So...I'm trying to figure out whether or not I made too hasty of a purchase. Here's my situation:
We have a Schuran Jetstream 1 Calcium Reactor for our newest tank. I decided (here's where the hasty purchase comes in!) that we need to control the CO2 output by installing a pH probe to measure the effluent. So...we bought an IKS Aquastar pH probe this weekend to hook up to the system. The problem that we discovered last night at 10pm, once we had all the media in and the bubbles/effluent volume all set, is that there is no place to plug in a pH probe into the calcium reactor!!
I've searched all over the internet, only to discover that modifications to the calcium reactor are possible, but for the life of me I can't find any web pages featuring these theoretical modifications!
Anybody have any suggestions?
Is it sufficient to just measure bubble count/effluent volume and the pH in the tank? I could, I suppose, hook up the calcium reactor to a timer, so that it shuts off during the night and only runs during the day, but I thought it would be better to have it be pH-dependent....
RB, almost a no brainer...... bring home a tall plastic beaker from work, drill some holes in it @ the top, place your probe & Ca output pipe into a plastic beaker, place/ hang/ ect ect your beaker into the sump, bingo, cheap as chips containment vessile that will overflow into the sump & still give you your readings
I've read in multiple places and Schuran also recommends to not drip into the sump, but rather into the display, otherwise it can funk up the skimmer. So, we've attached it to the other side of the tank, on the wall, so that it can drip into the display instead. Which means that I need to measure the pH somehow directly on the reactor.
Alternatively, we have thought about using some kind of beaker overflow above the display tank, but it's just a big more unsightly and then it's sitting right in the line of the lights and can get bumped much easier.
RB the worst that can happen is it starts coating the parts of your moving components, given enough time without equiptment maintanence it will do it anyways, cant have your cake & eat it too!
your output is around 6.8 yeah so give yourself a high flow area or build a small bottle neck for which the flow can run. Honestly if you used that beautiful melon between your sholders, im sure it does take a genious to work out that you place the output down stream from the skimmer if thats what concerns you.
Personally, food is the only thing that should be added to the DT. Everything else gets added to the sump, doing it this way allows achieveable time to bring elements into a state of equlibrium before they hit the DT.
Post up schurans recommendations please RB. They have world class gear, so there might be another contributing factor why they are saying that. Maybe even come down to possible acidic level milking the housings or attaching rubber componantry, however i have a feeling its a general "long life" equiptment warning for those of us you cant or haven't utilized our sumps thoughfully.
Wenn das Auslaufwasser des Reaktors über Korallenkies o.ä. verrieselt wird oder in einen
Abschäumer geleitet wird, führt eine plötzliche Sauerstoffsättigung des vom Reaktor
aufgehärteten Wassers zum Ausfallen von Calciumcarbonaten. Das findet darin
Begründung, dass das Kohlendioxid im Auslauf des Reaktors im Calciumhydrogencarbonat-
Gleichgewicht gebunden und nicht als freies Kohlendioxid vorliegt (Je höher der KH-Wert ist,
desto höher ist auch der Gehalt an Kohlendioxid im Wasser, das sich im chemischen
Gleichgewicht befindet. Entfernt man durch Austrieb von Kohlendioxid ein Edukt, zerfällt das
Produkt Hydrogencarbonat in Kohlendioxid und Carbonat und schlägt sich als weißer
Niederschlag nieder). Das Beste ist daher, das Wasser vom Reaktor direkt in den
Filtersumpf oder das Aquarium laufen zu lassen. Das ist unbedenklich selbst wenn das aus
dem Reaktor austretende Wasser einen pH Wert um 6,0 aufweist.
