liveforphysics
Banned
I had quite a few PM's with people interested in super cheap calc reactors.
I wanted to be certian this worked well before I made a post about it. Even so, I should make some disclaimer (perticularly about useing the medium I use). Essentially, I think if you dont feel like you have a solid grasp of how a calc reactor functions, then you should skip this one.
So, first, lets get an idea what our goal is. Out tanks use Ca+ ions and CO3- ions for many different things. Argonite sand and rock does a pretty darn good job of this, however, to boost them for long periods of time above 400ppm, it takes a little something-something if you know what I mean.
So, there are a many different ways to do this. Some people dose kalkwasser and/or add 2 part liquid or powder additives. This stuff works, its just sorta a PITA and can easily be screwed up with the ballence between CO3 and Ca. When the ballence is upset, you get snowstorms in the tank and a few other undesireable things are possible as well. Im sure I dont have to tell this to you guys, as we all hear posts related to it all the time.
So, enter the calc reactor useing CaCO3 (calcium carbonate AKA white marble). Ok, so its a simple idea. We want both parts of CaCO3 in our tanks, but unfortunately, it doesnt give it up in our tanks pH ranges. This is why simply adding marble chips to the tank wont help us any. However, you put these marble chips in an enviroment with the pH around 6.5ish, and kindly gives up its Ca+ ions as it disolves in the slighly acid solution. So, now you're thinking, ok great, acid, how great, acid doesnt sound very reef friendly. Fortunately, we have this really neato acid called carbonic acid H2CO3. Unlike many other acids, carbonic acid (soda water) decomposes into good ol CO2 and H20 when left under standard pressure and temp (think of the soda you left on the counter overnight and was flat by morning). This makes carbonic acid a very safe sort of acid for our purposes. We are also in luck because it has a very simple synthisis by simply disolveing CO2 into water. This means its very simple to create controled amounts of it, which is exactly what we need.
So, for a simplified rough theroy of operation, imagine we take a gallon or two of tank water and set it aside. Now imagine we dump in pleanty of marble chips into this tank water. Now imagine we bubble CO2 into this solution untill we lower the pH to the point its able to disolve the marble chips. Now we have this low pH solution rich with calcium. This is the point which a typical reactor drips this solution into the tank. A calc reactor makes this process all automatic and neato, but this should help you understand the idea behind whats going on.
So, basicially, you just need a container with a very slow drip into it , and an overflow ability, circulation in the chamber, and a CO2 source and entry point in the chamber.
For my first calc reactor, I was looking at minimizing price point. I would say I managed pretty well, considderinig total expence is under $20. However, I dont recomend this for anybody do to its structural weakness. I was just kinda a sucker for makeing it see-through so I could observe the CO2 pocket finding its equalibrium between the rate it adds CO2 vs the rate is disolves. Now I realize makeing it see through is pointless, and its not exciting to watch, and it really doesnt need to be watched, its pretty idiot proof and doesnt need a baby sitter.
Anyways, I will have to finish this post tomarrow. Its 4:16am allready now, and I only slept a few hours last night, so I gotta crash, Im getting delerious.
To be continued...
I wanted to be certian this worked well before I made a post about it. Even so, I should make some disclaimer (perticularly about useing the medium I use). Essentially, I think if you dont feel like you have a solid grasp of how a calc reactor functions, then you should skip this one.
So, first, lets get an idea what our goal is. Out tanks use Ca+ ions and CO3- ions for many different things. Argonite sand and rock does a pretty darn good job of this, however, to boost them for long periods of time above 400ppm, it takes a little something-something if you know what I mean.
So, there are a many different ways to do this. Some people dose kalkwasser and/or add 2 part liquid or powder additives. This stuff works, its just sorta a PITA and can easily be screwed up with the ballence between CO3 and Ca. When the ballence is upset, you get snowstorms in the tank and a few other undesireable things are possible as well. Im sure I dont have to tell this to you guys, as we all hear posts related to it all the time.
So, enter the calc reactor useing CaCO3 (calcium carbonate AKA white marble). Ok, so its a simple idea. We want both parts of CaCO3 in our tanks, but unfortunately, it doesnt give it up in our tanks pH ranges. This is why simply adding marble chips to the tank wont help us any. However, you put these marble chips in an enviroment with the pH around 6.5ish, and kindly gives up its Ca+ ions as it disolves in the slighly acid solution. So, now you're thinking, ok great, acid, how great, acid doesnt sound very reef friendly. Fortunately, we have this really neato acid called carbonic acid H2CO3. Unlike many other acids, carbonic acid (soda water) decomposes into good ol CO2 and H20 when left under standard pressure and temp (think of the soda you left on the counter overnight and was flat by morning). This makes carbonic acid a very safe sort of acid for our purposes. We are also in luck because it has a very simple synthisis by simply disolveing CO2 into water. This means its very simple to create controled amounts of it, which is exactly what we need.
So, for a simplified rough theroy of operation, imagine we take a gallon or two of tank water and set it aside. Now imagine we dump in pleanty of marble chips into this tank water. Now imagine we bubble CO2 into this solution untill we lower the pH to the point its able to disolve the marble chips. Now we have this low pH solution rich with calcium. This is the point which a typical reactor drips this solution into the tank. A calc reactor makes this process all automatic and neato, but this should help you understand the idea behind whats going on.
So, basicially, you just need a container with a very slow drip into it , and an overflow ability, circulation in the chamber, and a CO2 source and entry point in the chamber.
For my first calc reactor, I was looking at minimizing price point. I would say I managed pretty well, considderinig total expence is under $20. However, I dont recomend this for anybody do to its structural weakness. I was just kinda a sucker for makeing it see-through so I could observe the CO2 pocket finding its equalibrium between the rate it adds CO2 vs the rate is disolves. Now I realize makeing it see through is pointless, and its not exciting to watch, and it really doesnt need to be watched, its pretty idiot proof and doesnt need a baby sitter.
Anyways, I will have to finish this post tomarrow. Its 4:16am allready now, and I only slept a few hours last night, so I gotta crash, Im getting delerious.
To be continued...
Last edited: