The DR.'s 215 build!!! Finally... :/
- Thread starter Dr.DiSilicate
- Start date
The DR.'s 215 build!!! Finally... :/
Planing on running a calcium reactor on this. Never run one. Any input would be appreciated. Currently have a k2r reactor and a borrowed tank and regulator (thanks mr bram!)
And was given this regulator that needs fixed(thanks thunder!) it needs a new gage and leeks from the little shiny metal spot in this pic, not sure if this is a separate issue or related.
Otherwise looks in almost new condition.
Planing on running a calcium reactor on this. Never run one. Any input would be appreciated. Currently have a k2r reactor and a borrowed tank and regulator (thanks mr bram!)
And was given this regulator that needs fixed(thanks thunder!) it needs a new gage and leeks from the little shiny metal spot in this pic, not sure if this is a separate issue or related.
Otherwise looks in almost new condition.
My Calcium Reactor Primer:
It looks like you have a check valve - make sure it works. A little bit of water in that regulator and they can really rust and get unstable dropping 10 bubbles in a few seconds and then nothing for minutes.
Just crack that valve enough to get that guage up to 800. 1/128 of a turn is enough.
I recommend a flow control pinch more than a micro ball valve - either will clog, but the ball valve will clog more. Most of the time, I just tie a loose knot in the line to restrict the flow.
You can tee the feed line off of the main pump. Maxi jets also work well as feed pumps.
Teflon tape/paste should be able to get that leak fixed. If it is the supply side gauge, then you don't even need it and it can be capped - they just read 800 when the tank has gas, and 0 when it does not.
Once you fill the chamber, shake it a little to let the media settle and then mark the chamber to where the media stops - it will melt and get lower over time, so you have to know where you started.
Start out with 40 drips and 10 bubbles a minute - measure the effluent of 40 drips in ML and write this down. After a day or 2, check the calcium and alk on the effluent and you should be 10-20% higher than what is in your tank. Then, see if this can keep up. If so, then test your tank every few weeks. If not, then crank the bubbles up to 15 and double the effluent MLs (if you can still count drips, then 60). After a while, you will have a stream and not be able to count drips anymore, so that is why it is important to measure the effluent in MLs - even with a steady stream of effluent, you can probably still count bubbles. Work a stopwatch on your phone if you need to. The low res Salifert test is awesome for this to test calcium near 800 and alk at 22, eventually, which is about where I am at in the big tank in the basement.
Don't sweat the PH of the effluent, but test it from time to time with a PH pen - it cannot really do any damage in your tank. Drip it in so that any excess CO2 (from bad setup) just goes into the air. I used to have my tanks in a sealed-tight basement where the PH went from 7.9 to 8.1 every day and the tanks were awesome - I ran reactors on these. You might get the urge to try a second chamber, but they don't help at all (I have one if you get the urge to try them - don't buy one). If the effluent has PH in the 6s and the calcium and alk are higher than what is in your tank, then you are all set.
Once you get going, you might notice that your organisms might not use the calcium and alk in balance. This is for-sure true in my SPS tank where I have all of the clams. About once a month, I have to add some calcium chloride to get from 390 back up to 420. If I was just growing acros and LPS, then they would likely use the stuff in balance.
I recommend the coarse media so that it does not get compacted and reduce flow. If you use a natural media, like ARM, it will have magnesium in it as well. If you use a man-made media, like the aquamedic, then you can use some dolomite in the chamber to supply mag. If you have high-mag load, then dolomite might be a good idea anyway.
Don't think of any of this as hard. It is really easy once you get it going. Now that I have them going, this is all that I do:
Every few days - check for bubbles and that effluent is moving
Monthly - test tank water
Every few months - check media... once down about 1/3 of the way, then change it out.
Every few year - change the feed, CO2 and effluent lines
lastly,
Every day - wonder why you didn't do this sooner
It looks like you have a check valve - make sure it works. A little bit of water in that regulator and they can really rust and get unstable dropping 10 bubbles in a few seconds and then nothing for minutes.
Just crack that valve enough to get that guage up to 800. 1/128 of a turn is enough.
I recommend a flow control pinch more than a micro ball valve - either will clog, but the ball valve will clog more. Most of the time, I just tie a loose knot in the line to restrict the flow.
You can tee the feed line off of the main pump. Maxi jets also work well as feed pumps.
Teflon tape/paste should be able to get that leak fixed. If it is the supply side gauge, then you don't even need it and it can be capped - they just read 800 when the tank has gas, and 0 when it does not.
Once you fill the chamber, shake it a little to let the media settle and then mark the chamber to where the media stops - it will melt and get lower over time, so you have to know where you started.
Start out with 40 drips and 10 bubbles a minute - measure the effluent of 40 drips in ML and write this down. After a day or 2, check the calcium and alk on the effluent and you should be 10-20% higher than what is in your tank. Then, see if this can keep up. If so, then test your tank every few weeks. If not, then crank the bubbles up to 15 and double the effluent MLs (if you can still count drips, then 60). After a while, you will have a stream and not be able to count drips anymore, so that is why it is important to measure the effluent in MLs - even with a steady stream of effluent, you can probably still count bubbles. Work a stopwatch on your phone if you need to. The low res Salifert test is awesome for this to test calcium near 800 and alk at 22, eventually, which is about where I am at in the big tank in the basement.
Don't sweat the PH of the effluent, but test it from time to time with a PH pen - it cannot really do any damage in your tank. Drip it in so that any excess CO2 (from bad setup) just goes into the air. I used to have my tanks in a sealed-tight basement where the PH went from 7.9 to 8.1 every day and the tanks were awesome - I ran reactors on these. You might get the urge to try a second chamber, but they don't help at all (I have one if you get the urge to try them - don't buy one). If the effluent has PH in the 6s and the calcium and alk are higher than what is in your tank, then you are all set.
Once you get going, you might notice that your organisms might not use the calcium and alk in balance. This is for-sure true in my SPS tank where I have all of the clams. About once a month, I have to add some calcium chloride to get from 390 back up to 420. If I was just growing acros and LPS, then they would likely use the stuff in balance.
I recommend the coarse media so that it does not get compacted and reduce flow. If you use a natural media, like ARM, it will have magnesium in it as well. If you use a man-made media, like the aquamedic, then you can use some dolomite in the chamber to supply mag. If you have high-mag load, then dolomite might be a good idea anyway.
Don't think of any of this as hard. It is really easy once you get it going. Now that I have them going, this is all that I do:
Every few days - check for bubbles and that effluent is moving
Monthly - test tank water
Every few months - check media... once down about 1/3 of the way, then change it out.
Every few year - change the feed, CO2 and effluent lines
lastly,
Every day - wonder why you didn't do this sooner
Thanks doug! that's great information. The regulator I have unfortunately has a blown diafram. 
So, still on the hunt. I have one to try out for the time being but andrew is surely going to want it back sooner than later.
Did miss reef ed. Too much adult stuff to do at home and work. Will I be seeing you up here in july? I'll be out of town from friday the 28th thru monday. Also, after the 4th for a day or so. Otherwise home.
So, still on the hunt. I have one to try out for the time being but andrew is surely going to want it back sooner than later. Did miss reef ed. Too much adult stuff to do at home and work. Will I be seeing you up here in july? I'll be out of town from friday the 28th thru monday. Also, after the 4th for a day or so. Otherwise home.
The DR.'s 215 build!!! Finally... :/
Got the sump built today. 4 chambers. 1st a large skimmer and pellet reactor chamber then a bubble trap, a smaller chamber for my mangrove plants. 3rd larger section for frags in the future, lastly the return. The 75 I was generously given was dirty, drilled and cracked. I put a piece of glass almost half o the back panel with a metric crap ton of silicone. Cleaned the thing up and am painting the back and sides white to clean the look up a bit. Looks like it'll be a great sump. Not really worried about the crack as the water will only be. 9" deep most of the time. Plenty or room I the power goes out, or for pump off maintence.
Got the sump built today. 4 chambers. 1st a large skimmer and pellet reactor chamber then a bubble trap, a smaller chamber for my mangrove plants. 3rd larger section for frags in the future, lastly the return. The 75 I was generously given was dirty, drilled and cracked. I put a piece of glass almost half o the back panel with a metric crap ton of silicone. Cleaned the thing up and am painting the back and sides white to clean the look up a bit. Looks like it'll be a great sump. Not really worried about the crack as the water will only be. 9" deep most of the time. Plenty or room I the power goes out, or for pump off maintence.
