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yiyi67

Calc Reactor Question

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3 Comments
by
yiyi67
, 06-16-2010 at 04:17 PM (5111 Views)
I am working on setting up and dialing in my calcium reactor and am wondering how long most people run their's a day (i.e. 24/7, a couple hours a day, etc.). I have it all set up to my controller and am currently running the ph in the reactor at 6.5. When the solenoid is open its bubbling at about 1 bubble every 3 seconds. (a good starting point per Melev's article). I currently have the feed pump set up to run 3 hours a day but I'm pretty sure this isn't going to dose anywhere near enough with my 350 gallon system! Of course, this is all relative to your own tank's alk/ calc intake rate, but I was just looking for everyone elses experiences. Thanks for the help!

-Ryan

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‎ Tank Entry , ‎ New Additions

Comments

  1. melev's Avatar
    Run it 24 hours a day. The controller will control the pH level in the reactor. The feedpump is always on so that the effluent can continue to flow out.
  2. yiyi67's Avatar
    At the risk of sounding like a complete noob, could running the reactor 24/7 potentially overdose the tank or do I have a complete lack of understanding of how it works?
  3. melev's Avatar
    Think of it this way - a calcium reactor provide alkalinity and calcium to your tank all day long, instead of only right after a manual dosing. The numbers are far more stable because there are no ups and downs.

    If you were to shut it down for many hours, you'd have a reactor filled with stagnant water, deprived of oxygen (thus the lowered pH). Turning it on again would dump that into your system.

    It is of course important that you test daily and adjust the reactor as needed during the first three to four weeks. Once you have it where it runs correctly, it is pretty easy from that point forward with very little interaction on your part. Re-read my article again, as it will become more clear to you with each pass. http://www.melevsreef.com/calcium_reactor.html