Do you NEED a recirculation pump for Ca Reactor?

zachtos · 07/07/2018, 06:07 PM

My Ca reactor pump broke/seized a few months ago. I have not really noticed any change in ph/effluent etc. In fact, the drip rate seems much more steady without the recirculator.

It was a large coralvue 8" chamber that fits two gallons of argonite. It had an HY-3000W honya co pump, which is $250, total bullshit price I refuse to pay. I want to swap to a Mag5 but it has welded custom union fittings like total dick heads.

scuzy · 07/07/2018, 06:47 PM

Its needed to circulate the co2 through out the reactor.

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zachtos · 07/07/2018, 07:01 PM

Then how has my kh been maintained for over a month? What does it really do? I'd the pH throughout yhe chanber not the same?

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sfdan · 07/07/2018, 07:17 PM

It's an interesting experiment to test. I'd assume without a recirculating pump, the co2 wouldn't dissolve as thoroughly and you'd get a bunch of dead zones in the cylinder where there is no flow, so the media won't dissolve as consistently or efficiently. And I'd also have to imagine that the acid being actively forced through the media has to help it dissolve a little more efficiently. It's a big drop in flow too, for example if I turned my recirculating pump off, the flow in my reactor would drop by a factor of 1000, from ~300x its volume per hour to ~0.3 its volume per hour.

So I think the reactor would still work, it would just have to use more co2 for the same result. What I don't know is how much extra co2 that would be.

scuzy · 07/07/2018, 07:32 PM

Well the co2 injected would float up thus leaving only the top of the reactor with co2 and although your ph probe may read the rules right readings but that's only on the top of the reactor and not at the bottom where no co2 is being forced through the reactor.

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hkgar · 07/08/2018, 02:58 PM

If your dKH has remained steady for over a month, than it certainly seems that, at least in your case, a re-circ pump is not necessary. What is your flow through the reactor. and have you checked the effuent of the water post reactor?

Instinctively I would think the major function of the re-circ pump is to more quickly dissolve the media. The only think important is your end result which seems just fine.

I know when I shut down the re-circ pump the ph of the effluent increases.

07/07/2018, 06:07 PM	#1
zachtos Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 1,161	Do you NEED a recirculation pump for Ca Reactor? My Ca reactor pump broke/seized a few months ago. I have not really noticed any change in ph/effluent etc. In fact, the drip rate seems much more steady without the recirculator. It was a large coralvue 8" chamber that fits two gallons of argonite. It had an HY-3000W honya co pump, which is $250, total bullshit price I refuse to pay. I want to swap to a Mag5 but it has welded custom union fittings like total dick heads. __________________ 300G SPS reef build in progress Current Tank Info: 300G reef under construction

07/07/2018, 07:01 PM	#3
zachtos Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 1,161	Then how has my kh been maintained for over a month? What does it really do? I'd the pH throughout yhe chanber not the same? Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk __________________ 300G SPS reef build in progress Current Tank Info: 300G reef under construction

07/07/2018, 07:32 PM	#5
scuzy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 6,499	Do you NEED a recirculation pump for Ca Reactor? Well the co2 injected would float up thus leaving only the top of the reactor with co2 and although your ph probe may read the rules right readings but that's only on the top of the reactor and not at the bottom where no co2 is being forced through the reactor. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

07/08/2018, 02:58 PM	#6
hkgar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Dewitt MI Posts: 5,051	If your dKH has remained steady for over a month, than it certainly seems that, at least in your case, a re-circ pump is not necessary. What is your flow through the reactor. and have you checked the effuent of the water post reactor? Instinctively I would think the major function of the re-circ pump is to more quickly dissolve the media. The only think important is your end result which seems just fine. I know when I shut down the re-circ pump the ph of the effluent increases. __________________ Gary 180 gallon, 40 gallon sump, 3 250 W MH + 4 80W ATI T5's, MTC MVX 36 Skimmer, Apex controller Aquamaxx T-3 CaRx Current Tank Info: A 2 Barred Rabbitfish, Red Head Salon, Yellow/Purple, McMaster Fairy, Possum, 2 Leopard Wrasses, Kole, & Atlantic Blue Tangs, 2 Percula Clown, 3 PJ and 1 Banggai Cardinalfish , Swallowtail, Bellus and Coral Beauty Angels

07/07/2018, 06:47 PM	#2
scuzy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 6,499	Its needed to circulate the co2 through out the reactor. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

07/07/2018, 07:17 PM	#4
sfdan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: San Francisco Posts: 451	It's an interesting experiment to test. I'd assume without a recirculating pump, the co2 wouldn't dissolve as thoroughly and you'd get a bunch of dead zones in the cylinder where there is no flow, so the media won't dissolve as consistently or efficiently. And I'd also have to imagine that the acid being actively forced through the media has to help it dissolve a little more efficiently. It's a big drop in flow too, for example if I turned my recirculating pump off, the flow in my reactor would drop by a factor of 1000, from ~300x its volume per hour to ~0.3 its volume per hour. So I think the reactor would still work, it would just have to use more co2 for the same result. What I don't know is how much extra co2 that would be.