Vertex Calcium Reactor

[KenB]

Thinking about switching to a calcium reactor.  Looking at the Vertex with a carbon doser regulator and a 1.0 sicce feed pump.  Anyone have experience with the Vertex?  Seen and read a lot of good things but a number of the BRS reviews complain about leaking at the pump connection??

[sethsolomon]

don't get a sicce pump to feed the ca reactor.  get a used cole parmer off ebay.  much better option.  as for the carbon doser that is the best regulator on the market.  I have no experience with vertex reactors so no recommendations on that.  But Check out Life reef.  There calcium reactors are awesome!  Worth every penny. 

 

 

As for master flex  you can almost always lowball offer on ebay as the medical supply places selling them just want to get them out of there hands.

 

Some options currently on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cole-Parmer-MasterFlex-7553-50-Peristaltic-Pump-Controller-w-Easy-Load-Head-/252801510887?hash=item3adc24ede7:g:dnUAAOSw2gxYvjSS

 

this pair:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cole-Parmer-Masterflex-Reversible-Drive-7520-25-variable-speed-peristaltic-pump-/182466467379?hash=item2a7bd95633:g:oDsAAOSw5cNYhSD9

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cole-Parmer-7518-02-Easy-Load-Masterflex-L-S-Pump-Head-/292049649046?hash=item43ff83fd96:g:REMAAOSwB-1YwGAU

 

this pair:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cole-Parmer-7520-25-MasterFlex-Pump/112301603940?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41376%26meid%3Ddc2f847ff13042c9a8c3b7c688c6ca30%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D182466467379

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cole-Parmer-7518-02-Easy-Load-Masterflex-L-S-Pump-Head-/292049649046?hash=item43ff83fd96:g:REMAAOSwB-1YwGAU

 

 

 

just keep an eye on ebay.  Cheap cole parmer's pop up all the time.

[Apcoleman]

I would agree with Seth with regards to the pump.  I tried running my CaRX off a manifold, then a MJ pump and finally bit the bullet for a Masterflex to pull the effluent rather than push.  The aquarium plants regulator is awesome and helps make setup a breeze.  Vertex makes a good reactor.  I was looking at that before I came across a deal on a used GEO618.

[sethsolomon]

Bruce had an awesome write up on proper calcium reactor use. Let me see if I can track it down.

[KenB]

Thanks guys.  This is a big investment so I want to take my time and get as right as possible the first time.  Looked at the Lifereef site and they recommend a simple regulator and no PH controller with a small feed pump.  One of my concerns with the feed pump is they always get calcified and the flow rate will change/stop.  Not sure how critical that is but is that why you recommend the peristaltic pump?

 

Thanks ken

[sethsolomon]

So why the peristaltic pump is because the flow through a calcium reactor is a drip.  It's not a flow like other reactors.  The drip allows for the water to be properly saturated with the melted down nutrients from the calcium media if you have a slow stream pumping through the chamber your will go through a ton more CO2 to keep the ph at the proper level.  Trying to do a drip with a traditional pump will cause it to get clogged and the flow is very inconsistent. While the peristaltic pump is rated to handle the pressure of pulling the effluent out of the chamber and draw fresh water into it.

 

 

As for life reef ca reactors, you can order them with PH probe ports.  I have been using my Lifereef LCR1 for the past 9 years on a 120g, 70g, 150g, 300g frag tank, and my current 200g.  Only had to replace the Mag 7 once in that long.

[Origami]

I use a large masterflex to push through my reactor rather than pull. I push 60 ml/minute for 10 minutes every hour under Apex control. My primary means of control is through managing the on/off cycle. A secondary control is to lower the pH in the reactor to get more saturation of calcium and alkalinity into the effluent.

 

The Masterflex that I have runs around $600 used on ebay, but you can get lesser, lower-priced units for as little as $50. In fact, I'm replacing an older, single speed Masterflex (whose motor finally failed) that I use for topoff purposes with another unit (a 7520) that I got off ebay a couple of days ago for less than $50. That was just for the motor. I already have the head, so I didn't need to make that investment.

[KenB]

Seth,

 

Do you use a PH controller?  The Lifereef site says you don't need one but seems like a nice feature, however, I would like to keep it as simple as possible.

[sethsolomon]

Seth,

 

Do you use a PH controller?  The Lifereef site says you don't need one but seems like a nice feature, however, I would like to keep it as simple as possible.

Yes I use my apex to monitor my PH in the chamber.   Unlike Tom, I keep my flow constant at about 1 drip a second and I adjust the PH to change the amount of nutrient being added to the tank.

[KenB]

Sorry for all the questions but that's to monitor the ph not to control the co2 to keep within a range? 

[sethsolomon]

Sorry for all the questions but that's to monitor the ph not to control the co2 to keep within a range?

I use my controller to control the pH as well. I unfortunately could not afford the carbon doser so I have my Apex control the pH in the chamber.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[Origami]

Controlling the pH inside the reactor (or with the reactor effluent) will help to stabilize the amount of dissolved minerals in the effluent. People often do this by either modifying the reactor to take a pH probe (if it doesn't have one built in already) or putting a probe in a cup where the effluent runs into before overflowing into the sump. You use the pH of the effluent to control whether or not you add more CO2 to the reactor. You can, of course, just run a continuous bubbling of CO2 - e.g. 1 bubble per second - but this can be wasteful and may make it difficult to keep steady with a traditional needle valve.