Calcium Reactor Automation

[McDam]

If you could automate the control and monitoring of your calcium reactors through your existing Aquarium controller, would you? Do you?

Is there any benefit? Or is it simply just set it and forget it and no need to check in on it.

What would be the reasoning for or against? ie Cost, ability to monitor and control remotely, ...

If so what features would be most beneficial?

 

[jda]

I voted no. CaRx even run with a simple pH probe and controller are not as efficient, reliable nor as well-run as one that you just tune by hand and let it run 24x7. Other than replacing the media every 4-6 months, I might make one adjustment to mine at that time and then it runs on it's own without any intervention... all that I do it look to see if bubbles are bubbling and effluent it flowing.

 

[McDam]

Thanks @jda.
Do you monitor pH in the reactor?
If so what range do you see the reactor pH swing? Also do you notice any alk swings in the display whatsoever?

 

[ca1ore]

I do monitor pH inside my reactor, but not as an input to fiddling, rather just as an alert if something goes amiss. Recently, for example, the old silicone feed line that I use from the CO2 cylinder to the CaRx check valve split and the pH went up significantly. Replaced the line and back in business. I agree that the best way to run a CaRx is to set it to the right level of Co2 in/effluent out and just let it run 24/7. Nominally, using reborn, mine sits right around 6.8 pH. I use a masteflex pump in pull mode to maintain consistency.

 

[crusso1993]

Aquarium Engineering recently came out with a fully automated CaRx. I do not know of any reviews on it yet but do know Bill and company make some very good products.

https://www.aquariumeng.com/products/calcium-reactors/automated-calcium-reactor

 

[jda]

I do not monitor the pH of anything... reactor or tank. I just check the tank dKh once or twice a week and will occasionally test the reactor dKh if the tank is not staying steady. I do glance at the reactor and check to see if bubbles are bubbling and effluent is flowing - when using good equipment, this is very reliable. Every few weeks, I pick up the co2 canister and see how heavy it is.

 

[jda]

I hate false equivalencies, but to me, a CaRx is no different than a muscle car engine... I can listen to it idle, rev, smell the exhaust and know whether it is too lean, rich, timing is too far advanced/retarded, etc. Like anything else, you just get good at it after a while.

 

[McDam]

I hate false equivalencies, but to me, a CaRx is no different than a muscle car engine... I can listen to it idle, rev, smell the exhaust and know whether it is too lean, rich, timing is too far advanced/retarded, etc. Like anything else, you just get good at it after a while.

Totally understandable, like a lot of things in this hobby it takes time and observation to get a good feel for it.

But we do agree that a calcium reactor is the best most stable solution to maintain water quality in a reef tank. But to a lot of people it is simply overwhelming and geared to larger systems only. If you could take the large size, costs, and difficulty out of the equation, then other beginner and intermediate hobbyist might be more inclined to use one resulting in a higher success rate. I am not saying you need to throw your calcium reactor out either. If you could use your existing setup but add a device to regulate and control CO2 addition and effluent flow to exactly where you want it without any tinkering would it not be beneficial? Or atleast give peace of mind.

 

[reefwiser]

You would be thinking of a Dastaco Calcium reactor that have been around for a while now. Every reliable hey even Sanjay put one on his big tank.

 

[McDam]

You would be thinking of a Dastaco Calcium reactor that have been around for a while now. Every reliable hey even Sanjay put one on his big tank.

Yes, but the cost! $$$ you should be able to do that with your existing reactors for a 10th of that.

 

[crusso1993]

Yes, but the cost! $$$ you should be able to do that with your existing reactors for a 10th of that.

+1

 

[jda]

Unfortunately, monitoring and using pH on the front-side is not a very good way of controlling a reactor, but it is all that most people have available to them.

In an ideal world, there would be an effluent dKh tester, not the current front-side reading and monitoring. You could then have two dials... one to control the effluent rate (like now) and another to control the effluent dKh. That way, you could set the effluent dKh to about 25ish and then just turn the effluent dial to meet your tank's demand.

Another cool feature would be testing the raw co2 coming in to the reactor and then leaving. A well-run reactor should not have much, if any, co2 leaving the chamber and tank pH should just barely be affected.

