Peristaltic Pump Help

[phi delt reefer]

Originally Posted by mark

have you considered something like as Aqualifter?

cant use the aqualifter. the Calc will gum up the membrane system within the pump. It says right on the box that if you use it for kalk or calcium it will void the warranty and damage the pump. Though there might be a pre filter box they sell for the aqualifter to reduce the damage. i will check the box when i get home tonight.

[untamed]

I run both my Ca reactor and my Kalk reactor on peristaltic pumps and would not do it any other way. The reactor can be very precisely controlled this way.

The pump was supplied by Omega. I bought the FPU115 which is rated at 115ml/min, and I'm currently running it on for 1 minute, off for 1 minute. My controller cycles the pump using a simple timer program, controlled to the second. (most commonly used for wave function).

Here's a link to their website. http://www.omega.ca/shop/pptsc.asp?r...100&Nav=grel07

So far, these pumps have worked for over 4 years now without a hiccup.

PS. If Omego won't sell directly to you, send me a PM and I'll purchase it for you.

[mark]

Originally Posted by phi delt reefer

cant use the aqualifter. the Calc will gum up the membrane system within the pump. It says right on the box that if you use it for kalk or calcium it will void the warranty and damage the pump. Though there might be a pre filter box they sell for the aqualifter to reduce the damage. i will check the box when i get home tonight.

sure you can, you feed the Ca reactor from tank water (you don't draw fr the reactor)

[phi delt reefer]

Originally Posted by mark

sure you can, you feed the Ca reactor from tank water (you don't draw fr the reactor)

Yeah I didnt think to set up in that manner.

[untamed]

Yup...same with the peristaltic pumps. You push tank water INTO the Ca reactor, and you push RODI water INTO the Kalk reactor. Surprisingly, the FW seems to be harder on the pump tubing than the SW. The SW forms a thin slime layer inside the tubing which reduces wear. I'm switching from norprene tubes to silicon tubes to see how they wear.

Right now, I have to change the peristaltic tubes every 6 months or so.

[Bryan]

Well, here is what I am using. Project is not complete yet but, I have a Masterflex peristaltic pump head purchased off Ebay for about $25.00, included a mounting bracket. These heads are very reliable and long lasting.

Coded a PIC 18F1330 for the control portion of the project including a LCD display. It is adjustable from 1ml to 120ml a min. The PIC outputs a square wave to a L297/L298 stepper driver to a PowerMax II stepper motor I had on hand. This stepper, via a 1/4" coupling turns the Masterflex peristaltic pump head.

Has been running flawlessly for the last 3 months sitting in it's breadboard form.

Part 2 of the project will be controlling the CO2 from the regulator to the calcium reactor using a Clippard electronic valve.

http://www.clippard.com/store/displa...?sku=EV-2-12-L

This should make dialing in the reactor much easier.

Finally will put the whole thing on a PCB and in a appropriate enclosure