just kidding...I won't make you try to read it, but I'll translate a few bits:
"If the effluent is directed towards a protein skimmer, the sudden oxygen saturation will lead to precipitation of calcium carbonate. This is due to the fact that the CO2 in the reactor runoff is bound to calcium hydrogen carbonate and not as free CO2 (so, the higher the KH, then the higher the amount of CO2 in the form of calcium hydrogen carbonate. If CO2 is removed, then the hydrogen carbone dissociates into CO2 and carbonate, which will precipitate as a white substance). For this reason, it's better to let the reactor effluent run directly into the "filter sump" or the display. This should be no problem, even if the pH value is 6.0"
So...my biggest problem is that my sump does NOT have dividers, which is unfortunate....could be changed at some point, but this is what I have at the moment. This is why we decided to go into the tank instead.
yep, you got me on that one, O2 saturation didn't even cross my mind cause i was thinking containment areas such as traps or maybe im lieing & my knowledge is slipping..lol
Rb you say no dividers, do you actually mean dividers or you referring to baffles?
Id suggest a quick trip to the hardware store & pick up a piece of acrylic or glass to run down the inside of your sump.
Silicon a "T" base for weight , actually it will look like an upside down T, but you get the idea. That way is movable, custom & let me guess...movable.lol Maybe silicon two pieces to the base to give it propper weight.
Just angle the end that faces the return pump abit toward the side walls so you create a bottle neck & you'll find the speed or flow will quicken through this section.
I would then quickly throw together an egg create table top of sorts, basicly a cube without a front & back wall for your probe tub to sit in, Cut a section big enough in the top for your beaker, thats where holes drilled at the top of you beaker come in handy- allows you to zip tie it to the egg create stand, & place the box into your narrowing section & you'll find it will never move.
beauty is with this, is the cost is next to nicks, cause chances are you have spare material around the place, or $15 at the hardware store creates a long term cheap solution, ironic considering whats feeding it..lol
Is it sufficient to just measure bubble count/effluent volume and the pH in the tank? I could, I suppose, hook up the calcium reactor to a timer, so that it shuts off during the night and only runs during the day, but I thought it would be better to have it be pH-dependent....
RB,
I've never used a Calcium reactor so can't help much but, it seems, to me, the above would work because, ultimately it's the Ph of the display that you want to monitor/control.
Wish I had more knowledge to add but, alas I'm lacking in that department. I use a simple 2 part solution.
Dick
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
I found out from our LFS here that there is an adaptor that I can buy for the Jetstream that holds the pH probe. I just need to find out if this is something similar to what Veriann is suggesting and if so, then I would rather construct it myself.
V - I meant baffles re: the sump. The biggest problem with just going down to the hardware store and picking up acrylic is that here in Sweden acrylic or PVC is SOOOOOO expensive! I will check into whether I can get a couple of pieces of glass cut the right dimensions and somehow squeeze them in with foam or something. That would help anyway with the microbubble problem. At the moment, I'm using the blue sponge as a "divider" between the skimmer and the return pumps so as to help reduce the amount of bubbles returning to the tank.
i love the 5 min i spend typing, then do something funky & my posting is gone..lol
short version, damn i hate doing this.
yep & yep. ok done...lol
Im amazed @ how close our countries are RB, i have a few friends from your side of Europe & besides the cultural differences its pretty similar.
Glass for one thing is cheap & acrylic is not, same here.
anyways. as i mention in my first OMG where did it go posting, for busy people like us its all great to buy the added options, but sometimes we draw the line to whats needed, & then whats "really" needed. I have a mate in the LFS business, damn good too & i try to give as much as possible to ensure loyalty. however sometimes even i have to draw the line in the sand.
RB, being glass is cheap -making baffles isn't overly hard, & they dont have to be permanently siliconed in ether. Glass just needs to be weighted to withstand flow. build within the confines of the sump with stand bases & you have a movable & effective baffle system.
If you need any assistance, you know my skype or im on here all the time, so dont hesitate to holla!
thanks V - I'll get it set up soon...just need to find the time to get the glass!
We were originally going to get the sump made in acrylic....but the price was going to be something like almost 1000 €!!!! That was where we drew OUR line in the sand! Ridiculous! So...heavy glass is what we've got!
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