting the proper pH. When I was away from home and monitoring the pH from my phone I noticed that the pH would be climbing but I was not home to reboot the reactor. What I did was I hooked up the aquabee pump to a outlet on my EB8 Power strip on my apex so I was able to control the on and off feature from my phone no matter where I was, once I noticed the pH beginning to rise above the level where I need it to be I would go to my apex app into the outlet that the aquabee pump was hooked to and shut off the pump for about four to five seconds, by doing this it would raise the water level back up and then once it came back on the CO2 would start to inject again into the mixing chamber and within a half an hour my pH would be back down to 6.1-6.2 in the reactor would run fine for another 4 to 5 days before I had to repeat this process. I think by the degassing firmware upgrade Pacific sun just added it will take care of this problem. :-) other than that I really like this reactor.

[Ted_C]

Another thing the degassing program can help with: finding air leaks in the mixing chamber.

While running degassing mode I could see bubbles of air entering the mixing chamber where the lid meets the body. It was not a matter of how much I could tighten the lid - no matter how tight it would still leak. Removing the lid and repositioning it one set of holes over and only hand tightening the thumb screws and no more air leak.

[HippieSmell]

Originally Posted by robbous

One of the issues I was having was the pH would fluctuate and go above desired level to melt the media that I was using in the reactor. It would run fine for four or five days then I would notice that the pH would climb above 6.7 - 6.8. Etc. how I know this was because I would monitor for the pH via my apex app on my phone, I had a pH probe hooked up to my apex in a cup where the enffluent from reactor would exit the reactor and into the cup and dump into my sump. By monitoring the ph via the apex I knew whether or not I needed to go down and reboot the reactor so I was getting the proper pH. When I was away from home and monitoring the pH from my phone I noticed that the pH would be climbing but I was not home to reboot the reactor. What I did was I hooked up the aquabee pump to a outlet on my EB8 Power strip on my apex so I was able to control the on and off feature from my phone no matter where I was, once I noticed the pH beginning to rise above the level where I need it to be I would go to my apex app into the outlet that the aquabee pump was hooked to and shut off the pump for about four to five seconds, by doing this it would raise the water level back up and then once it came back on the CO2 would start to inject again into the mixing chamber and within a half an hour my pH would be back down to 6.1-6.2 in the reactor would run fine for another 4 to 5 days before I had to repeat this process. I think by the degassing firmware upgrade Pacific sun just added it will take care of this problem. :-) other than that I really like this reactor.

I've also resorted to shutting off the main circulation pump every day to keep the pH low and stable. The degassing feature, as currently programmed, didn't work for me and I kept getting creeping pH.

You get pH down to 6.1? Mine never goes below 6.6.

[robbous]

Originally Posted by HippieSmell

I've also resorted to shutting off the main circulation pump every day to keep the pH low and stable. The degassing feature, as currently programmed, didn't work for me and I kept getting creeping pH.

You get pH down to 6.1? Mine never goes below 6.6.

Yup I sure have but it usually hovers around 6.3-6.4

[Przemek_PacSun]

Originally Posted by HippieSmell

I've also resorted to shutting off the main circulation pump every day to keep the pH low and stable. The degassing feature, as currently programmed, didn't work for me and I kept getting creeping pH.

You get pH down to 6.1? Mine never goes below 6.6.

Hippie
Why degassing option is not working for you? Too long intervals?
If you see ph going up during one day something have to be wrong - like with air sucked by pump(feeding pump).
Have you tried to find any leakages (like not properly placed silicon gasket, tubing etc) using manual refill function?
Regards

Przemek

[Ted_C]

Here's another tip for everyone. replacing the thumb screws with stainless steel bolts and wingnuts and washers is not an option (at least the way I did it).

It seems the major system requirement is that downward pressure is applied to the lid through the thumb screws pushing the lid down. Bolts that provide a "pinch" between top and bottom do not seem to work.

I used 10-24 1 1/4" stainless steel bolts. these were meant to fit loosely in the existing screw holes. The pressure applied to the lid was a pinch from top and bottom instead of downward pressure on the top of the lid. This allowed air to leak into both chambers of the reactor.

You may still be able to make this work - but I think you are going to need stainless M6 bolts threaded and screwed in from the bottom of the reactor and wingnuts and washers on top that will apply downward force on the lid. Even then - it might not work. The thumb screws apply pressure in a very specific small area of the lid and any deviation from this might not seal the o-ring correctly against the lid.

[mrtint]

What type of cable is used for update? Just a standard USB/printer cable


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[Przemek_PacSun]

Yes, it’s standard usb printer cable

[HippieSmell]

Originally Posted by Przemek_PacSun

Hippie
Why degassing option is not working for you? Too long intervals?
If you see ph going up during one day something have to be wrong - like with air sucked by pump(feeding pump).
Have you tried to find any leakages (like not properly placed silicon gasket, tubing etc) using manual refill function?
Regards

Przemek

Correct, the interval was too long. I may not need degassing every day, it's just how I started. I might try longer intervals.

How would the manual refill function check for leaks?

[PacSun Service]

@HippieSmell - If You want to check for leaks using manual refill option You have to close all output tubings from calc feeder and start refill mode for few minutes (untill both chamber will be fully filed with water). Dosing pump will make overpressure and any possible leaks will be able to see.

Best regards

Pacific Sun Service.

[HippieSmell]

Originally Posted by PacSun Service

@HippieSmell - If You want to check for leaks using manual refill option You have to close all output tubings from calc feeder and start refill mode for few minutes (untill both chamber will be fully filed with water). Dosing pump will make overpressure and any possible leaks will be able to see.

Best regards

Pacific Sun Service.

Thank you

[Przemek_PacSun]

In New firmware we will include option for interval settings (every day/ twice per week / every week/ auto )

[Ted_C]

Well, after a long weekend of trying to re-stage my desktop and server and trying to get the AC4 up and running, I think I finally have it set up the way it needs to be running.

It's important when first setting this up to close the valve for the re-circulation pump partially. What seems to happen is the mixing chamber will need around 24 hours to stabilize it's level. The water dropped down for me to 4 inches above the inlet for the pump. It could be the controller / gas pressure / bubble count pushed the water out or a matter of reaching an equilibrium from water to correct amount of CO2.

After my level adjusted to the desired height (right at the optical sensor) I opened the valve to 100%





and a short video of it up and running: