New Avast Marine Calcium Reactor

[vetteguy53081]

Nice looking unit with a reputation well known - AVAST !!

 

[Wolfman238]

Avast top notch equipment!!

 

[siggy]

I would like to think we have earned the reputation beyond "just another widget" kinda company

Just received my Kalk reactor, I hope to graduate to a crx

 

[amps]

Very cool idea from Avast. I can't help but notice that it seems identical to their Ozone reactor but with a few different fittings.

 

[ctenophore]

Very cool idea from Avast. I can't help but notice that it seems identical to their Ozone reactor but with a few different fittings.

Yes, it is very similar to our ozone reactor. We are very happy with how that design works. When we were deciding how/if to reintroduce our calcium reactor, we thought that using the ozone design made sense. What I like about the newer designs out there is the concept of using a diffusion chamber to help force CO2 into solution, and the auto-leveling feature that adds CO2 as the water level rises. But those designs are also very complex, and hence, quite expensive. So, I figured, why not use the media itself as the diffusion chamber, and make it work like the ozone reactor- rain down water over the media in an atmosphere of CO2 (or ozonated air). The result is a very efficient means of dissolving CaCO3. I've tested effluent alkalinity at over 60 dKH in that little chamber. The Sicce pump only draws maybe a third of typical calcium reactor recirc pumps' wattage.

This looks like an a bit of an odd reactor. Did you position the pump yourself or does it come like that? It has a gate on the top but the reactor is not an up-flow reactor. Do you have to disassemble the whole thing to calibrate your ph probe? Also how do you purge the reactor to remove the air pockets at the top?

It is a bit unconventional. You don't purge it- the reactor forms an atmosphere of CO2 over time, depending on how hard you run it. It is designed to operate mostly empty of water, with the shower head top diffusing the water over the media. Calibrating the probe isn't too bad- just let the water drain out the bottom and pull the probe. You shouldn't need to do this all that often anyway.

I guess my question is, does it have a manual way to adjust CO2 flow that runs through a small container where you count bubbles, or are you controlling your CO2 flow with your Apex, turning a solenoid on and off. I realize it could be both, but my past experiences with Ca reactors was that manually restricting CO2 flow was sort of all over the place. I'm trying to figure out if Avast is moving toward something simpler and more "automatic" (in the direction of DaStaCo, Aquarium Engineering ACR, etc.), or if it is just another calcium reactor.

There is a bubble counter, but that's mostly just for sanity checking the CO2 input rate. It's designed to work with a CO2 controller, since so many people that use calcium reactors have a means of pH control already. So, no need to try to set a bubble rate (but you could, with a quality regulator). Just set a target pH, since the effluent rate is always the same. At first, I wanted to make it more like the DaStaCo with the automatic CO2 input, but after running it like this based on pH, it became evident that it wasn't necessary, and just added complexity (and therefore, cost) to the system.

What the foot print, looking for a smaller cal reactor for under my tank.

It is 7x7 unless you add the second chamber, which makes it 12x7. It can be in-sump or external.

Just received my Kalk reactor, I hope to graduate to a crx

A kalk reactor and calcium reactor actually work perfectly together. They both add calcium and carbonate alkalinity in balanced amounts. The kalk will help offset any drop in pH from the Ca reactor. Although since we focus on high-alkalinity, low pH effluent at a low flowrate, this effect is mitigated. Compared to high flowrate, lower alkalinity and somewhat higher pH effluent that many calcium reactors are designed for.

Pricing isn't decided yet, but it should be close to our Ozone reactor.

 

[infinite0180]

Yes, it is very similar to our ozone reactor. We are very happy with how that design works. When we were deciding how/if to reintroduce our calcium reactor, we thought that using the ozone design made sense. What I like about the newer designs out there is the concept of using a diffusion chamber to help force CO2 into solution, and the auto-leveling feature that adds CO2 as the water level rises. But those designs are also very complex, and hence, quite expensive. So, I figured, why not use the media itself as the diffusion chamber, and make it work like the ozone reactor- rain down water over the media in an atmosphere of CO2 (or ozonated air). The result is a very efficient means of dissolving CaCO3. I've tested effluent alkalinity at over 60 dKH in that little chamber. The Sicce pump only draws maybe a third of typical calcium reactor recirc pumps' wattage.


It is a bit unconventional. You don't purge it- the reactor forms an atmosphere of CO2 over time, depending on how hard you run it. It is designed to operate mostly empty of water, with the shower head top diffusing the water over the media. Calibrating the probe isn't too bad- just let the water drain out the bottom and pull the probe. You shouldn't need to do this all that often anyway.


There is a bubble counter, but that's mostly just for sanity checking the CO2 input rate. It's designed to work with a CO2 controller, since so many people that use calcium reactors have a means of pH control already. So, no need to try to set a bubble rate (but you could, with a quality regulator). Just set a target pH, since the effluent rate is always the same. At first, I wanted to make it more like the DaStaCo with the automatic CO2 input, but after running it like this based on pH, it became evident that it wasn't necessary, and just added complexity (and therefore, cost) to the system.


It is 7x7 unless you add the second chamber, which makes it 12x7. It can be in-sump or external.


A kalk reactor and calcium reactor actually work perfectly together. They both add calcium and carbonate alkalinity in balanced amounts. The kalk will help offset any drop in pH from the Ca reactor. Although since we focus on high-alkalinity, low pH effluent at a low flowrate, this effect is mitigated. Compared to high flowrate, lower alkalinity and somewhat higher pH effluent that many calcium reactors are designed for.

