Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread

[meshwheel]

CW,
Yea your right! Maybe he thought I was trying to source parts to copy his and sell. Not sure, I just would have appreciated a better response then what I got.
I GOT MY REACTOR 10 MINUTES AGO!!!! HA!!!! ITS IN GREAT SHAPE!!! 79.00 with shipping! This little baby brings back memories! It's a little powerhouse man! Rated up to 200 gallons. And its recirculating design uses very little co2!
This one I will never sell again! I think they do not make them anymore. Getting ready to test the pump.......................brb! Sweeeeeeeeeet! pump works great!!!
Will post some pics pretty quick!

[hkgar]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

For those with Korallin reactors this is a diagram I drew up(most reverse flow reactors will be similar). If the reactor is not setup in this fashion you might run into problems. Standard flow reactors should be hooked up in a conventional manner.

I recommend using the peristaltic to pull through the reactor and not push as you might have seen me state in previous posts. These pumps can overwhelm the orings on most reactors if the output gets clogged. Pulling on the effluent is safer.

If I understand correctly, you have your pump hooked up to the Effluent output port? I have the Korallin 1502 and am using a Cole Parmer 7520-50 with a easy load 7518-00 and use 16 tubing. I pump tank water into the reactor with the pump using the input port. Are you suggesting hooking the pump up to the effluent out port?

[meshwheel]

check it out guys! Brings back memories.....................

[turkeyty]

Good Afternoon... In the process of getting everything connected... A few questions if I may
1. With the CP pump. Can it pull from sump at 4.5' head using standard tubing?
2. Should I start at 30ml(lowest) first? system is 340g with an alk of 9 and calcium of 360....

That's all for now... Pics will follow once I'm dialed in, and many thanks in advance.

Ty

[tkeracer619]

Originally Posted by CW from the OC

A GIGANTIC thank you, this is most excellent! Your constant work to help many reefers is admirable.

Thank you! I appreciate it.

Originally Posted by meshwheel

I am interested in the Aquarium plant gauges and their special valve and timer for about 300.00. Is it really worth that kind of money????

Yes, I wouldn't consider running a reactor without it. The digital display is questionable but if you are running the reactor with this peristaltic pump setup then I say go for it. The counter will give you a heads up to fill the bottle before it goes empty.

Originally Posted by CW from the OC

The 1-100 RPM models,

.6-100rpm models will work but they achieve that speed through a gear set. So if you need 50rpm for your CaRx you will be turning the motor at 50% speed and it will generate more noise and wear. This is the reason I prefer the 6-600rpm units.

Originally Posted by Haksar

Hi Mark,

To run the regulator continuously should I lower the controller ph to 6.1,will this exhaust the co2 tank quickly or cause low ph in the tank.I have my reactor set at 50ml/min and 60 BPM but would like to try your method of continuous regulator run.

Nothing will change. Right now your regulator turns the gas on and off based on the controller. You don't want to change the total amount of gas input you just want to make it so it delivers it in a steady stream. The reason you set the controller to turn the reg off if it gets to low is so that you don't mess something up. One of the easiest ways to adjust this is to operate the setup like normal and just back off the gas until it never turns off. After you get there you can change your ph lower and the regulator should just run and run at the correct delivery rate.

Originally Posted by meshwheel

I sent some questions to aquariumplant.com about their super duper gauges and doser/timer. I asked if the unit was China made. The guy continually dodged the question!!!!! Not good. If he knew or thought China parts had a bad rap, he would not be dodging the questions. TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL IN MY OPINION!!!! He will not be getting my business. TOTAL MONEY GRUBBERS.....
I have set them up and ran them before without their unit, I can do it again.
Thanks for the help!

They might not have the best question answering department, especially if you sent an email but they do have the best regulator. There are other regulators on the market that are high quality, you can choose one of them but I think you will be selling yourself short over poor communication.

Originally Posted by hkgar

If I understand correctly, you have your pump hooked up to the Effluent output port? I have the Korallin 1502 and am using a Cole Parmer 7520-50 with a easy load 7518-00 and use 16 tubing. I pump tank water into the reactor with the pump using the input port. Are you suggesting hooking the pump up to the effluent out port?

