Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread

[tkeracer619]

Originally Posted by ostrow

When I read through this thread that was supposed to be one of the advantages of these pumps!!!

So, is this not the case, and if not, what then is the solution?!?

You have a blockage somewhere in your reactor. Often they are in elbows. Did you remove your needle valve? If not that would be my first suspect.

Pharmed BPT LS17 can generate 13psi of pressure. If you are ballooning it you have a serious clog. No pump can overcome that. Honestly I am surprised the orings on the reactor aren't leaking. 13psi in a reactor with a 4" chamber is putting 163lbs of pressure on the lid. This is why I recommend pulling through the reactor instead of pushing.

[ostrow]

8" chamber.

No needle valve as I removed when installed the masterflex.

Only elbow is from the pharmed to the room tubing.

Will check fittings on reactor. Perhaps debris got in there...

[machodik]

Hi all,

Please help me solve my problem with my Geo 618, so much bubbles in the reactor , I use a peristaltic pump to draw the reactor water to the sump but the hose is full of air and parameters fluctuate due to no liquid being drip In to the sump


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[tkeracer619]

Originally Posted by machodik

Hi all,

Please help me solve my problem with my Geo 618, so much bubbles in the reactor , I use a peristaltic pump to draw the reactor water to the sump but the hose is full of air and parameters fluctuate due to no liquid being drip In to the sump


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Turn off the co2 gas, does the problem still occur?

If yes, you have an air leak in a fitting, tube, or gasket. Take apart the entire thing and re-assemble using teflon paste on the threaded fittings and silicone grease (not glue) on any orings.

If no, post pics of how you have the reactor setup. Do not assume you have no air leaks, you must test this by cutting off the co2 gas first.

[machodik]

Thanks for the prompt reply TK,

Actually I saw some air space from the supplying hose to the reactor. This is the tube that is where the water from the tank getting in to the reactor , as I am using the peristaltic pump (Watson Marlow) pulling the water out from the reactor . And I can see so much air bubbles on the inside of reactor too


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[tkeracer619]

That is probably the issue then. The reactor needs to be air tight.

[machodik]

I will try to check when I got back this Sunday since I am traveling now . But in case if the issue is the Co2, as it really have some bubbles getting in , how you going to stop it from producing bubbles then ?


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[tkeracer619]

On a GEO it requires modification to the reactor lid.

9 out of 10 times your problem comes from poor connections. Make sure all connections are air tight. Air can get in places water doesn't so it can be tricky.

[machodik]

Wow, so Geo is not the best reactor ? How to make the modification on the lid?


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[vhuang168]

If you changed the setup to push water through the reactor, I think that might help you issue. To pull water, the reactor needs to be absolutely air tight. Not just water tight but air tight!


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[tkeracer619]

Originally Posted by machodik

Wow, so Geo is not the best reactor ? How to make the modification on the lid?


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Don't worry about it until you resolve your leak issues but it involves adding an additional port to the lid which means you need to drill with a special bit. Fix the leaks in your reactor first.

GEO is a fine reactor.

[machodik]

Originally Posted by vhuang168

If you changed the setup to push water through the reactor, I think that might help you issue. To pull water, the reactor needs to be absolutely air tight. Not just water tight but air tight!


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Can I do push and pull ? Which means aside from my peristaltic pump pulling the water out , I add one more pump to push the water at the same time ? I have found when I use push water no issue with bubbles .

If I add push to pull will this create some leakages later on as the push is stronger than the pull . May be using a small pump will help ?


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[machodik]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Don't worry about it until you resolve your leak issues but it involves adding an additional port to the lid which means you need to drill with a special bit. Fix the leaks in your reactor first.



GEO is a fine reactor.

I don't see any possible leaks , I tightly twist the PH probe port which I think that may be one of the possible leakage cause (if any).

I wonder if this is due to co2 bubbles then what is the remedy then?


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[tkeracer619]

If you turn gas off does the problem still exist?

[slief]

Originally Posted by machodik

Can I do push and pull ? Which means aside from my peristaltic pump pulling the water out , I add one more pump to push the water at the same time ? I have found when I use push water no issue with bubbles .

If I add push to pull will this create some leakages later on as the push is stronger than the pull . May be using a small pump will help ?


