drip rate/bubble count for bigger tanks

T

tankgirl

Active Member
Hi all,
I'd like to find out what your bubble count / drip rate is on your Ca reactor if you have a biggish tank? I'm setting up mine and figure the numbers depend on tank size, right?
I don't want to start too low and have to suffer a big Ca / Alk drop in the tank (a 260G) while I'm experimenting with the right rate.
If you have a 100G or bigger, I'd love to hear your numbers!
Thanks!!
 
M

mwrager

Active Member
Sorry Tankgirl

I dont use a CA reactor on my tank. I guess i have been luck to keep my levels at 450 with out one. Oh yah my tank is a 120 gal.
 
wooddood

wooddood

the wood dude
tg i dont run one yet either but am going to soon so i would like to know too,so i'll tag along.
 
mojoreef

mojoreef

Just a reefer
TG big thing to remember is that a ca reactor is for maintaining and is not really a good one for bulding your system up. Get you levels up using a 2 part formula additive. Once up and good place to start is at a rate of 1 bubble per second on the co2 and I like to start at around a one drip of effluent a second. From thier you can play with it. What you are looking for is a pH of around 6.5 coming out of the effluent, this means that you are consistantly making water that is low in ph enough to melt the media. But beware of taking to big a hit on your tanks PH. from thier its just a matter of dialing it to your tanks demands


Hope it helps

mike
 
T

tankgirl

Active Member
Good to see ya', dood!

Mike, Thanks - I'll start with those numbers!!! I have been using both kalk drip and BIonic - 180 oz. of each component per day!!! Sheesh!

That's why I didn't want to start it too low - I figure the rate they recommend might be for a avg. size tank? The tanks Ca consumption is sky high.

So, if my pH goes off, should I turn off the reactor or just add pH buffer?
 
S

Sweettoothbear

New Member
Yep

Using a gallon and ½ of both parts a day, you would need to concern yourself with more than what your bubble count is.:D

You might need a nucleolar calcium reactor.
 
mojoreef

mojoreef

Just a reefer
TG it kinda works like this.
the lower the effluent rate but keeping the bubble rate the same will make for a more concintrated effluent.
Turning donw the bubble rate and keeping the effluient rate the same will make for a lees concintrated mix.
Its a balancing act until you dial it in. For me I like to keep the effluent as strong as possible, but you have to worry about the co2 in the effluent and the low PH of the effluent making your overall tank PH to low (thus the warning to keep your eye on it). If you reach a point where you have no choice, ie you need it concintrated and you need a bunch thier is a little trick you can use. This will allow the ph to gain about a full point before going inot your tank.
Here is the trick:
Instead of having the cal reactor dump straight into your sump, get a water pitcher, drill a hole large enough to stick a peice of pipe (same pipe as you are using on your reactor) just about 2 inches down from the top of the pitcher (assuming the pitcher is about 12 inches tall) let the effluent pour into the pitcher and build up to the hole, where it will begin to drip into your sump as fast as it it coming out of your reactor. Now get a small air stone and assoc. pump and drop it into the pitcher. This will off gas alot of the excess co2 and thus raise the ph about a point.

Good luck

Mike
 
Dennis7

Dennis7

Member
The tip Mike had on the container is a good one. I don't have a problem with pH, running 6.5 in reactor but, I made a second chamber and drip it in a tuberlant area of my sump to help disapate the CO2.
 
swissgaurd

swissgaurd

Member
your getting better at this calcium reactor thing mike.
TG someone recommended using reef pure calcium.
as a calcium booster.not the easiest to find but it does work,by far its the best calcium booster ive ever used.

TG are you the one that uses mangroves in your system .

vic
 
64Ivy

64Ivy

Member
My MTC Pro-Cal is pushing about 90ml a minute of effluent at a pH of 6.6 (ARM media). Bubble rate is over 200 per minute. This helps keep the pH of the tank (500g) pretty steady at between 8.17-8.25 yet I still employ a kalk doser to keep up with the calcuim demand.
 
T

tankgirl

Active Member
Sweet, I think I do need a nuclear reactor! :D

Thanks, Mike, I'll try that trick! And, your explanation about the effluent vs. bubble count was great!

This reactor (Korallin 1502) said it doesn't leak CO2 - do you think that's hype or truth?

Den & Swiss, more great suggestions that I'll try - Thanks a mill! Swiss, not me on the mangroves.

64Ivy, Yow! 200/min - that's some serious Ca production! I really appreciate the info - it gives me a better idea of the ballpark! I love your tank and am seriously jealous of your tank workroom! :D
 
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mojoreef

mojoreef

Just a reefer
I went with the Deltec 1000, the unit on the right. We have been doing a ton of testing on it and useing the Rowa media we are gett around 80DKH out of it. Thats with about a 30 bubbles a minute and a pretty constant line of effluent. Really happy with this one.

4skimcalractor.jpg


Mike
 
T

tankgirl

Active Member
Mike, oo-yeah! That's no reactor - that's a space station!!! Serious skimmer, too! :D

Craigy, nah, compared to Mike, Ivy, Robz, Luis, - I just have a coupla corals.:D
 
dgasmd

dgasmd

Member
Well, I guess I do things a tiny bit different and get the same results. I don't even count bubbles or effluent rate. Never have done it, so I don't even know what it is. I think i might have counted the bubbles once because Mike asked me, but can't remember. This is for a 500 gal system (tank is 360g, sump is 100g, and refugium is 100g).

This is what I do:
I have a custom GEO reactor. Great unit. I started the effluent to a constant stream. Then, I started the bubble rate to a somewhat slow rate (maybe 1 bubble per sec?). It takes this reactor at most 3 hours for the effluent pH to stabilise after CO2 changes, unlike the piece of crap dual chamber I had that would take about a day. I measure the pH of the effluent and shoot for a target of 6.7-6.8. I use this target because when I used 6.5 it used to turn the media into moosh and sand would clog the effluent line. I use crush coral by the way. I give the tank about 3-4 days to see where my levels are. If they are lower, I turn up the effleunt rate and then adjust the CO to get the pH back to the same target as before. Test in 3-4 days again and adjust from there.

I found this method to be the easiest way. Since everytime the corals grow or I add something new it changes the needs of the tank, I found counting bubbles and drip rates to be a waste of time. That is just my opinion.
 
mojoreef

mojoreef

Just a reefer
Alberto great to see ya on the board. Missed ya. Thier is nothing wrong with the way you do it, I am pretty close to that method also. For folks just dialing in counting bubbles and effluent is a good place to start. That way they understand how the tweeking works. Form thier its all good, you will become acustom to what does what and how much


good to see ya

Mike
 
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