Kalk Reactors (what do you do)

[mgoesma]

This discussion is about Kalkwasser reactors and how you implemented it.

Please provide the following info.
1. A photo of your aquarium.
2. Type of kalk reactor. (Stir, Pump, other)
3. Brand of Kalk Reactor.
4. Flow rate through Kalk reactor.
5. run duration.
6. time of day running.
7. Average PH level
8. PH swing.
9. Alkalinity level.
10. Calcium level.
11. Do you have a Refugium and does it run on a revers photo period?
11. notes.

Here is what I have:
1. A photo of your aquarium.

2. Type of kalk reactor - other DIY, I used a pasta storage container a couple RO bulkheads and a peace of acrylic tubing. my pump pumps the RO water through the acrylic tube and into the bottom of the container. from there the water flows up through the kalk slurry and out the top to my tank. the idea is that the flow from the pump mixes the water with the Kalk.
3. Brand of Kalk Reactor - DIY
4. Flow rate through Kalk reactor - 3.5 gph
5. Run duration - ON 1 min 45 sec OFF 13 min 15 seconds
6. Time of day running- On 20:30 off 10:30
apex code:
Fallback OFF
OSC 000:00/001:45/013:15 Then ON
If Time 10:30 to 20:30 Then OFF
If pH > 8.20 Then OFF
7. Average PH level - 7.89
8. PH swing - 7.68 to 8.07

9. Alkalinity level - need to test tonight.
10. Calcium level - need to test tonight.
11. Do you have a Refugium and does it run on a revers photo period? - Yes

Notes. I just added this reactor and i am still tuning it. I increase the time about 15 seconds per night. i am hopping to get the PH up closer to 8.2 and reduce the night time swing. I am also trying to think of ways to decrease my PH swing at night.

 

[mgoesma]

Alk- 8.7
CA- 400

 

[mgoesma]

So i keep having the problem that my Kalk must not be fully saturated. i have to add to much water to reach my ph. this is causing me to add more water than what is evaporating in a day.

 

[Ted_C]

How often do you replace / refresh the kalk in the reactor? I'm using the Avast Kalkstirrer as my reactor and use the ATO to add to my tank. I find I need to use 1 cup of kalk powder in my 150 gallon and 2 cups in my 300 gallon and I need to replace / replenish that amount every two weeks.

 

[BOWHUNTER4250]

i use a 50 gallon glass tank and a dosing pump , dose 500ml HR/ 24-7 this is basically my evaporation rate ..... helps mantain my Alk. and calc. along with a calcium reactor

works like a champ

 

[mgoesma]

So i keep having the problem that my Kalk must not be fully saturated. i have to add to much water to reach my ph. this is causing me to add more water than what is evaporating in a day.

i just set it up this week. so i dont think this is my issue yet.

 

[FirstContact]

I'm doing fish only right now. When I was doing corals I used my MRC Kalkreactor and dosed two part manually. The Kalkreactor was hooked up to my Tunze Osmolator and was added to top off 24/7. I still run my refugium reverse daylight. ;-) Happy Reefing.

 

[Risk1994]

Doesnt the kalk solution get diluted every time top off water is pumped into the tank?

It seems like it would be really difficult to control alk levels when the solution going to the tank keep changing.

 

[Acroporaaddict]

Doesnt the kalk solution get diluted every time top off water is pumped into the tank?

It seems like it would be really difficult to control alk levels when the solution going to the tank keep changing.

I've read that Kalk reactors are inefficient at keeping limewater at full saturation. For that reason, i mix 5g of saturated limewater, siphon it into a 5g trigger systems ATO container and use a BRS 50ml/ min dosing pump to hourly to my system.

 

[Risk1994]

It makes sense since your constantly adding more fresh water to it.

Maybe whats happening is people are adding far more kalk than can be dissolved, that way it will always be at max concentration, adding RO will just cause more of the slurry to enter solution and keep it at max.

I have a 10g nano so I would like as little extra hardware as possible.

 

[Jdavison911]

I mix 2 tablespoons per gallon in my top off tank and fill with water. I believe there is info that saturation is around 2 tablespoons per gallon of rodi.