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Why would you push and pull at the same time. There is no reason to do that. If you don't have excess gas in the reactor when pushing, just leave the pump setup to push water through the reactor. That's how I have mine setup and it runs perfectly fine. The only time I've ever had excess gas in my reactor is when the output pressure on the regulator is too high. I keep mine set at 3psi to the reactor and have no issues with gas build up with my Geo but as I said, I have my pump setup to push through the reactor and unlike others, I've never modified my Geo to relocate the effluent connection.

[machodik]

Thanks Scott,

I do pull because I am a peristaltic pump pulling the effluent out.

Previously I only use push with our peristaltic pump then it clogs easily .

I wonder when you push , you no longer using master flex pump ? I remember you use that pump too.

Can you help me how you do yours ?

Thanks


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[ostrow]

He like most use the masterflex to feed (push through) the reactor

[slief]

Originally Posted by machodik

Thanks Scott,

I do pull because I am a peristaltic pump pulling the effluent out.

Previously I only use push with our peristaltic pump then it clogs easily .

I wonder when you push , you no longer using master flex pump ? I remember you use that pump too.

Can you help me how you do yours ?

Thanks


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I still use my masteflex but switched to pushing a long time ago. I never have issues with clogging either. If you're having clogging issues then I can only assume your pump doesn't produce as much pressure as the masteflex, your effluent tubing is too small in diameter or you pH is much lower than you realize.

[hkgar]

I have a Reef Octopus cr5000 CA reactor and it use a CO2 re-circulation system. I know there is air (not CO2) in the chamber but I can not figure out how to purge the system of all air. The reactor uses a Water Blaster 3000 pump. Any ideas?

Thanks

[dattack]

Originally Posted by hkgar

I have a Reef Octopus cr5000 CA reactor and it use a CO2 re-circulation system. I know there is air (not CO2) in the chamber but I can not figure out how to purge the system of all air. The reactor uses a Water Blaster 3000 pump. Any ideas?

Thanks

MIght want to try turning off the recirculation pump and the CO2. Just have the feed pump to the reactor run an hour or two. Should eventually push our most of the gas out since it will rise to the top before the water.

[machodik]

I did that already but I was wondering why the bubbles keep coming back or should I say keep having air ?

I have use a very small pump to push the water into the reactor and let my Watson Marlow pull the effluent back to the tank .

With the small pump I can see that no more air column on the hose going to the reactor but the next day I can see some air bubbles accumulate on the top of the calcium reactor , I wonder if this is cause by the co2 ? If so how can I minimize it? Turning off the Co2 then useless for having a calcium reactor , right ?


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[hkgar]

Originally Posted by dattack

MIght want to try turning off the recirculation pump and the CO2. Just have the feed pump to the reactor run an hour or two. Should eventually push our most of the gas out since it will rise to the top before the water.

The problem is with the way a CO2 recirc works. The tube from the top of the chamber goes back into the re-circulation pump line. The effluent output is about 2 inches down into the chamber and not at the very top.
The flow of the CO@ re-circ is from the outlet in the middle on the lid to the top of the tube of the tube coming up from the pump and the effluent line is on the left. The ph probe is on the right of the lid.

[tkeracer619]

Originally Posted by machodik

Turning off the Co2 then useless for having a calcium reactor , right ?

It's a test to see if it is air or co2. You turn co2 back on once you determine the cause of the build up. It's the first step to troubleshooting. Almost always it is air caused by poor connections. If you have teflon tape on plastic fittings that is probably the issue.

Most of these reactors that are "co2 saving" just cause headaches by putting the effluent output lower than the lid or on the recirculation tube. Gas naturally moves to the center of a pipe if water is flowing. It cannot escape the reactor.

You can often solve it other ways but a simple solution is to drill a hole in the lid, glue a fitting on, and take effluent from the lid instead of the factory location.

[Dustin1300]

I recently re-ordered another cole parmer controller side as mine had died after a storm the first of this year. The new setup is not working for me so ordered new unit (900-1554) and from what I'm seeing on this thread it's set up for remote mode? Is there any recovering this or did I just waste my money and need to dispute through eBay?

[vhuang168]

900-1554 is just the controller. You need an accompanying drive and head unit.


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