Remote probes and reactors

GlassReef · 08/13/2008, 07:09 PM

Iâ€™m in the final stages of planning my fish room. The tank is 375gal with a 75gal primary sump below it. I will have 3 further tanks (refugium, frags, RDSB - each between 50 & 60gals) on the wall opposite the display tank, about 6 feet away. They will be fed from the primary sump by a Dart. Iâ€™ll be using the Balling method to dose calc/alk/mag. This will added in the primary sump.

My question â€“ for access convenience, Iâ€™d like to have my probes (pH, ORP, Conductivity, etc.) as well as my PhosBan reactor and carbon reactor located (fed from â€“ returned to) in one or more of the â€œremoteâ€ tanks. Would this present any kind of problem? Would probe values be influenced by the distance from the display tank. My logic tells me no, but I thought Iâ€™d better get a few expert opinions.

Thanks

rockworm · 08/13/2008, 07:42 PM

I am not an expert, but I am doing something very similar. My display tanks are on the main floor with my fish room in the basement. The probes, controller, and all equipment is in the basement.

redbj · 08/15/2008, 06:53 PM

I would guess that as long as you had a decent flow rate through the tanks it wouldn't matter too much. I would just make sure a PH prob is like right over a reactor injecting C02.

Rick's Reef · 01/13/2017, 11:22 PM

Sorry to bump a really old thread but this seems the most applicable thread I could find with the searching.

My display tank is going into a living room with the sump underneath and I would like the calcium reactor to be remotely located in the garage. This means about a 35 foot run with tubing up through the attic and then out into the garage. I.e. I would tee off the return pump and then send a 1/4" supply line to the reactor and then back with the effluent. I will need to handle the temp in summer/winter, but other than that should I be concerned about the effluent returning over a slow drip on such a great distance?

I am inclined to say no...also if kalk were supplied the same way, any concerns?

Thanks,
Rick

Breadman03 · 01/14/2017, 09:49 AM

Look up the Masterflex thread and you'll be golden. It's a commercial grade peristaltic pump with very fine control of its pumping rate and will have no problem with that. I'm running a Watson-Marlow, which is similar.

08/13/2008, 07:09 PM	#1
GlassReef Got Reef Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Weeki Wachee, Florida Posts: 2,501	Remote probes and reactors Iâ€™m in the final stages of planning my fish room. The tank is 375gal with a 75gal primary sump below it. I will have 3 further tanks (refugium, frags, RDSB - each between 50 & 60gals) on the wall opposite the display tank, about 6 feet away. They will be fed from the primary sump by a Dart. Iâ€™ll be using the Balling method to dose calc/alk/mag. This will added in the primary sump. My question â€“ for access convenience, Iâ€™d like to have my probes (pH, ORP, Conductivity, etc.) as well as my PhosBan reactor and carbon reactor located (fed from â€“ returned to) in one or more of the â€œremoteâ€ tanks. Would this present any kind of problem? Would probe values be influenced by the distance from the display tank. My logic tells me no, but I thought Iâ€™d better get a few expert opinions. Thanks __________________ Tom No matter how much you try to push the envelope, it remains stationary.

08/13/2008, 07:42 PM	#2
rockworm A-counting guy Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 673	I am not an expert, but I am doing something very similar. My display tanks are on the main floor with my fish room in the basement. The probes, controller, and all equipment is in the basement. __________________ You can see my 400g build thread here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2577596 Current Tank Info: 400g SPS and 75g non SPS

08/15/2008, 06:53 PM	#3
redbj Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: rochester Posts: 234	I would guess that as long as you had a decent flow rate through the tanks it wouldn't matter too much. I would just make sure a PH prob is like right over a reactor injecting C02. __________________ "The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success" -Bruce Feirstein Current Tank Info: 40 gal SW

01/13/2017, 11:22 PM	#4
Rick's Reef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 28	Sorry to bump a really old thread but this seems the most applicable thread I could find with the searching. My display tank is going into a living room with the sump underneath and I would like the calcium reactor to be remotely located in the garage. This means about a 35 foot run with tubing up through the attic and then out into the garage. I.e. I would tee off the return pump and then send a 1/4" supply line to the reactor and then back with the effluent. I will need to handle the temp in summer/winter, but other than that should I be concerned about the effluent returning over a slow drip on such a great distance? I am inclined to say no...also if kalk were supplied the same way, any concerns? Thanks, Rick

01/14/2017, 09:49 AM	#5
Breadman03 New Old School Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Luzerne County, PA Posts: 3,293	Look up the Masterflex thread and you'll be golden. It's a commercial grade peristaltic pump with very fine control of its pumping rate and will have no problem with that. I'm running a Watson-Marlow, which is similar.