Dosing pump for kalk

[hotdrop]

I’m going to try switching from 2 part manual dosing to 2 part kalk using a dosing pump. What would be a reliable pump to use? Look m to stay under 250$

 

[Retro Reefer]

Not sure what you mean by 2 part kalk but I use a BRS doser on a mechanical timer to dose my Kalkwasser solution. Great pump but price has skyrocketed over the last couple years, paid $50 for mine little over a year ago and see they are $80 now ;Facepalm

 

[dank reefer]

Will you be using some type of Kalk stirrer or using a reservoir for your Kalk?

 

[hotdrop]

I assume I have to have like a 2gallon jug for it but not sure what the best setup is. I don’t want the ATO pump sitting in kalk water as that seems like a recipe for problems. I’d rather have a passive reservoir with no stirring but if there is a really good reason for stirring I could be convinced.

 

[DxMarinefish]

I use a Versa that pumps the required mount of RO into my Kalk stirrer and I have never looked back. Very reliable and the Mobius app is brilliant.

I still have a Tunze Osmolator for my Auto top off, but this rarely kicks in these days.

Both fed off my RO reservoir.

My next job is to attach the Versa to a Milwaukee ph controller that will turn the Versa On/Off based on ph setting of Low/High.

 

[R.Weller]

We use a 20gal Brute as our kalk reservoir. It is elevated above the sump & we use gravity with a gate valve to provide a constant drip of the solution into the return chamber that matches the evaporation rate. No stirring, pumps or ATO. If your space permits, it's a good option to consider.

 

[blasterman]

The problem with gravity drips is they arent consistent. The more volume of water you have in the container the higher the back pressure and the higher the volume of drip. You cant just use a bucket of fluid and a gate valve and gravity because the flow will decrease as the bucket reservoir drops. You can get away with this if kalk is just used for top offs. Not if you are using kalk for actual alk dosing.

A standard medical IV drip uses a regulation chamber to compensate for reservoir back pressure. The drip rate is always constant mo matter the fluid level in the IV bag and can be varied. However, I've yet to see a dosing pump based on a regulation chamber like a medical IV. You cant use a medical IV for kalk because they have metal inside and the gauge is too small which eventually clogs with kalk slurry.

 

[WIReefer]

Not sure what you mean by 2 part kalk but I use a BRS doser on a mechanical timer to dose my Kalkwasser solution. Great pump but price has skyrocketed over the last couple years, paid $50 for mine little over a year ago and see they are $80 now ;Facepalm

I use this same doser pump I like it. I have this running into my avast marine kalkstirrer, works out pretty good, Apex is also controlling doser.

 

[R.Weller]

The problem with gravity drips is they arent consistent. The more volume of water you have in the container the higher the back pressure and the higher the volume of drip. You cant just use a bucket of fluid and a gate valve and gravity because the flow will decrease as the bucket reservoir drops. You can get away with this if kalk is just used for top offs. Not if you are using kalk for actual alk dosing.

A standard medical IV drip uses a regulation chamber to compensate for reservoir back pressure. The drip rate is always constant mo matter the fluid level in the IV bag and can be varied. However, I've yet to see a dosing pump based on a regulation chamber like a medical IV. You cant use a medical IV for kalk because they have metal inside and the gauge is too small which eventually clogs with kalk slurry.

Correct. We check the drip as part of our daily maintenance routine & open the gate a fraction as needed (2 drips / second during the summer & 3 drips / second during the winter). It is also our sole method of top-off. 2 years now & it keeps parameters stable.

 

[hotdrop]

No issues with the versa pump? I had read that they don’t hold pressure well though maybe less of an issue with kalk dosing

 

[BaliSurferDude]

I use a Versa that pumps the required mount of RO into my Kalk stirrer and I have never looked back. Very reliable and the Mobius app is brilliant.

I still have a Tunze Osmolator for my Auto top off, but this rarely kicks in these days.

Both fed off my RO reservoir.

My next job is to attach the Versa to a Milwaukee ph controller that will turn the Versa On/Off based on ph setting of Low/High.

Will not adding kalk based on pH potentially cause your Ca and Alk to get out of whack?

 

[DxMarinefish]

Will not adding kalk based on pH potentially cause your Ca and Alk to get out of whack?

That will depend on various variables such as rate of consumption, how saturated the kalk is, my weekly Ca and Alk test results.

I have not added an controller as I have not felt the need to just yet. I kind of like taking my tests and reading the tank.