tuning your CA reactor

[aquabeAnz]

Hi all,

would appreciate any help in configuring the effluent and constant work of my 1250 pump for my CA reactor man...

everytime when i manage to kickstart everything, bubbles started counting at 1 per 2 secs, effluent at 50 drops per min, things start to stop after maybe say half an hour.. 1250 will just suudenly cease to work and effluent will decrease..

any one wants to come over to modify??

last night, as i was trying to troubleshoot the problem, i managed to find a hairline crack on the top of the excess bubble output but has since rectified the problem by covering and sealing up with PVC glue..

damn "sianz" liao... thinking of stripping the CA reactor and turn it into a X-reef dual beckett and get a new CA reactor.. any advice?

[weileong]

Use a 2 stage regulator for your CO2.

Use a metering pump or dosing pump for effluent feed will solve the problem

[aquabeAnz]

sorry WL,

maybe for others as well, where to get a good dosing/feeding pump?

est pricing?

[aquabeAnz]

any bros can help?

i tee-d off the inlet of the ca-reactor from my atman return pump already leh...

however, pump will still stop after i adjust my effluent from free flowing to desired 50 drops /min...

any reasons y?

[weileong]

aquamedic has one dosing pump.

IKS has the LP180.

Prices between S$200-$300+

As for Tee off from main return pump, it can work too but the effluent flow should be kept higher else you get inconsistant effluent flow.

[weisoon]

Get an Iwaki metering pump like what WL did. Super constant eff rate, can control somemore:D

[weileong]

that one is out of price range for many people lol.

But with that the effluent flow is super accurate one.

Can use IKS to control the effluent flow but I need to save up for SIMMOD lei.

[weisoon]

SIMMOD to control the metering pump? Please enlighten.

[weileong]

On some models, the controller can take external input, in the form of standard 4-20mA or 0-10V.

With the 0-10V one we can use simmod to control the stroke frequency.

The LMI one also got this function too.

One possible way to use this would be if you don't run your CR 24/7 then during "off" period, you lower the effluent flow.

[aquabeAnz]

aquamedic has one dosing pump.

IKS has the LP180.

Prices between S$200-$300+

As for Tee off from main return pump, it can work too but the effluent flow should be kept higher else you get inconsistant effluent flow.

wah, only these choices meh? sounds hefty to me leh...

the other reefers leh? what are they deploying?

[weisoon]

On some models, the controller can take external input, in the form of standard 4-20mA or 0-10V.

With the 0-10V one we can use simmod to control the stroke frequency.

The LMI one also got this function too.

One possible way to use this would be if you don't run your CR 24/7 then during "off" period, you lower the effluent flow.

Er.....any advantage to using the 0-10V to control the effluent rate during the 'off' period? If you reduce the effluent but the CO2 supply already cut, then I will think not much difference leh, whether you run normal or reduced effluent. Maybe I am wrong.

[weisoon]

WL, my Iwaki has 2 ports, one marked STOP and the other marked EXT. Guess the EXT is to accept the signal if needed. The LMI unit I have do not have the control ports leh....think lousy one.

[weileong]

Reducing the effluent during the off period helps save some CO2. You cannot shut down the effluent totally as that might have some negative effects.

Yours is the analog controller, the EXT takes pulse input so basically your stroke frequency is controlled by inputting external pulse into the EXT and COM input.

The STOP is to stop the pump.

aquabeAnz, my guess is not much choice, for your case just set the effluent rate higher and clean the ball valve more frequently will help.

[weisoon]

WL, thought the SIMMOD has a max dim function of 60min. So, if you use it to 'dim' your metering pump, then after 60min, you will get max off or on, not sure if there is a intermediate setting unless recycling the SIMMOD in a certain way.

[weileong]

huh? You can program the SIMMOD to hold at certain % right?

Eg when CR running 100% and when CR not running 10%.