Yes, you can pull through the reactor by putting the pump input to the effluent output of the reactor. It will draw the effluent through the reactor the same as pushing water through it. The only difference is that if you are pushing and the reactor output gets clogged the reactor will leak water.

Originally Posted by turkeyty

Good Afternoon... In the process of getting everything connected... A few questions if I may
1. With the CP pump. Can it pull from sump at 4.5' head using standard tubing?
2. Should I start at 30ml(lowest) first? system is 340g with an alk of 9 and calcium of 360....

That's all for now... Pics will follow once I'm dialed in, and many thanks in advance.

Ty

#1: Yes, These have a very high head pressure and suction. Use 1/4" John Guest poly tube for the runs and only the minimum amount of peristaltic tubing for the pump head. If you have longer runs use 3/8" John Guest poly tubing (you will get more consistent results on long runs).

#2: Measure what you are currently targeting and set the pump to that flow rate. If you are just starting up 30ml a minute is a good place to start then slowly add gas until the tank becomes stable OR you have to increase effluent flow because reactor ph is too low. Once that is the case bump effluent flow and gas flow until the tank becomes stable. If you increase effluent flow by 10% increase gas flow by 10%.

Originally Posted by meshwheel

check it out guys! Brings back memories.....................

Awesome deal!






Don't think I missed anyone but if I did just remind me

Lets see some more pics!

Aloha!

[James77]

Originally Posted by meshwheel

I am interested in the Aquarium plant gauges and their special valve and timer for about 300.00. Is it really worth that kind of money????

You only need the carbondoser regulator...it is listed at $259:

http://www.aquariumplants.com/Carbon...ator_p/co2.htm

The LCD counter is totally unnecessary, unless you want to know how many bubbles you run per day . It is worth every penny. I have run them on my SPS tanks and planted CO2 injected tanks. I have also run Azoo, Reef Fanatic, JBJ, and Milwaukee reactors....the Aquarium plants blows them out of the water. The AP ones are far more reliable and truly hold their setting. The only other ones I would consider other than the AP one would be some of the higher end ones from GreenLeafAquariums....though I have no experience with them or the products. But some of those are in the $300-$400 range, due to the needle valves...the good ones like Ideal cost a bit.

[Chris Lakies]

I may be wanting to get one of these soon. I can probably do $200-300 max. Can u link something that may work for me? 65 total gallons mostly sps tank. I currently dose 80ml of 2 part per day.

[Pseudo69]

Is the Cole Parmer MasterFlex Peristaltic pump with easy load drive 7523-20 digital drive, a good unit?

[dkeller_nc]

FYI, guys. Cole-parmer's masterflex pumps are decent, but they aren't the be-all, end-all of variable-delivery, continuous-duty peristaltic pumps. There are many other suitable options, some for a whole lot less money if you're comparing "new" prices. One item of note here is that the retail prices on Cole Parmer's site are quite a bit higher than what one actually pays if you've a corporate account. Typically, it's a 30-45% discount, which should suggest to you that you're paying a pretty steep "scientific equipment" mark-up if you buy one of these new.

And there are tons and tons of other options for continuous-duty peristaltic pumps, many that are far, far cheaper.

Just one example - look up "stenner classic series" on google. Some of these are fixed delivery rate pumps (though the actual rate delivered can be changed by changing the tubing size), but they also make variable-delivery pumps that are adjustable by means of a mechanical transmission. And they're continuous-duty.

But there are many other manufacturers out there for continuous-duty, adjustable-delivery peristaltic metering pumps. So look around - you will very easily find much less expensive options than CP's Masterflex brand.

[dkeller_nc]

One other thought about this; if you're using a general-purpose, programmable controller to run a calcium reactor, you don't really need a continuous-duty, adjustable peristaltic pump. You could just as easily use any peristaltic dosing pump, you simply control the calcium/alkalinity additions to your aquarium by adjusting the on/off duty cycle.

That will result in pH swings in the calcium reactor, but so what? If you're using a pH probe and a solenoid valve to turn the CO2 on/off, that won't cause any issues, the controller will just turn the CO2 off once the pH drops in the reactor and until the next "on" cycle of the peristaltic feed pump.

