Need help with Octopus reactor ... anyone have one?

[Mrs Fish]

Anyone have one ... been setting it up for a couple of hours now. Got it all set, turned it on, media started to rise, pushed top sponge on it's side, pump whirred and then went silent. Did it exactly as mike at TAG said ... is there anyone who can help at this time of night??

Sue

 

[Jim Tansey]

I can't give you any direct experience with Octopus but it sounds like you are overdriving it, what are you feeding it with?

Jim

 

[Mrs Fish]

It doesn't have a feed pump ... it draws in water automatically. It is fitted with a pump that comes with it. TAG had it assembled already. I have just taken the pump apart to see if it has any media in it, but it doesn't seem to have. So I'm trying it again in the sink!!

 

[Cheetos]

I have one and went through the same thing when I first set it up. What pump are you feeding it with? I found that running it off of my return pump was the best option. The first thing you need to do is shut off the circulation pump on the reactor and open the effluent valve wide open and let it run like that to bleed out all air for at the very least, overnight. Then while the valve is still wide open turn on the pump and let it run like that for another day. After that it should be ready to go.....turn down the effluent valve until you get 50 ml/min and then turn on your CO2. I think my initial bubble count was 25 bubbles/min to start. The problem with everything rising to the top and the pump making that noise is air in the reactor. Hope that helps! Feel free to PM me!

 

[Cheetos]

You need a feed pump! The pump that is on it is a circulation pump for the reactor.

 

[Mrs Fish]

I just tried it again in the sink ... the pump is dead. I think I'll call TAG. Mike set it up for me today and I did exactly as he said. Apparently this reactor does not need an additional pump to pull water into it ... it uses a siphon effect. It's on the same level as the sump, so I don't think there are any problems will the siphon. It came with a pump to drive the media, but that's what is now silent.

 

[Cheetos]

What model Octopus reactor is it?

 

[Mrs Fish]

How do you tell ... it came with a single diagram which I went over with Myk at TAG ... says RO-CR-140

 

[Cheetos]

Is this it?
http://www.aquacave.com/octopus-cr-140-reversebr-flow-calcium-reactorbr-by-coralvue-245.html

 

[Mrs Fish]

yes, I think so ...

 

[Cheetos]

This should help!
http://www.coralvue.com/pdfs/ca-instruct.pdf

 

[delta]

Sounds like you sucked up a piece of media. Did you try tanking it apart and clearing the impeller chamber? Does this unit have the thin black sponge pretty open?

 

[Mrs Fish]

Yes, I took pump apart ... just heavy silt, typical of what i'd expect. But it's absolutely dead when I plugged it in again. Hopefully Myk will have a warranty arrangement with them ...

 

[delta]

Do you have the instructions? not the diagram.

What type of media are you using?

 

[Mrs Fish]

There are no instructions, which is why I had Myk at TAG help me with the installation BEFORE I left the store!! The product only comes with a vague diagram, which Myk admits is a little 'vague'!! I am using deltec media which I ordered when trying to repair the deltec reactor about 9 months ago. It's good stuff ..

 

[delta]

Lets fix that you might find some useful info there
http://www.coralvue.com/pdfs/ca-instruct.pdf

Is it large media? If not coralvue states that you should only large media.

 

[MikeG]

In addition to the circulation pump not working, based on the diagram and the instructions, you do need a feed pump as well.

 

[Mrs Fish]

I believe you are right ... although instructions / diagram does not say so. I think I got muddled with the kalkreactor information on the reef octopus website. Even so, with the chamber filled with water, it should not have burnt out the pump in less than 20 seconds.

 

[Mrs Fish]

Delta .. it is large media. I used the very instructions to set up the reactor because there were no instructions with it. All was exactly as per the information you gave the link for.

 

[delta]

Similar to my experience only no media sludge in the pump. After playing around with it I got it going and it has been running a few years.

For me next time I will buy a PM or Geo.