Calcium reactor, PH probe, controller questions

For the calcium reactor crowd:
Do you have a separate controller for the reactor?
I guess my reefkeeper can do it but I want a separate Probe in the tank.

For the peeps that owns PH probes:
How often do you replace them?
How often and how do you clean them.. do they lose accuracy over a certain amount of time?

Thanks in advance..and Happy Reefing8)arty-smi

 

I don't run a Ca reactor at the moment but am setting one up on my new tank. I'll be using the Aquacontroller 3 which you can hook up 2 PH probes to, if you don't have that ability I would personally definitely find a way to monitor both the tank and the reactor chamber, I wouldn't feel comfortable not knowing since the reactor can significantly lower the tank PH if it's not dialed in properly.

As far as replacing, I've been using mine for about a year, still stays calibrated well. I clean it when I check the calibration which just consists of dipping it in RO water and then using a paper towel to gently run across the element. AFAIK they last until their calibration starts drifting, I've heard of people using a single probe for years.

Maybe someone else has more solid info but that's my 2c.

 

Thanks screwtape.

 

Yes, run a separate device for the ph controller. They do lose accuracy over time. Mine reads off by .2, but it is easy to compensate for. Supposedly they last a year or so, but I think mine has more use than that.

Keep the ph probe on the RK for the tank's ph, and the one on the CA reactor chamber for chamber ph. Too low of PH and you get media mush.

 

I run a pH probe on the RKE, (yes, the RKE could do it all) and a separate pH controller for the CA Reactor to control the CO2 flow to the reactor... Yes they fall off over time, I re-calibrate on an ~ 3 month interval, and have to replace them between 9 and 12 months... depending on how badly they start drifting.

On a monthly basis, give them a quick rinse in DI, and place the reactor's probe in the sump as a point reference check between the probes...

 

Good info really appreciate it.