MTC Procal Owners

[reefs4life]

Hey guys so I recently bought an MTC Procal and I want to drill and tap the lid so I can use my pH probe but I was wondering, which chamber do I monitor? This thing is so confusing with tubes all over the place, can't figure out where anything goes. Also if someone can tell me whether I have this right or not...
Blue tube= water in
Green tube= water out
Red tube= CO2 exhaust?

Is the smaller chamber supposed to have a plate at the bottom like the larger one has plates both on top and bottom? All I see at the bottom of the smaller one is a piece of tubing sticking in. And if I'm using dolomite for mag purposes, which chamber should I be running it in?

Thanks in advance,
Fortunato

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Reefs

 

[Exotic Reefs of NJ]

I believe the smaller tube, this is the secondary tube prior to it returning to the tank. The secondary tube is for any excess CO to burn off before it returns to the tank so that would be where you would get the most accurate results. Just be careful drilling it due to it being under pressure.

 

[samksy]

Hey guys so I recently bought an MTC Procal and I want to drill and tap the lid so I can use my pH probe but I was wondering, which chamber do I monitor? This thing is so confusing with tubes all over the place, can't figure out where anything goes. Also if someone can tell me whether I have this right or not...
Blue tube= water in
Green tube= water out
Red tube= CO2 exhaust?

Is the smaller chamber supposed to have a plate at the bottom like the larger one has plates both on top and bottom? All I see at the bottom of the smaller one is a piece of tubing sticking in. And if I'm using dolomite for mag purposes, which chamber should I be running it in?

Thanks in advance,
Fortunato

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Reefs

This is a very nice well build calcium reactor!!! definetly worth the investment.

i was thinking of tapping the reactor chamber like you, but i chicken out. I read that the tap (drilling piece) is not exactly the right size but again, i'm not too familiar with these stuff. If you read the review for the nuts that you need to buy to hold the ph probe, you'll see what i mean. Not a standard size tap.

As for the color of the tubing, if you or the previous own didn't change stuff around, it sounds right. Also, depending on the age of the reactor, you probably want to take out all the screws and clean out the silicone and rescrew it back onto the reactor with silicone. My had minor leak on some screw on.

The 2nd chamber do not have any plate on the bottom and i believe the dolomite is on the 2nd chamber as well, i didn't use it. Depends on how reading hold out, i might use it as well.

Keep us posted, i'll be interested in how the tapping of the chamber work out for you.

Good luck

-Sam

 

[Exotic Reefs of NJ]

Larger tube get crushed coral to fill line, both plates go in this chamber one on the bottom to rest on the feet giving the void at the bottom and fill it to fill line with crushed coral and then the other plate on top. Smaller chamber gets fill with crushed coral as well from the bottom to about a inch from the top, if you use the probe in that chamber then use your judgement to keep it just below the probe.

 

[reefs4life]

Thanks for the great replies guys. I have a better sense of everything now.

I was going to ask though, if the second chamber is just for excess CO2 wouldn't I want the probe in the first chamber so my controller knows when to turn off at the desired pH. If I put it in the second chamber how do I know what 6.6 pH equals in the first chamber after it "burns off" in the second chamber. Wouldn't I want it in the first (larger) chamber

 

[bigsink]

Why don't you have Custom King make you a small effluent chamber that sits in your sump that can house a pH probe?

 

[duke62]

Why don't you have Custom King make you a small effluent chamber that sits in your sump that can house a pH probe?

I use a tubberware. 1.99

 

[reefs4life]

Don't really like the effluent cup method, I would much rather have it directly inside the reactor if possible. I just need a definitely answer as into which chamber it should go into, the larger one or the smaller one. For me it would make most sense that it would go in the larger chamber but that's why I am asking the question, just in case that isn't right.

 

[bigsink]

Why don't you call Jeff from MTC and see what he says?

 

[greg 45]

You dont need a cup to measure call Jeff was just there
he is always willing to help
give him a call

 

[duke62]

The guy from MTC is against any measure of PH coming from the reactor. He doesnt feel its needed so calling him wont help. As for the effluent cup why you against it. Its the same idea and you can use the same probe to test your tank water with ease. No need for 2 ph probes.

 

[Jim]

I PM'd you.

 

[polywise]

I drilled and tapped for a PH probe on my MTC pro-cal many years ago. Best thing I ever did. If you want to come over to my factory, I'll have my tool maker do it for you.

You want the probe to be in the first chamber on the top plate next to the float valve in that chamber chamber to monitor where the CO2 is introduced.

LMK
Jim C.

 

[polywise]

my shop is in Mount Vernon, about 10 minutes from your house..

 

[polywise]

Here is a pic I found of the probe mounted on the reactor. I could do similar to yours.

Jim

 

[reefs4life]

Here is a pic I found of the probe mounted on the reactor. I could do similar to yours.

Jim

Looks great, thank you! Just sent you a PM