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Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 3:58 pm
by rimai
Just changing the gain of the current sensor wouldn't do it.
It can't take not even 1psi.
Water pressure in the pipe is very minimal and that's why we use such small range sensor.
It requires a mod to use a sensor that can measure the range of the CO2 tank.

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:55 pm
by Paul_Velasco
Sorry 850 to 900

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 7:13 pm
by rimai
Are you sure it is not 100?

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 7:53 pm
by Paul_Velasco
double post

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 7:55 pm
by Paul_Velasco
Yes positive. Gauge is 0 - 2000 psi.

Look on link I posted to the exact regulator I am using. First gauge, pressure on tank, is 850-900 PSIG

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 8:15 pm
by skehole
Paul_Velasco wrote:
lnevo wrote:Just curious, what would you have to mod to do that? I figured you could change the gain in software like we've done for longer pipes.

What would be cool would be this, plus the ph expansion plus a co2 regulator and have an all in one carbon reactor kit. AlanM built a pwm solenoid I believe that could be used. Let me see if I could dig up the link.
I would buy this! This is a major failure point in my system that keeps me up at night. I lost my entire tank in an ALK spike, due to no CO2. Lost few $1000 in coral.

This is the regulator I am using:

http://www.aquariumplants.com/CarbonDos ... _p/co2.htm

Would it be possible to get a peristalic pump as well to feed the reactor? Would have to be continuous duty.
Why would you have an alk spike with no gas? Are you talking about a drop? If it's caught within a day or so, I don't think you'd have too much ill effect. Drops are MUCH less harmful than spikes ime.

I use the same carbondoser regulator and a masterflex peristaltic pump for my setup and it is fantastic. I would still love to see some more advanced integration with the RA as I believe all the elements are here both minds and hardware.

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 9:32 pm
by rimai
Paul_Velasco wrote:Yes positive. Gauge is 0 - 2000 psi.

Look on link I posted to the exact regulator I am using. First gauge, pressure on tank, is 850-900 PSIG
For that kind of pressure, the sensor can't be pcb mount like the one user on the water level expansion.
It would have to be connected with a lead and it cost quite a bit more. Rough estimate would be around $150

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:27 am
by Paul_Velasco
rimai wrote:
Paul_Velasco wrote:Yes positive. Gauge is 0 - 2000 psi.

Look on link I posted to the exact regulator I am using. First gauge, pressure on tank, is 850-900 PSIG
For that kind of pressure, the sensor can't be pcb mount like the one user on the water level expansion.
It would have to be connected with a lead and it cost quite a bit more. Rough estimate would be around $150
I am still in, my corals cost me way more!

If you have an integrated system pH, controlled output Solenoid, Pressure Sensor, continuous duty Peristaltic pump, etc I would buy. My basic CARx sytems is $1000+.

Imagine to be able to have full control of the CalRx. Especially if I can control output via a continuous duty peristaltic pump. This would be the ulitmate Calcium Reactor. If someone could just automate the Alk testing reefing would be much easier

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:31 am
by Paul_Velasco
Why would you have an alk spike with no gas? Are you talking about a drop? If it's caught within a day or so, I don't think you'd have too much ill effect. Drops are MUCH less harmful than spikes ime.
I am a time limited Reefer. I could literally go a few days with no time to mess with the tank. If I could get a reminder my tank is near empty, I can time a trip to Air-Gas Fill plant or Homebrew Store to get a CO2 fill.

Not spike, but swings in my ALK have caused my tank to go haywire. Killed a tankful back when I first started the tank.

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 9:33 pm
by lnevo
Wow I hadn't considered what Alan had said about using the ph to control the solenoid and then with the pressure guage monitoring the tank you'd maintain a pretty rock solid reactor setup...so we have 150 for the sensor, 110 for a ph expansion. Figure around 350 for a full solenoid/ph/digital gauge. We already have the functions pretty much to have a completely integrated calcium reactor setup.

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 6:41 am
by Paul_Velasco
lnevo wrote:Wow I hadn't considered what Alan had said about using the ph to control the solenoid and then with the pressure guage monitoring the tank you'd maintain a pretty rock solid reactor setup...so we have 150 for the sensor, 110 for a ph expansion. Figure around 350 for a full solenoid/ph/digital gauge. We already have the functions pretty much to have a completely integrated calcium reactor setup.
Sounds reasonable!! The regulator I got was $300 no pH control

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 1:19 pm
by lnevo
Paul_Velasco wrote:
lnevo wrote:Wow I hadn't considered what Alan had said about using the ph to control the solenoid and then with the pressure guage monitoring the tank you'd maintain a pretty rock solid reactor setup...so we have 150 for the sensor, 110 for a ph expansion. Figure around 350 for a full solenoid/ph/digital gauge. We already have the functions pretty much to have a completely integrated calcium reactor setup.
Sounds reasonable!! The regulator I got was $300 no pH control
And no digital gauge. :)

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 2:05 pm
by Paul_Velasco
How about a continuous duty peristaltic pump? Controlled by RA, not that would be the ultimate controllable CALRx Rig.

Scale or Pressure

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 5:52 pm
by lnevo
You could add the RA dosing pump or the ATO one to the mix...

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:01 am
by Paul_Velasco
lnevo wrote:You could add the RA dosing pump or the ATO one to the mix...
Are these continuous duty?

Anyone working on this? Would be great just to have a controllable solenoid. Big market for those and CALRx

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:16 pm
by skehole
Paul_Velasco wrote:
lnevo wrote:You could add the RA dosing pump or the ATO one to the mix...
Are these continuous duty?

Anyone working on this? Would be great just to have a controllable solenoid. Big market for those and CALRx
I doubt it. That's why there's such a huge demand in the reefing community for things like Cole parmer masterflex pumps.

Scale or Pressure

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2015 8:58 pm
by lnevo
Do you need continuous duty for a cal reactor?

Its mostly AWC that I've seen for continuous duty.

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 8:12 am
by Paul_Velasco
All suggestions on the Reef Forums is for a continuous flow of water through the Reactor, around 30 ml/hr.
I run a line with my return pump. Would love to be able to control the flow. Right now I am limited to counting drip rate and estimating the flow with eyeball flow meter.

Controllable continuous duty peristaltic pump!!! This would be my ideal.

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 8:14 am
by Paul_Velasco
The pump should be sub $300 price point. I paid about $250 for a used Cole Palmer and it crapped out in about 6 months. Would be willing to pay about 300-400 for a controllable one.

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 9:38 am
by rimai
What is continuous duty and why are they different?
If it is continuous, I would imagine it is not controllable or it would be called variable duty, no?

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2015 9:45 am
by skehole
I believe it simply implies that it is designed to be running 24/7.

If you ask BRS, for example, if their dosing pumps are designed to be operating 24/7, they will tell you absolutely not. As will most dosing pump manufacturers. For a calcium reactor, water should be pumped in and out at a constant metered pace to keep things consistent. It's very tough to find a pump that is capable of operating constantly, and is capable of overcoming the occasional pressure of clogged effluent lines, etc. it's for this reason why masterflex pumps have such a strong following among calrx users. There are others in the game, kamoer makes a calrx peri pump now, and of course there's the Dastaco calcium reactors thatre at a whole other level.

Re: Scale or Pressure

Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2015 2:45 pm
by Paul_Velasco
rimai wrote:What is continuous duty and why are they different?
If it is continuous, I would imagine it is not controllable or it would be called variable duty, no?
The masterflex pumps just change speed to control flow rate.