calcium reator without Co2?

[mantisshrimp]

Is it possible to make a calcium reactor that doesn't use CO2 to dissolve the media?Like using vinegar instead of the C02 added in small quantities.

[Danables]

vinegar sure if you want to kill everything.. why do you want to use something else?

[Lunchbucket]

i am guessing too much $$ for you mantis right??

sorry i don't think there is another option

Lunchbucket

[Lunchbucket]

i am guessing too much $$ for you mantis right??

sorry i don't think there is another option

Lunchbucket

[Roadtoad]

without the CO2 they are basically undergravel filters

[ADHybrid]

Vinegar wont kill everything. I use vinegar to spike my kalk. I understand the need for an alternate source of acid for aid in dissolving calcium media. I too am a poor reefer! If anyone gets a breakthrough on this subject, I wanna be one of the first to know

[Lunchbucket]

ADHybrid - i am ONLY guessing but i think Danables was saying in the quantities needed to be functionable it would kill everything

Lunchbucket

[ADHybrid]

Would it really matter about the ammount? The concentration will be the same no matter HOW much you use, so technically you could only use a little bit, let the aragonite sit in it a while, then add it to the tank. Oh wait, This is exactly what I do with my kalk. Damn it, were back to square one!

[Lunchbucket]

we are talking about RUNNING a reactor not sitting some ARM in it. the reactor would be ciculating to the tank and the flow would ahve to be SOOO slow and you would ahve to add SOOO much vinegar to get your effluent high enough you would be messing w/ the pH and other stuff w/ vinegar.

hmm, you ever dump in some 1.000 water to a 1.027 tank? it is a concentration of 1.000 but what happens if you add a lot? messes up the tank doesn't it?? not the same type of reaction but an example of how a LITTLE of one thing cannot always be applied to a lot...safely

Lunchbucket

[ADHybrid]

Carbonated water = carbonic acid = co2+H2O

dang it, now you guys got me thinking. IT HURTS!!!

[ADHybrid]

Oh, I thought we were talking about a 2 gallon nano, never mind

[Lunchbucket]

still i think for the quantity of vinegar you would need i think you would mess w/ the pH too much

Lunchbucket

[ADHybrid]

cmon peeps, lets throw out some ideas. There has to be some sort of way to run a reactor - the co2!!!!


vinegar
carbonated water
compressed co2, oh wait, thats what we DONT want

[anathema]

I also read a plant thread abotu manufacturing your own C02 using yeast.

Lots of work...

[inLOVEwitHEATHER]

ive seen a reactor wit 2 chambers.... one filled wit crushed coral and the other filled wit sulfar... the water passes through the sulfar first to lower th ph so it could dissolve the coral... but yeh i forgot where i saw this.. you might wanna search for it... sulfar was used to lower the ph..... look it up then post anything if you get anywhere...

[jdieck]

The reason thet CO2 is adequate is that besides lowering the PH to disolve the Aragonite, it ocurs naturaly in water, the excess can be blown off the tank and the rest that stays disolved as Carbonic Acid in the tank water in turn reacts to become into bicarbonate and carbonate creating a synergistic effect to build up alkalinity.

This I think will be difficult to find in a replacement chemical.

[Sid]

inLOVEwitHEATHER, what you are thinking of is a Sulphur de-nitrator, same principals as a normal one but you dont have to feed it because it uses a different type of bacteria that uses the Sulphur as a food source, i cant find the one i was loking for but here is a link to a american site that has a de-nitrate/Calcium Reactor in one.




Nitrafix

[AnnArborBuck]

You could always just exhale into a large garbage bag everyday. Seal the bag up with an air pump inside and then use that CO2 for your tank. Assuming how much CO2 you need it might just last for a couple of days. Good luck.

[Tim Birthisel]

When I retire I will grow grapes to make wine.
The offgassing CO2 from the fermentation process will no longer be a waste product, I will channel it into a Ca reactor.
Cheers

[Brad A.]

Seriously, I think this is an important topic to think about. I wonder if some of our resident chemists might have ideas for dissolving aragonite. Maybe we could post this thread over in Randy's forum in addition to this forum?

Brad

[Larry Grenier]

So I guess you folks think the Nitrafix product is a farce?

[anathema]

several threads exist, run a forum search fro "vinegar reactor"

I had one up recently.

[jdieck]

As Nitrification / Denitrification lowers PH, I think it could very well work but.... Did I see a bronze valve in the device??

[mantisshrimp]

Ah man,look what I started.How about the carbonated water idea?I know about the yeast,how about when you mix baking soda and vinegar,isn't that CO2?

[Sid]

jdieck yes you did see a bronze, i think brass tap on it, that particular company worries me with quotes like 'no more need for live rock' or 'add more livestock'.
and have a count on the tangs on the opening page and the size of tank they were in.
that was an example of a denitrator/calcium reactor, the one i was looking for i couldnt find.
the idea works by using the output of a Sulphur reactor run over some type of media to add calcium, the one advertised in england specifies a particular type of media thats why i was looking for it.