Reactors

[Tim Marvin]

I have a friend that works as a machinist and he is building a Kalk reactor for me that will knock your socks off! This thing can withstand 350 PSI if you wanted to! Most households run on 40 to 60 PSI. You will be able to attach this between your RO/DI unit and float valve. Extremely high quality you won't beleive your eyes! I am getting one and he is going to build another one to sell at the upcoming meeting! There is no pumps or other equipment needed to run this if you hook it directly to your RO/DI unit! This units runs only $150, much less than you'd pay for a Tunze set-up..... I can't wait, I'll get pictures as soon as I get it...

[NaCl_H2O]

Ok smart *****, where are the pics and how does it work

how do you mix & add Kalk?
how big is it?
PVC or Acrylic?
110v or 220v ;)
Can I get one with leather upholstery & seat warmers :)

You really enjoy these climactic posts, don't you >_<

[Polkster13]

Tim said he would post pics of it AFTER he got the unit. His post was today (just after midnight, if the time stamp is right) so I am not ecpecting him to get it until later this week. Patience, people...

[Tim Marvin]

I'm getting it today some time. They take him a couple hours to build, the rest is precisionaly made be a computer and machines. No glue, it is all pressed together, has custon O-rings, and long plated bolts to prevent corrosion! I saw the prototype and fell off my chair! The bottom inside of the container is concaved, more like a cone, and a machined tube goes down to it on the intake side. the pressure from the RO unit pushing into the unit causes it to swirl everytime your tank gets dosed. I did forget to mention your RO unit needs a shut off valve unless your float valve can hold back the pressure. This unit is almost indestructable. It is made out of a high pressure machined plastic, and acrylic tube (cast I think). There is a large plate on the top that removes easily for adding your kalk, with a 6 inch hole! No more messy spills. Believe me I am dieing to get pictures up for you guys! I beleive this unit will take the market! I am betting he will not be able to keep up with demand! We are lucky to be able to get them directly from him now, He has agreed to make MAAST the official starting point for sales, before hitting reef central and others! He also staed he can make calcium reactors, caulerpa chambers, and anything you can dream up. I'm going to see if he'd like to give a short talk on his designs at an upcoming meeting. I was also VERY skeptical at first but after hearing his other ideas and looking at the finished product infront of me I am sold! This stuff is TOP OF THE LINE IMO! This is the Dragster of reef equipment. This is absolutely stealth! I rarely get this excited about a piece of equipment, but this has knocked my socks off. Anyway, I'll quit rambling and get some pictures the second I get my unit.

[Polkster13]

Tim,

Go ahead and put me down for one.

[grapplert]

Tim,

If he isn't able to make it to the meeting, I would like to hear (see) more...be willing to meet up wherever, whenever.

[Richard]

Wow! This sounds like the unit I've been looking for. I don't have any room for a reservoir. Couple of questions.

Does it have a 1/4" guest fitting or some other easy way of hooking up my 1/4" DI line?

If the kalk gets swirled everytime the DI is flowing then how does it prevent undissolved kalk from flowing into the tank?

The setup I'm looking for would be DI line to my spectrapure level controller then to the kalk reactor. Then a backup float valve on the output from the reactor just in case the level controller messes up. I would have to add some type of flow restrictor to prevent the kalkwasr from being added to quickly unless this unit already has something like that. Do you think this unit would work like this? I would love to get away from dripping Kalk every day.

[Tim Marvin]

The taller the unit the less likely to get kalk into your system. the bottom is cut down to a cone shape so the kalk settles back to the middle of the bottom which is the place the intake line points to. This causes the chamber to swirl every time water moves through it. I am not seeing exactly what you are talking about Richard, but I think this would work great for you. This unit comes completely apart for cleaning or replacement parts and has absolutely no glued joints. Mine wasn't completed today, but here is a picture of the bare bone scrappy prototype. The end product will work the same, but have some fancy rounded corners, diamond cut finger tightening nuts to remove top plate to easily add kalk through a 6 inch opening, and Advanced Reef Technologies engraved in it. He can also install LED lights if you want it to glow in the dark, change the polished aluminum rods for acrylic ones to make them glow, and endless other ideas.

