Calcium Reactor Issues

Last night, I adjusted the effluent rate up to 40 mL per minute, then realized after reading the instructions specifically for using the reactor with a pH controller that the recommended starting point for BPM is much higher than if trying to run the reactor without a pH controller. So, I opened the needle valve up just a bit more, and it now is closer to 70 - 75 BPM (90 BPM is the recommended value in the pH controller based instructions, but I'm not sure if I want to go that high just yet).

Things still looked good this morning, although I've noticed that the pH controller lets the reactor creep up to 6.8 before is switches the solenoid open to return to a pH of 6.6. Is that a normal range for it to allow? Should I turn the controller down a tick so it'll aim for a pH of 6.5, thinking it'll allow it creep up to 6.7 before opening the solenoid?

Despite my troubles (or my incompetence... the verdict may still out on that I think) the reactor must be doing something for me, as I haven't dosed the tank in several days and the levels this morning were:
KH: 11 dKH
Ca: 380 ppm

I need to dig through my boxes of supplies and find some calcium only supplement (which I thought the Tropic Marin Bio-Calcium was, but I've since been told that it's not) to raise the calcium level up closer to 400 - 420 ppm.
 
Not trying to jinx myself, but it appears my initial troubles are passing. The reactor has been running steadily now for more than a week and there appears to be no leaks.

The alkalinity has crept up higher than I would like, so I'm working on cutting the effluent rate down to lower that. As of last night, the levels in the tank are:
14 dKH
400 ppm Ca

Truthfully, making sure there's no leaks in the CO2 delivery system has been the most difficult thing for me through all of this. Otherwise, it really is quite simple, and using a pH controller makes it even more simple (no real need to adjust the bubble count as long as enough is getting into the reactor, unless too much is going in and the recirculation pump starts having issues), leaving the effluent rate the only real adjustment to be made.

I read a few posts on various forums saying that having an oversized calcium reactor makes it hard to dial in, but I would have to disagree. I intentionally bought an oversized reactor based on future plans and don't think the size of it has anything to do with the level of difficulty (or ease) to get it running properly. I'm pretty much there in a rather short period of time.

I am kind of wondering though... It's recommended to feed the reactor with a MJ 1200, however, the effluent rate is a rather slow drip (< 40 mL / minute or < 2.4 L / hour) compared to the amount of water a MJ 1200 is capable of moving (1115 L / hour). I wonder if downsizing to a MJ 600 (160 g / hour; 600 L / hour) would make sense. If nothing else, it should save a little bit of electricity. I may try it, but want to let everything run for awhile now that it is actually running.
 
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The MJ1200 won't be performing at full capacity, anyway, so you should be saving some electricity over running it without any sort of resistance. I don't think it will make enough of a difference to try a different pump.

Edit: Knock on wood NOW, lol.
 
I did change out the MJ 1200 for a MJ 600 and things are still working fine without requiring any sort of adjustment. I'm not sure if I'll actually notice any electrical savings, as a MJ 1200 uses 22w and a MJ 600 uses 7w, but it couldn't hurt to consume a little less electricity.

I'm feeling better about everything working as it should. I had to reduce the effluent a little to get the alkalinity down and now I'm sitting at:
10 dKH
420 ppm Ca.
I'm hoping that I continue to find them at this point, as I'd be happy to keep them right there.
 
Time to ask about CO2 consumption...
Last night (2/4), the 2.5 lb CO2 tank ran out. It went into use on 12/21... Does that seem like a reasonably normal period of time for that size CO2 tank? That's about 45 days, or just over 6 weeks. It's on a 250g tank and the reactor itself is quite large (a GEO 818). I only used that small of a CO2 tank to make sure I had found any leaks. I put the 5 lb tank on it last night and have since acquired a 20 lb tank that I'll be using in the future.
 
Yeah, seems somewhat reasonable for a 2.5 lb tank, IME. When I worked at the LFS, I preferred to fill 10-20# tanks for that very reason.
 
Thanks, Amphi... I feel better about it now.

For some reason, the local gas supply company doesn't deal with the 10 lb tanks. I already had the 2.5 lb tank that came as part of a purchase of a much smaller reactor and bought a 5 lb tank since it was pricey enough as it was (once he told me how much the 5 lb tank cost, I didn't even want to know how much the 20 lb tank was). The 20 lb tank I just got my hands on might be past its inspection date, but I don't think the costs associated with any parts replacement will add up to the cost of actually purchasing a 20 lb tank. I'll be selling off the 2.5 lb tank and the smaller calcium reactor at some point, as it's not worth it for me to keep it. I'm not using that smaller reactor and it costs the same amount of money to fill the 2.5 lb tank as it does to fill the 5 lb tank. Now that I have the 20 lb tank, I'll rotate back and forth between the 5 lb and the 20 lb so that I always have a full tank ready and available when the other runs out.
 
Wow, that's a stingy gas company. We have a couple of selections in my area and all of them dispense up to those big 6ft cylinders (how ever much those are...). That's the first I've heard of one that doesn't deal with 10lb tanks.
 
I picked up a used 20lb tank locally here for way less than it would have cost me to buy one online or purchase one from the gas supply company to start exchanging back and forth with them. I took it in the end of last week to exchange it, and couldn't believe how small the price difference is between exchanging / filling a 5lb tank and a 20lb tank...
5 lb tank: $16 (which it also costs to have a 2.5 lb tank filled)
20lb tank: $25
I think I'll stick with the 20 lb tank -- it just sucks that I paid so much to buy one of their 5 lb tanks to start exchanging back and forth with them. But, I guess the fact that I got the 20 lb tank so inexpensively kind of makes up for it.

Otherwise, I'm happy to report that the calcium reactor is running quite well. I'm starting to notice more and more stony corals growing faster than I thought I'd ever see in my own tank. I swear I can see many of my frags that were freshly cut encrust onto their frag plugs a little more each day.
 
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