In the olden days, cost was the only reason that people did not use CaRx. This is not as huge of a deal these days with dosers being as much as they are. There are also a lot of videos and somewhat false narratives that you can just let your Apex control your CaRx, which are mostly made/spoken by people who are new to the whole thing - please, nobody do this.

 

[VJV]

If you could automate the control and monitoring of your calcium reactors through your existing Aquarium controller, would you? Do you?

Is there any benefit? Or is it simply just set it and forget it and no need to check in on it.

What would be the reasoning for or against? ie Cost, ability to monitor and control remotely, ...

If so what features would be most beneficial?

Profilux 4 allows you to control your CaRX if you have the KH Director. Essentially you set your desired Alk level and the boundaries that you will allow the KH Director to control the reactor and than if the measured kh is below your target it will automatically lower the pH inside the reactor to increase potency and if its higher it will increase the pH (with a solenoid obviously).

This may even have the added benefit of increasing your reactor pH at night (Alk and Cal consumption at night is almost zero) and lower during the day, not inly keeping kH levels stable but also improving your tank pH at night.

As a concept it is interesting.

 

[2una]

As a concept it is interesting.

As a concept its right on the money......you take a heavy loaded tank on a carx(including dastaco) & your dkh can be swinging 2 dkh everyday.(1 down - 1 up ,mine will do close to this)
Lights on time has way higher demand....lights off the opposite.
Maybe so the corals can handle it but maybe so it also adds a stressor into play as well.
I'd love to hear how much Mike's or Sanjays tanks are swinging daily,Mike at least i think was putting a alk monitor on.
Problem is when we start adding more clever we introduce things that can fail & we come back to maybe the simpler/dumber option might be safer anyhow.
Dastaco is also bringing out a monitor that will plug to the controller to alter the input

 

[jda]

IMO, most of this is just on paper. My dKh stays about 6.7 at 8:00 AM or PM. It is always in the range of error for the test kit to being the same all the time.

If my CaRx stops running, my dKh can hit 4 in about 24 hours, so it is not like I don't have a lot of demand. Ask me how I know? Ok, I did not notice my cylinder running low and I ran out of co2 for a day last year. A bit of baking soda and a full co2 tank and I was back in business in about 5 minutes - yes, I just dumped in that much baking soda and did not have any issues with an alk swing.

 

[2una]

IMO, most of this is just on paper. My dKh stays about 6.7 at 8:00 AM or PM. It is always in the range of error for the test kit to being the same all the time.

If my CaRx stops running, my dKh can hit 4 in about 24 hours, so it is not like I don't have a lot of demand. Ask me how I know? Ok, I did not notice my cylinder running low and I ran out of co2 for a day last year. A bit of baking soda and a full co2 tank and I was back in business in about 5 minutes - yes, I just dumped in that much baking soda and did not have any issues with an alk swing.

JD you have any idea whether your tank pH stays flatish or does it do the 0.2-0.3 change each day or you don't know?
I think that also has something to do with it.
A couple months back i removed my peri control off my dastaco & plugged it to my apex & ended up with 7 different flow rates for different times of the day,. i won at reducing the swing but i didn't win at getting it to be hands off & i THINK the pH wandering around has a big chunk to do with it

 

[jda]

All tanks have a pH change from night to day. I have no doubt that mine is the same. However, I have not routinely tested or cared in a decade or more.

When I moved to Colorado I took some reading since the air is better here, but nothing since then. ...about 8.15 to 8.35 when I checked back then.

 

[reefwiser]

Yes, but the cost! $$$ you should be able to do that with your existing reactors for a 10th of that.

An if so why hasn’t it been done. [emoji3]
Sadly automaton is not cheap. It’s what I do for a living.

 

[ca1ore]

Yes, but the cost! $$$ you should be able to do that with your existing reactors for a 10th of that.

I’ve no idea what the dastaco costs since I’ve been using the same unit since 1997, thus not in the market for a replacement; but with a little care it’s quite easy to dial in less complicated reactors.

 

[Mark Gray]

Here Is what I will buy some day this is a very simple and automated Reactor made by Bill Wann

https://www.aquariumeng.com/products/calcium-reactors/automated-calcium-reactor