[Richard]

How tall is the taller unit? Also what is the footprint of it?

[Tim Marvin]

Well, that is a six inch tube so 7X7 foot print? He can make any size you need as far as tall. The 12 inch unit runs $150 and $25 per foot to make them taller. You shouldn't need one more than 2 feet tall, unless you are doseing huge tanks of say 500 gallon or bigger.

[Richard]

Perfect! Put me down for a 2 footer.

[Ram_Puppy]

Tim,

how fast can he crank them out? I am interested, but don't need one right away, but, if as you say this hits the market big and he can't keep up with demand, I am sure prices will rise as well... I will definately be waiting to hear how much you like it after you have run it for a week. :) looks perty too!

[::pete::]

They look great!!

[donniekim]

Say do yall mind if I post the link to this thread on MARSH, I know we have a lot of equipment junkies over there! Just let me know!

Thanks
Donnie

[brewercm]

Richard,
Maybe you could put some sort of sediment bowl style filter on the outlet to keep any undesolved Kalk from entering the tank after the reactor. I know that none should make it out but just in case that could work if you can find one that is made with no metal parts.

[NaCl_H2O]

Nice looking unit! Don't know if I like the combined mixing/dosing approach, but it will be interesting to see how it works!

Obviously, we will need to see an MPEG of yours in action ;)

[Richard]

I am a little worried about the risk of flowing undissolved kalk into my tank but I think it is an easy enough fix for $25. I'm just going to get a 1 micron sediment filter from AquaFX and run the output of the reactor through that.

http://www.aquariumwaterfilters.com/RODI/reverse_osmosis_filter_media.html

[jaded]

is this a stupid question? I have no RO/DI nor do I plan on going that route for some time... but I would like to run a kalkreactor. Is it possible? Is it possible with this unit?

[Polkster13]

It is not a stupid question. Yes you can use this wihout an RO unit. You would hook up a bucket of water and gravity feed it to the chamber. Then use a Peristaltic pump to pump the kalc into your system.

[jaded]

I keep needing gravity feed but I'm all under the tank.

[Polkster13]

The bucket of water only needs to be higher than the kalc reactor, not the tank.

[Polkster13]

You do have a sump under your tank, correct?

[jaded]

room is the issue... I'm running incredibly low on realestate under there. I think I'm going to have to build a "book shelf" to the right of the tank. I could fit a 7"x7" reactor, but the grav feed is another issue

I'll have to see what happens after the sump/skimmer install this weekend

[Tim Marvin]

Donnie posting would be fine.
You can place a filter after the unit if you want, but if it is constantly doseing all day the tiny amount of water dribbling out in intervals won't be enough to blast up the kalk on the bottom. It is more a gentle swirl. As soon as I can, I'll do a JPEG on the unit for you to see it in action.

[donniekim]

Thanks Tim I linked it to MARSH and I and others are along for the ride!

[aquadoc]

Mike(Aquadoc) Owner/ Cheif aquatic engineer of Advanced Reef Technologies(A.R.T)

We should start production, by the end of this week. I WILL have a model ready in time for the meeting.
Hopefully I will have several models though.

[jaded]

what happened with these??? I'm very interested!!! Does anyone have one running? How is it?

I'll be adding a RODI system in the next week or so and I'm going to want to go with a kalk and Ca reactor soon after.

[Tim Marvin]

I am running the prototype as we speak. It works awesome thus far. Powder gets stirred everytime the tanks dose, but the kalk settles back down before it reaches a couple inches off the bottom. It is a gentle stir rather than blasting it with a pump.

[jaded]

I sent off a PM to aquadoc about both a calcium and kalk reactor... I can wait on both since I'm not quite ready for SPS yet, but I am interested in this units performance!!! Thanks for the update, I'll watch your other thread for more!!!

[Snausages01]

I have somewhat been in the market for a kalk reactor, but its not really at the top of my list; however, with a deal that appears to be as good as this I think it has definately moved up on my list. Whenever they become available I'd definately get one if I have the funds.

Put me down for a 2 footer. :P