calcium media ran thru phos reactor

[NYreefNoob]

would running calcium media thru a reactor like a phosban reactor slowly release calcium into the tank as well as help buffer your system and keep ph more stable ? if you dont think so explain why. ty rick

 

[AlexWasserman]

That is fundamentally what a calcium reactor does. However, the calcium doesn't disolve in normal seawater, it needs a lower PH. This is why CO2 is pumped into the reactor. It dissolves into the water, lowers the PH, and the calcium dissolves into solution as Ca (calcium) and CO3 (carbonate) ions.

So, really, you need to modify your reactor to accept a way to dissolve the CO2 from a CO2 tank into solution, and mix that through your calcium.

If you look at my reactor (which I can't even remember the name of), it takes the CO2, pumps it through a pinwheel impeller or a recirculating pump, mixing it into the water. So, the water flows around the chamber, distributing the disolved CO2. Then, a small pump pushes water at 5g/hour through the chamber, back into the tank.

 

[masterswimmer]

Rick, please keep in mind that the TLF Phosban Reactor is NOT a suitable chamber for this application. The Phosban Reactor is not a pressure rated reactor. The added pressure of a CO2 tank injecting CO2 into it would cause the reactor to fail and leak in any of a number of different places. Not safe.

Russ

 

[AlexWasserman]

That too...

My chemistry might be slightly, off, but the basic principle is as above.

You need a nice strong container to mix it up in.

You could use the above reactor as a second chamber, I believe though... to run the outflow through more calcium to ensure all is disolved.

 

[NYreefNoob]

I Understand How A Calcium Reactor Work, And It Wont Be In A Phos Reactor, I Have Another That Is A Solid Acrylic That I Was Toying With Making Into A Reactor, So Really If I Did This And Used A Air Pump I Would Be Putting Oxygen Through It Which Would Cause It To Disolve, I Do Have A Co2 Bottle As Well But Wasnt Going To Use It For This, If You Read Any Of The Denitrators Using Calcium Media After The Denitrator To Help Bring Ph Back Up Would It Also Do The Same Just Running Water Thru To Stable Ph ?

 

[Josh]

I don't think oxygen will help dissolve the media. But, I can tell you that adding a large amount of media to a chamber and running your tank water through it will temporarily raise Ca, I have no idea how long but I would guess it is in the range of days to a couple of weeks max depending on the size of the chamber and the demands of the tank.

BTW, I am going to list a brand new Korallin reactor that I am not using, if you are interested just PM me.

 

[aaron23]

the media will help buffer the system to the extent of the size of the phosban reactor and i cant say or point to how much it just acts like your sand bed.

The pH in your tank will slowly dissolve your media as fast as it dissolves the sand in your aquarium giving off Ca and Alk but nothing to the extent of maintaining stable parameters.

oxygen will not dissolve the media. co2 when mixed with h2o becomes acidic --> thus dissolving the media.
... hope i helped.

 

[NYreefNoob]

thank you guys for the reply, one of the thing's that got me to wondering is the fact i have used the esv sand in 2 tanks. the 2 tanks had un-belivable coraline groth, the sand is a calcium carbonate which i attribute to the coraline, my 12g ap that i used for seahorse, had a mj 600 for only flow and it was the return, had dual 24w pc, didnt do water changes, didnt dose anything, so i put it to the sand, i know i dont get the full effect of it as if i used a complete reactor, but if it added a slight amount to help keep the system a little more stable, my ph stays at 8.15-8.25 anyways. always looking to try stuff and dont think it would have a negative effect

 

[reefman]

it can do more bad than good. i.e.(trapping food,waste,etc..)n become a po4,no3 factory.

 

[NYreefNoob]

Would Never Trap Food Or Debris, I Do Run A Filter Sock Which Catch's All Of That

 

[Alex]

I thought you were thinking of using a phosban reactor after the calcium reactor to lower your P04. I've seen this done by several reefers I know.

 

[NYreefNoob]

my nitrate's are 0, dont have a calcium reactor, i do dose kalkwasser, but was lookin at other alternitives to do, and like i said when i used the esv sand certain params were more consistant and stable, not using that sand now, but the results i got with it and thought of just doing it with a reactor filled with it or cal media

 

[cali_reef]

Would Never Trap Food Or Debris, I Do Run A Filter Sock Which Catch's All Of That

Would putting a second sock in the system trap some of the food and detritus? A media chamber WILL trap the same stuff..:duh:

 

[TOTAL AQUARIUMS]

Yes, it would help with PH and calcium but only to the same degree that your own substrate in the tank would. There might be a slight increase in efficiency as you would be forcing the water through the media with little bypass instead of just allowing advection to take it's course passively. It will build up detritus over time and probably most of what you would see in there is just a build up of biofilm from bacteria. There are more effective ways to stabilize your PH and calcium levels but your idea is sound Rick, it just depends on the size of the effluent chamber in the reactor in respect to the tank and the flow through it. Long term it would probably just reduce the variance in the swings more than it would keep it stable or elevated.

 

[NYreefNoob]

maybe you didnt understand my return reply, what food or debris would get into it ? i use filter socks for my drain, have no debris in my sump the reactor would be in my sump, i really am not having a problem with my system, but as someone who likes to fiddle and try things is where i came with the thought, and bacteria build up would be the only concern, but then to a degree it wouldnt either because it would work in place of my zeo rocks as a area for bacteria to colonize.

 

[Ricardo_Jorge]

The basic formula for the reactor is:

CO2 + H2O = H2CO3
H2CO3 + CaCO3 = inos of Ca and ions of bicarbonates

To dissolve the media, depending the brand of your media, you will need a pH inside the reactor between 6.3 ansd 6.8.

If you want to up your pH, i think the best way is dosing limewater.


Hug

 

[NYreefNoob]

i do use kalk for top off, aragonite slowly disolves in a system anyways, and figured if i ran it through a reactor it might disolve a little faster, i do understand how a cal reactor work, im not a chemist but was something i was thinking of doing, i do have a co2 tank and ect, was thinking instead of dropping more $$ to buy a cal reactor i might be able to make something simular, seeing i like tinkering with things