ozone-carbon-carbondioxide-calcium reactor?

[Aquayne_wv]

The biggest obstacle for using a calcium reactor,to me, is the co2 tank and controllers.

Would this work. Use a small corona ozone generator fed to a sealed cannister of carbon. Then run the output to a diy calcium reactor. Sounds like you would then have a perpetual supply of CO2 and a geat source of calcium for the reef.

Reading other posts elswhere it appears that you need an air dryer to feed the ozone generator. I have a friend that is an engineer at acompany that makes lense replacements for cataracts patients. I saw an air dryer he had that was only silica sand, like what you see in the craft stores to dry flowers. I bet that the material found in CLEAN diapers could be used due to its obvious absorbant properties.

Franklin Wayne Johnson
Logan,wv

Aquayne_wv@hotmail.com
demovid@hotmail.com

[H.crispa]

This interests me. I'll try running ozone through carbon and see if I get CO2. My hunch is that most of it will pass through the carbon and enter the reaction chamber as ozone. Have you considered simply fermenting sugar water and using the CO2 from that?

Also, you can make an air drier using Kent Phos-sorb and a pill bottle. Quick lime would also work if you can contain the powder. Personally, I don't use air driers with the ozone generators. I'll bet that silica gel like you find in new shoes would work as well...just do not eat it. I was going to once but then I saw the warning on the package. Whew! Dodged a bullit on that one!

[MattG]

why dont you want to just use a c02 tank? i think trying to get a precise amount of c02 added to the reactor would be a royal pain any other way.

[H.crispa]

Yes, you are correct. Getting a precise amount is impossible wo/ a tank but imagine how fun it would be to do a low-tech alternative.

[Aquayne_wv]

I do the yeast and sugar thing to help cure hand made live rock (base rock) It is a pain. First there is too much then not enough. Messy messy messy.

If you pass the O3 slowly enough with dwell time it should convert. That is how it is controlled.

Co2 tanks cost $$$$$$ and take up room.

I have never really researched calcium reactors yet to know how diffucult they are to opperate. But they cost $$$$$$. I may try it on a planted fw tank.

[LowCel]

Well if the time comes I have a CO2 regulator that I can sell cheap. I ordered a new regulator, solenoid and ph controller for my calcium reactor so I won't be needing the old one.

I bought my setup used a few months ago and it came with the basic regulator.

[MattG]

I have never really researched calcium reactors yet to know how diffucult they are to opperate. But they cost $$$$$$. I may try it on a planted fw tank.

ca reactors are pretty easy to setup once you understand the idea behind how they work. Effluent rates/bubble counts give some people problems but its really all pretty simple. Easiest way to set one up is definetly with a ph controller but thats not needed.

REactors do get expensive once you add all the equipment up but if you have a high calcium demand a reactor is the cheapest way to go in the long run. Not to mention eliminating the hassle of dosing two parters or whatever suppliment scheme you are using.

If anyone is setting up a reactor i have some Korralith Media that im looking to sell.

[Aquayne_wv]

Does O2 work in a reactor by lowering PH or by chemically changing the media

[MattG]

you just pump c02 into the reactor lowering the ph. the lowered ph melts the media (pretty much just aragonite). Where people run into problems is getting the effluent rate and the bubble count to match. If your bubble count is too high the ph level will drop in the reactor and turn the media to mush (melt to fast). If you dont add enough c02 then the media wont melt. Its just a balancing act. This is where a ph controller really helps. You just set the controller to whatever the desired ph is and all you have to adjust is the effluent rate. If your calcium/alk levels are dropping you just increase the rate and lower if you are adding to much.

[Aquayne_wv]

It WORKS!!!!!
I made a carbon chamber from a pop bottle. drilled two holes in the lid and sealed a short peice of rigid tubing to top and a longer peice through the cap all the way through to the bottom and to an airstone. Then filled the bottle with activated carbon and toped it off with filter floss.

Ran air from pump to ozone generator, then to bottle, through carbon. From the carbon to a tank where I am curing hand made reef rocks. Very low bubble rate.

The PH went from over 8.8 (actually above limits of kit) down to 7.8 on 10 hours. AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[H.crispa]

That is cool! I'm glad it worked. Now, what other applications can you think of for this little breakthrough? I'll bet I can supercharge a greenwater culture using CO2. Maybe get it to mature more quickly or achieve a higher cell density count.