Kalkwasser stirer

[Dkray944]

I'm thinking the way I dose Kalk is inefficient and was considering a stirrer. Does anyone have any experience with these reactors? Below is the one I'm considering? Is it as simple as running your ATO through the stirer? If you have high evaporation rate, how do you make sure it doesn't add too much to your tank? How often do you have to service it? Currently I have a 45g container(trash can with lid) that I fill every two weeks with fresh RO water then mix 1 1/2 cups of Kalkwasser powder. Let it settle then have the ATO pump pull from the top 2/3 of the container. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Tank is a 220 g mixed reef sps dominated. Also dose C-Balance throughout the week to keep levels in check.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/aqua-medic-kalk-reactor-5000.html

[12_Egg_Omelette]

Have you thought about a calcium reactor? The potential for a kalk reactor to fail and flood a tank is a big risk, especially with a tank as beautiful as yours. A Nice calcium reactor and a nice dual stage regulator would prevent an end of tank dump syndrome. The initial cost of getting it set up correctly is a bit higher but in the long run I think the piece of mind it would provide would be great.

[Dkray944]

I was also looking into those but theres two things that are preventing me from going that route. The complexity of setup and I read somewhere that tou need to keep nitrates and phosphates really low because something to do with the by product. I believe maybe it increased your phosphates. Have you read or seen anything to that effect.

[12_Egg_Omelette]

I think the complexity isn't to hard if you have quality equipment. Knob adjustments that take big turns to make slight adjustments are where it's at.

Are you already running gfo? The nice think with a calcium reactor is with the right media you can replenish almost all trace elements so there goes your water changes.


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[quicksilverz]

If you have any questions I just put a Calcium reactor on my system and I have seen and explosion of growth. I love it!

[Dkray944]

Which one did you go with? Why did you go that way vs Kalk reactor? Just curious. If swear by it I quess I'm going to have to rethink this. Maybe I should go calcium reactor instead.

[12_Egg_Omelette]

+1 on a calcium reactor.

[quicksilverz]

The skimz monster 152

[OrionN]

I use a combination of Ca reactor and Kalk reactor. I like both and they really work well with each other. Each compliment the draw back of the other (pH)
For Karl reactor I recommend that you use one with a magnetic stirrer rather than pumps. Pump will breakdown fairly quickly under saturate kalk condition. I have not use a Kalk reactor with a stir bar.

[Dkray944]

What proportion have you found works best for calcium uptake? 1/3 Kalk 2/3 calcium reactor?

[OrionN]

With Kalk reactor, you want to top off with saturated Kalk solution. You cannot add any more Ca/Bicarb than this. Then you can adjust the Ca reactor to keep Ca/alkalinity optimal.

[12_Egg_Omelette]

This sounds extremely dangerous. Now you increase the likihood of two failures as the second doesn't act as a fail safe. If you have a cheap regulator you can experience an end of dump. If you're ATO gets stuck you dump saturated kalk. If both happen at the same time double fail.

At least this is my perception of it.


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[OrionN]

I got a 450 gal total volume. Several clams the largest is and T. gigas that is 26 inches shell. My Kalk addition is fail safe, my Ca reactor is fail safe. It is cheap for me to keep my Ca and alkalinity up. Using two parts to keep my level up will put me into the poor house. It is important that Kalk addition need to use a reliable dosing pump. Should not use a water level type ATO. If somehow the tank loose water(a leak), replace that with saturate Kalk will likely crash your tank. Calcium reactors are fairly reliable. It is also recommended that you dose Ca reactor with dosing pump rather than use flow valve with needle control to adjust rate. These are not reliable and changes a lot. Use Dosing pumps to dose Kalk and Ca reactor output . Don't have to worry about crash, many people dose with these two piece of equibments

[12_Egg_Omelette]

Well with a 450 I don't think you have to worry. I was thinking ATO method and my mind was thinking oh man.

You're using calcium up like a champ.


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[OrionN]

I think the complexity isn't to hard if you have quality equipment. Knob adjustments that take big turns to make slight adjustments are where it's at.

Are you already running gfo? The nice think with a calcium reactor is with the right media you can replenish almost all trace elements so there goes your water changes.


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The change in out put of Kalk reactor and Calcium reactors have to do with the total resistant of flow through these reactors. this will change from minute to minutes. Because of this reason, fine dials will not keep your flow constant. You can set your Ca reactor flow rate all day long and get the flow rate you want and a few days later the rate will be different, either more or less. Often the flow rate slow to a minimal drip. This result in vastly decreased pH in the chambers and even lost of circulation due to CO2 build up (depends on reactor)
The only sure way to dose and adjust both Kalk and Ca reactor is a lab grade adjustable dosing pumps. This way, you just set it and forget it. You can test your water, then adjust your output. With a good dosing pump, the output is where you set it, and rock steady.

[Dkray944]

Good info. What dosing pumps do you use?

[quicksilverz]

Dosung pumps were never ment to run 24hours a day

[OrionN]

Lab grade dosing pumps does. My have run continuously for several years. Once in a while I need to change the tubing, Maybe 18 months or more.
Here are my two pumps, the top one for my Ca reactor and the bottom for my Kalk reactor. They run continously
The pump is a Cole-Palmer MasterFlex L/S Economy Drive. The pump head is Cole-Palmer MasterFlex Easy-Load II.
I got them used so did not have to pay full price for it. If you want easy cheap Ca and Alkalinity control, then these pumps are the way to go.
I used pumps that are for our hobby before, they never last more tan a few months. The drive and he head are stainless steel. If you take care of them, they will last for ever. The plastic heads and mickey mouse pumps I used before, I just gave them away. Useless.
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[OrionN]

BTW, these pumps are powerful enough to drive 4 heads at the same time. Variable speed so you can adjust them as needed. The head are easy load and use multiple size tubing so the range of dosing is essentially unlimited. I dose about 3 gal of Kalk a day. The volume of Ca reactor dosing is a lot higher. You can see by the size of the tubing. The size to the tubing for Ca reactor is a lot larger than the one for the Kalk reactor.

[OrionN]

Here is my Kalk reactor. I had Geo build me a reactor but not put in the plumbing for the circulation pump. I cut a piece of glass and put it in the inside bottom of the reactor and put it on a magnetic stirrer. Glass bottom is needed because the magnetic bar will dig into the acrylic bottom and wear through it in a few months.
After may years of trial and error, this is the most reliable methods of doing Kalk and Ca reactor I came up with.
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