Calcium RX question

[DDiver]

how does everyone run their reactors?24/7 or during the day only?and with a kalk reactor or no?

[zoozilla]

Day only w/ Kalk Reactor

[bbyatv]

I run my calcium reactor and kalk stirrer 24/7. One lowers pH and the other raises it. I have them balanced so my pH stays between 8.1 night and 8.4 day.

 

Bruce

[flowerseller]

I run my calcium reactor and kalk stirrer 24/7. One lowers pH and the other raises it. I have them balanced so my pH stays between 8.1 night and 8.4 day.

 

Bruce

 

+1

[DDiver]

thanks Dan,Bruce,Chip....right now i'm only running my kalk when the lights go out..should i only run my Rx during the day?

[Origami]

24/7 for both kalk and CaRx.

[flowerseller]

24/7 for both kalk and CaRx.

 

I'm not sure where this running a Ca reactor less than 24/7 came to be but I can't understand why one would do that.

 

Billy,

it's my opinion you should run your CaRx 24/7 as well as you kalk reactor.

At the least, you could run the kalk reactor for night additions and straight rodi during the day.

[reefhunter]

IMHO, just run kalk, forget the calcium reactor.

[Coral Hind]

Day only w/ Kalk Reactor

 

What is the reasoning behind only running it during the day? Are you turning off both the CO2 and water feed, or just the CO2?

[ctenophore]

What is the reasoning behind only running it during the day? Are you turning off both the CO2 and water feed, or just the CO2?

It depresses pH when CO2 is running, so during the day when pH is higher (due to photosynthesis) it balances out. Same goes for kalk, better to run it at night when respiration causes a drop in tank pH. That said, I run both 24/7 now, but I used to only open CO2 from 9am-9pm before alkalinity demand was high enough.

[Coral Hind]

I figured that was why but to me it seems like the reactor would not be as efficent as it would take some time for the pH to drop enough to start dissolving the media again.

[DDiver]

well right now i'm running the CaRx all day and Kalk/topoff at night(via doser)..my regulator/solenoid is plugged into my ph controller so there's no way to turn that off via timer if i wanted to without having the whole controller on a timer...

Edited April 12, 2010 by DDiver

[ctenophore]

You can control via both pH and time. You need to create a "dummy" device, e.g., CRX that you control via time:

 

If Time > 09:00 Then CRX ON

If Time > 21:00 Then CRX OFF

 

Set this to a non-existent plug, like A15 or something:

CRX&-A15

 

 

Then, set your "real" device, e.g., CO2, to be controlled by pH and the state of CRX:

 

If Timer CRX = ON Then CO2 ON

If Timer CRX = OFF Then CO2 OFF

If pH > 6.8 Then CO2 ON

If pH < 6.5 Then CO2 OFF

 

Hope this helps.

[Origami]

I run both 24/7 finding that my pH control is tighter this way - I don't get as much of a diurnal swing. I duty-cycle both devices, though. The kalk reactor is cycled around 35 minutes out of every hour while my calcium reactor is on about 20 minutes out of every hour. The duty cycle of the kalk reactor is set by evaporation in the tank. For the calcium reactor, it's set by the remaining demand of the system.

[cabrego]

I run both 24/7 finding that my pH control is tighter this way - I don't get as much of a diurnal swing. I duty-cycle both devices, though. The kalk reactor is cycled around 35 minutes out of every hour while my calcium reactor is on about 20 minutes out of every hour. The duty cycle of the kalk reactor is set by evaporation in the tank. For the calcium reactor, it's set by the remaining demand of the system.

 

 

What do you mean when you say your Kalk reactor is cycled aroudn 35 min of every hour? Is it hooked up to a float switch?

 

I just run my kalk reactor via my top off switch. I have to tee off fresh ro di from the rodi kalk feed line into the tank to dilute the kalk or my PH will get really high. So basically, when my float switch turns the pump on I am simultaneously pump saturated lime water and pure rodi in to my sump, generally it is about 50/50.

[Origami]

What do you mean when you say your Kalk reactor is cycled aroudn 35 min of every hour? Is it hooked up to a float switch?

 

I just run my kalk reactor via my top off switch. I have to tee off fresh ro di from the rodi kalk feed line into the tank to dilute the kalk or my PH will get really high. So basically, when my float switch turns the pump on I am simultaneously pump saturated lime water and pure rodi in to my sump, generally it is about 50/50.

 

I don't use float switches on my big system, instead I use timer programming in my ACIII. Evaporation is reasonably constant by season in this system. Top-off goes through a peristaltic pump that delivers 1000 ml per hour. By controlling the duty cycle, I control the amount of top-off that I apply every day. A 35/60 duty cycle gives me (35/60) * 24 hrs * (1000 ml / hr) = 14 liters, or 3.75 gallons per day of top-off. By monitoring the sump levels, I can change the duty cycle as evaporation rates change seasonally (normally twice a year). This actually gives me greater visibility into my calcium uptake over time than float switches.

 

I do use float switches on my smaller Biocube 29.