Reef Central Online Community Archives

Reef Central Online Community Archives (https://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/index.php)
-   Do It Yourself (https://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=3)
-   -   coralife calcium reactor leaks (https://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1286673)

Just Jim 01/05/2008 04:06 PM

coralife calcium reactor leaks
 
I've been using this piece of junk for about 6 months now. Out of the box it leaked. I sealed around the pump with silicone and it worked just as it should've until yesterday, when it started to leak through the silicone. I cut out the old silicone and resealed it. I just can't justify spending the $400 for the geo calcium reactor that I want. Has anyone had luck "fixing up" the coralife reactor permantly?

zaireguy 01/05/2008 05:24 PM

mine just went and starting leaking on me last night.I feel the pain man

Just Jim 01/05/2008 05:26 PM

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11528628#post11528628 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zaireguy [/i]
[B]mine just went and starting leaking on me last night.I feel the pain man [/B][/QUOTE]


How long did you have yours? If I had it to do over again, I'd have bought the geo 624. But now I've got $150 invested in this junk. Right now I've got a layer of silicone drying. Then I'll put another layer on top of this one, hopefully it sticks. Hasn't anyone else had this problem?

zaireguy 01/05/2008 05:35 PM

mine has been nothing but problems I want the geo 624 also.I have had mine about a yr

Just Jim 01/05/2008 06:33 PM

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11528706#post11528706 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zaireguy [/i]
[B]mine has been nothing but problems I want the geo 624 also.I have had mine about a yr [/B][/QUOTE]


Instead of buying the geo 624, how about I give you a good deal on a "lightly used" coralife reactor? :D You can always use it for spare parts.:lol:

Percula9 01/06/2008 12:32 AM

If the silicone doesn't work, try JB weld. It worked for me on a busted skimmer. The key is inside and outside has to be sealed. I'm sorry but you get what you pay for. There is a local fish store by me with a 300gal reef. It has some of the nicest acropora and other various corals, without a reactor. It is maintained with supplements and water changes. This proves you don't need such a device to begin with.

Just Jim 01/06/2008 01:33 AM

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11531702#post11531702 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Percula9 [/i]
[B]If the silicone doesn't work, try JB weld. It worked for me on a busted skimmer. The key is inside and outside has to be sealed. I'm sorry but you get what you pay for. There is a local fish store by me with a 300gal reef. It has some of the nicest acropora and other various corals, without a reactor. It is maintained with supplements and water changes. This proves you don't need such a device to begin with. [/B][/QUOTE]

I have sps and clams, and over 300 gallons of volume, and I'd go through tons of 2 part if I didn't have a reactor. I tried a jb weld knock off, because my local lowes was out. It was called welder and it didn't work. It wasn't a two part though.

liveforphysics 01/06/2008 07:30 AM

My O-ring pump seal dripped on my coralife 500 calcium reactor.

I bought 1 size thicker and 1 size smaller diameter O-ring for about $0.20 . It's never leaked for over a year now. I also totally drilled out the extremely restrictive venturi directly above the pump mount. Now it circulates the water in the reactor like a river, and efficiency and performance increased in a big way. I use a paristilic pump to feed it, so I had no need for the venturi.

After these 2 mods that took about 10 minutes, I've been very pleased with the performance. Hopefully they can help you too!

Best Wishes,
-Luke

caseyjones 01/06/2008 12:16 PM

Aside from the leaks and poor design does it do a decent job at maintaining calcium levels?

liveforphysics 01/06/2008 09:13 PM

Yes, if you drill out the venturi and use a thicker O-ring it functions as well as any reactor I've used. For how cheap it is and how little work it requires to make it work, I think its a pretty good value.

zaireguy 01/06/2008 09:15 PM

I wonder if I could turn my leaking one in to a phosate reactor

Just Jim 01/10/2008 07:19 PM

My patch job with the silicone seems to have worked. It's almost been a week now, and it hasn't dripped at all. I don't know what caused it to leak the last time, but hopefully this buys me another year or two.

zaireguy 01/12/2008 12:12 AM

man I got a nice mrc off here ..no more coralife :)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:38 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.