Pricing isn't decided yet, but it should be close to our Ozone reactor.

When will it be available?!

 

[Usctom]

Interesting... How many gallons is this good for?

 

[ctenophore]

When will it be available?!

Very soon. We’re just waiting to see how a few of the items like feed pump, dripper, etc are doing after a while out “in the wild”. Email us at [email protected] if you’re interested in hearing when they’re ready to go.

Interesting... How many gallons is this good for?

I think the answer is dependent on the calcifying bioload you have. I am running just this reactor on my 1000 gallon two-tank system and it’s keeping up nicely, but I don’t have a ton of sps in there. Plenty of euphyllias etc however. Leishman has it on a 80 gallon system that’s packed with nice sps. I’d estimate in the 200-300 gallon range of heavily stocked, large sps colonies.

 

[MrWheelock]

SAWEET!

 

[Z3speed4me]

Interested in seeing some user feedback and reviews of it!

So if I’m reading everything correctly, you need all of the standard core essentials of any other reactor it just operates “differently”.

If I already have a bubble counter in line with my regulator that’s not going to impact anything right? Just another reference or sanity check...

 

[ctenophore]

Interested in seeing some user feedback and reviews of it!

So if I’m reading everything correctly, you need all of the standard core essentials of any other reactor it just operates “differently”.

If I already have a bubble counter in line with my regulator that’s not going to impact anything right? Just another reference or sanity check...

Correct. It still needs a regulator and CO2 tank. A pH probe is not strictly necessary, but will certainly make it easier to dial in.
An extra bubble counter won’t hinder anything.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

Yes, it is very similar to our ozone reactor. We are very happy with how that design works. When we were deciding how/if to reintroduce our calcium reactor, we thought that using the ozone design made sense. What I like about the newer designs out there is the concept of using a diffusion chamber to help force CO2 into solution, and the auto-leveling feature that adds CO2 as the water level rises. But those designs are also very complex, and hence, quite expensive. So, I figured, why not use the media itself as the diffusion chamber, and make it work like the ozone reactor- rain down water over the media in an atmosphere of CO2 (or ozonated air). The result is a very efficient means of dissolving CaCO3. I've tested effluent alkalinity at over 60 dKH in that little chamber. The Sicce pump only draws maybe a third of typical calcium reactor recirc pumps' wattage.


It is a bit unconventional. You don't purge it- the reactor forms an atmosphere of CO2 over time, depending on how hard you run it. It is designed to operate mostly empty of water, with the shower head top diffusing the water over the media. Calibrating the probe isn't too bad- just let the water drain out the bottom and pull the probe. You shouldn't need to do this all that often anyway.


There is a bubble counter, but that's mostly just for sanity checking the CO2 input rate. It's designed to work with a CO2 controller, since so many people that use calcium reactors have a means of pH control already. So, no need to try to set a bubble rate (but you could, with a quality regulator). Just set a target pH, since the effluent rate is always the same. At first, I wanted to make it more like the DaStaCo with the automatic CO2 input, but after running it like this based on pH, it became evident that it wasn't necessary, and just added complexity (and therefore, cost) to the system.


It is 7x7 unless you add the second chamber, which makes it 12x7. It can be in-sump or external.


A kalk reactor and calcium reactor actually work perfectly together. They both add calcium and carbonate alkalinity in balanced amounts. The kalk will help offset any drop in pH from the Ca reactor. Although since we focus on high-alkalinity, low pH effluent at a low flowrate, this effect is mitigated. Compared to high flowrate, lower alkalinity and somewhat higher pH effluent that many calcium reactors are designed for.

Pricing isn't decided yet, but it should be close to our Ozone reactor.

Wow that’s pretty cool, now I see why there’s a splash guard on the top. Thanks for the answer.

 

[solitude127]

Could you post a video of it in action with very little water in the reactor?

 

[Adam sahut]

I was really looking forward to avast new cal reactor release, but when I saw the pump and ph probe on the bottom I was a little disappointed.

 

[AVAST Marine]

I was really looking forward to avast new cal reactor release, but when I saw the pump and ph probe on the bottom I was a little disappointed.

I can understand your concern with this just by looking at some static pictures. Do know that the pump can be removed and serviced along with the PH probe in under 3 minutes with not a drop of water spilled. The benefit of the pump under is a HUGE footprint savings, the PH probe needs to be there since there is only 2" of standing water inside the reactor. We feel these are both major advantages to this design, not weak points

 

[Adam sahut]

I can understand your concern with this just by looking at some static pictures. Do know that the pump can be removed and serviced along with the PH probe in under 3 minutes with not a drop of water spilled. The benefit of the pump under is a HUGE footprint savings, the PH probe needs to be there since there is only 2" of standing water inside the reactor. We feel these are both major advantages to this design, not weak points

I hope so. I’m in the market for a new reactor. Would love to see a video of it running

 

[DarkSky]

Can you guys post some videos of it in action? I'm looking to buy a calcium reactor in the near future and I'm trying to determine what would work best for me. I have a few Avast components already, so keeping the new parts "in the family" would be a plus for me, from a design perspective.

 

[ctenophore]

 

[ctenophore]

More to come soon. I will cover the feed pump, effluent dripper, pH probe, etc.

 

[infinite0180]

This thing looks great!