[zachts]

The beauty of this setup is that you do not switch things on/off ever, and it results in very stable tank conditions. That said I will agree there are other options out there to make this work out with continuous flow adjustable speed pumps though.

I will note also for the more DIY inclined that a cole-parmer L/S pump head can be had on ebay for under $30 new and you just need to pair it with a motor capable of turning it. A cheap pwm motor control can allow you to get a good degree of variable speed. And a setup like this would cost you well under $100.

For example there are some great little Ametek/Pittman three head pumps on ebay right now using the cole parmer head that would be perfect. You only need one of the heads and removing the other 2 puts less strain on the motor making PWM speed control more effective. These happen to be great little pumps, I bought several for dosing and AWC before the seller realized what he had and jacked up his price. They work Great, by the way.

The all in one systems discussed in this thread are great but not absolutely needed to make this work out just as well. Just my thoughts to save some money for those on a tight budget with the skills to DIY electronics and such.

[AcroporAddict]

There are other options, but this thread is to help those using Masterflex pumps, and is not suggesting these are the only pumps available.

Also, I do use a controller pH probe with my CO2 setup, set to the lowest hysteresis. What impresses me about the Masterflex pumps is the consistent delivery of correct effluent flow rates, which is something I never had, and makes them worth the purchase price alone. My KH has never been more stable in my 465 gallon SPS tank.

Stenner pumps are not bad, but you will be in for $250-$300 or so for one that is adjustable, and you can buy a used Masterflex with pump head off ebay for that amount or less.

[Haksar]

Nothing will change. Right now your regulator turns the gas on and off based on the controller. You don't want to change the total amount of gas input you just want to make it so it delivers it in a steady stream. The reason you set the controller to turn the reg off if it gets to low is so that you don't mess something up. One of the easiest ways to adjust this is to operate the setup like normal and just back off the gas until it never turns off. After you get there you can change your ph lower and the regulator should just run and run at the correct delivery rate.

Sorry I am a bit confused does this mean I need to lower the ph in the controller for the regulator to run continuously without dropping the BPM.

[dkeller_nc]

Originally Posted by AcroporAddict

Stenner pumps are not bad, but you will be in for $250-$300 or so for one that is adjustable, and you can buy a used Masterflex with pump head off ebay for that amount or less.

I simply noted this because someone earlier on had mentioned buying a new Masterflex to avoid the uncertainty of R&R of used equipment. You can, of course, buy used Stenners, Rolachems, etc... for a whole lot less than they cost new.

One other option - the king of the hill in adjustable, bullet-proof peristaltic dosing pumps is Watson-Marlow. They are far more reliable and ruggedly built than CP's masterflex, and are widely used in the industry that I work in (pharmaceutical/medical). They are prohibitively expensive new, but they can often be purchased from used equipment sites and e-bay for $200-$300.

[CW from the OC]

Originally Posted by Pseudo69

Is the Cole Parmer MasterFlex Peristaltic pump with easy load drive 7523-20 digital drive, a good unit?

The CP website doesn't have the full description up for that one anymore, but from what I saw of the specs for the "direct replacement" they list, it looks perfect. If it was available when I was looking I would have pounced on it.

[aquaenthusiast]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Yes, you can pull through the reactor by putting the pump input to the effluent output of the reactor. It will draw the effluent through the reactor the same as pushing water through it. The only difference is that if you are pushing and the reactor output gets clogged the reactor will leak water.

so it is wiser to pull water out/from the calcium reactor? is there any better benefit to push it through?

[AcroporAddict]

Originally Posted by aquaenthusiast

so it is wiser to pull water out/from the calcium reactor? is there any better benefit to push it through?

I push through and haven't had any issues, but Mark is saying if you pull through the reactor with the CP pump in stead of pushing through, you avoid possibly overpowering the calcium reactors seals (O-Rings, tubing connectors,etc) if the output of the reactor clogs up, since the CP pump won't be pushing water towards a clogged up effluent line reactor.

