Alternative Reactor Media

[Boomer]

Anyone have a clue what the size of medium beach sand is??

Yes but I do not know if I should get you into geology.......Ok I'll give it a whorl

0.01 - 0.02" / 0.25 - 0.5 mm

I would give it in Phi size, 1-2 phi but I would loose you

phi sizes = -log2 (diameter in mm)

 

[NaH2O]

What effect would the pH of effluent water have on the remover media - say pH of 6? Do you know what point the ferrous oxide becomes soluble? Is it still going to bind phosphate at that low of pH, and would it release anything bound to the remover at this pH?

I'm guessing the low effluent pH has no effect?

 

[Boomer]

Nikki


Not much at all as the solubility or Ksp is 4 x 10-38 in FW. Basically, in FW at a pH above 3 iron oxide hydroxides begin to form, so a pH of 6 is nothing. That does not mean there is no solubility at all. But do not forget that it is not iron oxide, it is iron oxide hydroxide --->Fe(OH)3 So even with the little there is that release of some OH- would raise the pH and Alk, just like calcium hydroxide.

Take a read at this

Iron Oxide Hydroxide (GFO) Phosphate Binders
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.htm

 

[LakeEd]

Reviving an old thread here…

Does anyone know if Mike continued on here, and ordered this Media he had researched, at only $16 for 100# delivered??? If so, did it seem to work for those that used it? Was a cheaper alternative found to using ARM???

I’m not as concerned with the Phosphate, as running from the calcium reactor output through a phosphate reactor seems to be the best method anyway.

 

[DonW]

Reviving an old thread here…

Does anyone know if Mike continued on here, and ordered this Media he had researched, at only $16 for 100# delivered??? If so, did it seem to work for those that used it? Was a cheaper alternative found to using ARM???

I’m not as concerned with the Phosphate, as running from the calcium reactor output through a phosphate reactor seems to be the best method anyway.

Ed, alot of us have use the media in question. It did work and worked just fine but needed to be fluidized. I recently gave Big-T my last bucket of the stuff and am not sure who has it now, maybe Disturbed reefer. I think Steve W. used a few hundred pounds of the stuff, maybe pm him.
IMO the schuran stuff is much easier and more stable than ARM if your not using a fluidized reactor.

Don

 

[LakeEd]

No fluidized reactor here... so sounds like the Schuran for me then.

Thanks Don. Just trying to do some research here before needing to post any new posts... and ran across this thread, so thought I would ask.

 

[gbr]

Hey Ed, let me know what you find out here...

I thought your reactor did up-flow? :?:

 

[LakeEd]

Mine is an up-flow style T-man... not a fluidized style.

Ummm... or is that up-flow concidered a fluidized??? I'm easily confused, don't ya know.

 

[gbr]

Yes, up-flow is considered fluidized, you aren't compacting your media with the flow, you are keeping it in "fluid" or "suspended". With large particles, you aren't actually fluidizing the media but for hobby purposes we call this a fluidized bed reactor.

In looking at the Schuran, it is much more expensive than ARM and is harder to find. Gen-X makes a knock-off that is a little cheaper, about the same as ARM, but I don't see you gaining anything over ARM with this media. The bulk "stuff" is what I am most interested it. Assuming "cracked peppercorn" is about 2-3mm it is the same size as ARM.

 

[LakeEd]

Okay... I have a fluidized calcium reactor then! *grinz*

Thinking about it... its up-flow is the same as the phosban reactor type idea... so I should of figured this one out for myself... huh?

I may just try the Schuran media this time, and then take some time to find something else that can be purchased in bulk. Guess this is what I get for waiting until I need it, to worry about investigating it... huh?

 

[Mr.Firemouth]

Yah, find a mine where they mine pure calcite (Calcium Carbonate). Get some and get it crushed to proper grain size. OR just go to a chemical supply hosue and just buy some If you have lots of money to throw around then buy ACS certified, 99.99 % pure. Tell the wife you have to sell her car first

2.5 kg $258.39

Assay 99.95-100.05% Insoluble in dilute HCl 0.01%
Chloride 0.001% Fluoride 0.0015%
Sulfate 0.005% Ammonium 0.003%
Barium 0.01% Magnesium 0.01%
Potassium 0.01% Sodium 0.01%
Strontium 0.1% Heavy Metals (as Pb) 0.001%
Iron 0.002%
__________________
Boomer

What would Seachems gray coast calcite do? I use post GEO reactor with ARM for media.

 

[JoshF]

possible mod?

I don't know how well this would work or not, but I had a little brainstorm on this one.

For people running both Kalk and a calcium reactor, I always hear people trying to get rid of the excess CO2. Couldn't you simply run the output from the calcium reactor into the Kalk reactor? It seems the reduced pH would only increase the solubility of the Ca(OH)2. This would be easiest for people using a tub style kalk top-off rather than in-line reactors. All it would take is some tubing and an airstone. I can't imagine it would have a huge effect, but at least it would be a small good effect using something that many are considering a nuisance. At least it makes more sense than blowing the CO2 off in a skimmer....

Of course, please point out if this would cause a chemical chain reaction that would cause an aquarium to turn into a snow globe!

Josh

 

[ROWAUSA]

Hey Mike, I finally got some of this calcium media and tested it. I have a 175 gallon reef that has been running ROWAlith C+ in a Deltec PF509 Calcium Reactor. I cleaned out the reactor and put about 3 inches of the media in the reactor and placed it back in operation on the aquarium.

Everything seemed to be fine except for a good size case of cyno. Now nothing else changed on the aquarium and I am also running ROWAphos in a Deltec FR509 reactor.

Has anyone else had a problem with cyno using this media?

 

[Katchupoy]

Where is Mike? I havent seen him in club meetings and here in reeffrontiers... I hope he is ok.

 

[danno14]

he is...

a neighbor of mine. When last we talked, he was a bit burned out with lots of other family time taking precedence. He's ok. D

 

[ROWAUSA]

Anyone on my question above?

 

[DonW]

Anyone on my question above?

Sorry I missed it. No I had no problems with it when I was using it. I would still be using it I didnt change to a schuran.

Don

 

[big t]

I had some nasty algae problems using that media, but then again I had nasty algae problems with all medias I tried including rowa, so I can't say if it was a factor.

 

[Boomer]

I do not know about the ROWA but some of these medias are very high in PO4

Greg Hillers analysis of limestone media for CaCO3/CO2 reactors
http://www.aquariumfish.com/aquariumfish/detail.aspx?aid=1995&cid=124&search=

Calcium Reactor Substrate -- Phosphate Levels
by Greg Hiller
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2003/short.htm

Calcium Carbonate for CaCO3/CO2 Reactors: More Than Meets the Eye
http://web.archive.org/web/20010210...twork.com/fish2/aqfm/1997/aug/bio/default.asp