Anyone care to discredit this statement?

[PMolan]

I recommend the CR-5 over the CR-6. I have found from personal use that the dual chamber units are ineffective and require the recalculating pump to work harder then necessary. The second chamber does not successfully buffer the the PH and aragonite in the chamber does not adequately dissolve. The CR-5 with center spray bar is in stock, 10LB CO2 tank, pH meter or controller as well.

After researching, I decided to go with the MRC CR-6. Now I am discouraged by this email from a retailer. My gut feeling is that there are no CR-6 in stock and they want to make a sale. Can anyone give an opinion either way?

 

[Phyl]

I don't know about the recirc pump having to work harder (that does't make any sense to me), but I do personally believe that there's little benefit to the second chamber.

That being said, I do have a 2 chamber unit and would probably replace it with the same if I ever needed to. *shrug*

 

[Brian]

I always thought the second chamber was to help blow off excess Co2?

I also have a dual chamber unit, and would buy the same again.

 

[billyr98]

i run a dual chamber also because of the higher PH effluent coming out of the chamber. This helps keep your tank ph higher. the first chamber of ph will be .2 lower than the second chamber, letting you effluent be a little higher and help out with the tank ph.

 

[PMolan]

Thanks guys, thats enough for me.. I always thought the second chamber was to counter any excess low pH water exiting the reactor. CR-6 it is..

 

[mladencovic]

... recalculating pump to work harder then necessary...

Well, the pump will work harder since the flow will be more impeded but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The point of the recirculating pump is to make sure that water is constantly moving over the media, exposing as much of the CO2 to the Aragonite. More exposure - more Ca in the water and less CO2. Actual speed/flow is immaterial, as long as it is able to push water around every single sand particle without leaving dead spots. So, EVERY pump that I have seen to be sold with these reactors is working harder then NECESSARY, so one or two chambers is a mute point in this respect

 

[harlequinreef]

i use koralith media in my first chamber (4-6mm) and ARM in my second chamber. ARM dissolves at a higher pH than koralith seems to. Both chamber drop at a consistent rate with each other. Effluent pH stays around 7.4.
my 2 cents

 

[JohnS_323]

i use koralith media in my first chamber (4-6mm) and ARM in my second chamber. ARM dissolves at a higher pH than koralith seems to. Both chamber drop at a consistent rate with each other. Effluent pH stays around 7.4.
my 2 cents

Good info, thanks Austin.

Nice to see you on this side, BTW! Welcome!

 

[Phyl]

Ditto... Welcome to NJRC, Austin!

 

[kathainbowen]

After researching, I decided to go with the MRC CR-6. Now I am discouraged by this email from a retailer. My gut feeling is that there are no CR-6 in stock and they want to make a sale. Can anyone give an opinion either way?

Do you know who you spoke with from the MRC/SEA people?

 

[Brian]

i use koralith media in my first chamber (4-6mm) and ARM in my second chamber. ARM dissolves at a higher pH than koralith seems to. Both chamber drop at a consistent rate with each other. Effluent pH stays around 7.4.
my 2 cents

Both of your chambers drop? My second chamber has lost 2" (or less)...while my main chamber has been completely replaced with new media. hmmmm...

 

[harlequinreef]

Both of your chambers drop? My second chamber has lost 2" (or less)...while my main chamber has been completely replaced with new media. hmmmm...

ARM turns to mush more easily than large grain Koralith. The pH going into my second chamber is ~7.1,... 7.4 out of second chamber. I never checked my pH going into the first chamber though.

 

[Brian]

Ok, this may sound dumb...How do you test what the PH in your first chamber is? My effluent comes out of my second chamber only. Are you just disconnecting the hose that connects the first to the second and testing there?

 

[harlequinreef]

I put a John Guest tee and ball valve in the 1/4 inch line going from the first chamber to the second chamber to sample water

 

[Phyl]

Great idea, Austin. Billy has one of those ph ports on his first chamber.

 

[harlequinreef]

Phyl,
i have a MRC (CR-4 ?) its the compact dual chamber model. It didnt come with a pH probe port so I had to find a way to get to the chamber water without making a mess everytime

 

[Brian]

Great idea, I'll have to give it a shot.

 

[billyr98]

Great idea, I'll have to give it a shot.

it works great brian.. if u want, i can take some pictures of the parts, i ordered it from MRC, but u can find the parts yourself...

 

[Brian]

Sounds Good!