No real benefit of pushing water vs pulling through a reactor that I can see. Pulling is probably the safest way. Probably just not done a lot because it would appear a bit counter intuitive if you have always fed from a pump or manifold (pushing water through).

[agv180]

hello


tell them my opinion, for many years I had a 1502 korallin which controlled it with pHMeter and effluent needle with a wrench .
I could never control it was impossible because the key was not accurate and if the regulated soon was out of position . which did not allow to have the necessary amount of ml .

5 months ago change the reactor and buy a Schuran jetstream 1 " is perfect, the best in the world as the manufacturer says " reactor also purchase a " master flex peristaltic pump 7554-80 " with a "head 7518-00 ." the settings are made ​​through this link http://reef.diesyst.com/reactor/reactor.html is extracourse aragonite and magnesium zeomag . the internal pH of the reactor is 6.52 and I have 24 ml of effluent. aquarium system is 200 gall which is holding me alone with the reactor 2 months ago I do not add any other element to meet the parameters which was impossible without masterflex pump. because the amount of effluent varied over time.


as I said in the post , the pump is worth every penny of the cost because it is for life and allows fine control the reactor.

recommend the pump masterflex

I apologize for my bad English .

[meshwheel]

You guys want to hear something great about the older Knops that I did not even realize until reading the directions years later??
You can run a Tee off the recirculation pump and use it to take water into the reactor as well! HA!!!! Do not even need to worry about a additional pump to feed it!

[meshwheel]

agv180,
I would imagine becasue the pump is so stong, small deviations in the back pressure in the reactor cannot effect it. That's great!!!! Sounds like that will make you life a heck of alot easier for sure!!!
I hope it goes all well for you now! Good luck!!

[Theokie]

I've gotten two pumps off of ebay and they are a bit louder then I expected, I'm wondering if a brush replacement might quiet them down a bit.

Has anyone on here done a brush or bearing replacement? And if so is it as easy at it appears, just removing the cap and then removing the assemblies?

[turkeyty]

Finally got everything setup this week... Its a deltec with an aquariumplants regulator, fed by a cole parmer digital pump pulling through reactor. The ap regulator was easy peasy to set and I'm running the ph at 6.5 in reactor. I currently have the cp pump pulling 40ml a minute... I will make adjustments as warranted through the next few weeks. It seems that using both the ap reg and cp pump has made this project go together easily and effortlessly. Hopefully the added expense will allow me to enjoy the aquarium and corals more and not be fiddling with the equipment and supplements as much...

Once again, A BIG THANKS to Mark for his help! Here's a picture of the finished set up...

Ty

[mntnbighker]

Originally Posted by dkeller_nc

Just one example - look up "stenner classic series" on google. Some of these are fixed delivery rate pumps (though the actual rate delivered can be changed by changing the tubing size), but they also make variable-delivery pumps that are adjustable by means of a mechanical transmission. And they're continuous-duty.

US Water Systems has the Stenner 85 series adjustable PS pumps on sale right now for $336. The 85M5 is 11 to 223 ml/min which sounds about perfect for most ca reactor needs from what I am reading in other posts. Thanks for the tip. I think this makes much more sense than a used CP pump with unknown hours on it. Anybody know if the 45 series are much quieter being half the motor rpm of the 85 series?

[CW from the OC]

That Stenner is very interesting. I'd give it a try if I didn't recently pick up 2 Cole Parmers. Someone buy one and try it out!!!

[EvMiBo]

I purchased a 7520-25 with quick load head used from eBay ($125 shipped). Works well but it is relatively old and somewhat noisy. CP doesn't make the model but if you search for it on their site it gives you the modern equivalent. I have no large complaints other than the age and the noise.

But, I am considering purchasing a stenner 45M5 (also on "sale"). Which is adjustable from 6.6 to 131 mL/min. I have a knack for trying to purchase new gear and the old CP pump worries me some.

Fwiw, the stenner 45's and 85's use the same motor but the 45's run at 26 RPM (max. I assume) as opposed to the 85's 44 RPM. It's a safe bet to assume the 45's will be quieter. The only 45's I'd be comfortable buying are the M4 or M5 due to their volume range.