Kalk stirrer recommendations?

[Dave-T]

Looking for suggestions, please. I have a 240 gallon display tank, 350 gallon system. I'm looking for something reliable, and that I will need to add kalk as infrequently as possible. I don't care about noise, I'll be installing it in my fish room in the basement. But space is at a bit of a premium, so it would be good if I could put it in one of my sump chambers. I plan on dosing kalkwasser using a channel on a GHL doser, and plan on monitoring the solution with a ph or conductivity probe. If the stirrer isn't probe ready, I don't mind having to drill some holes...

The two that have caught my eye so far are the Avast and the Deltec, but both are on backorder.

Thanks!

 

[Stephen Glover]

Avast all the way. They have great support and all the parts are available to buy when they eventually wear out.

 

[Derrick0580]

I use an icecap stirrer, i like it well enough. You could diy one easily enough too!

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

I use an Ice Cap and like it. There are many good options.

 

[vtecintegra]

Avast

 

[jrill]

Avast. Great customer support and priced right if you get the kit you assemble.

 

[JM302]

I have the AVAST..... it's a great unit but you need to be careful with it. It's my own fault, I'm lazy - but I've let the output hose clog and it overflowed all over my floor. TWICE. Thankfully the Tunze ATO only runs for 10 minutes but I wreaked havoc on my hardwood floors

20 Years of reefing and I've never had an overflow / floor damage until that kalk stirrer and I did it twice. The instructions recommend a complete cleaning every 2 weeks which isn't really convenient at all. I probably do it every 6 months but I'll keep closer watch on it moving forward and reduce the cleaning interval significantly.

Moral of the story - follow their instructions and clean it often. I'm getting my floors refinished soon. I'll have a large drip tray under it in the future

 

[Coolcasino]

I like the Geos Reef. Its not gravity feed like the Avast tho. You can plumb it with RO/DI tubbing and maybe use it outside your sump. Does come with a PH probe port. Can hold Kalk for weeks. Might not be available for immediate shipping. You can call Geos reef and check for availability.

 

[Dave-T]

I like the Geos Reef. Its not gravity feed like the Avast tho. You can plumb it with RO/DI tubbing and maybe use it outside your sump. Does come with a PH probe port. Can hold Kalk for weeks. Might not be available for immediate shipping. You can call Geos reef and check for availability.

Interesting. I also found this, which also uses an external pump.

Nilsen (Kalkwasser) Reactors | MRC America

www.mrcamerica.com

How do you dose kalkwasser out of the Geos if it isn’t gravity feed?

Something I don’t understand - since the external pump will be really mixing the solution, don’t you have to worry about precipitated kalk particles being dosed into your tank? It seems like the effluent could be too strong and also inconsistent if this happens.

 

[Coolcasino]

You would need a dosing pump drawing water from a container or your ato reserve. The doser would push the water to the bottom of the reactor. As this happens the clear effluent will exit the top. Once the mixing pump mixes the kalc all of the particles fall to the bottom of the reactor leaving clear solution on top. You only need to turn on the mixing pump for a couple of minutes once a day or two times a day to keep the solution potency.

 

[fishbulb]

Looking for suggestions, please. I have a 240 gallon display tank, 350 gallon system. I'm looking for something reliable, and that I will need to add kalk as infrequently as possible. I don't care about noise, I'll be installing it in my fish room in the basement. But space is at a bit of a premium, so it would be good if I could put it in one of my sump chambers. I plan on dosing kalkwasser using a channel on a GHL doser, and plan on monitoring the solution with a ph or conductivity probe. If the stirrer isn't probe ready, I don't mind having to drill some holes...

The two that have caught my eye so far are the Avast and the Deltec, but both are on backorder.

Thanks!

I LOVE my Avast Marine kalk stirrer.

 

[Dave-T]

You would need a dosing pump drawing water from a container or your ato reserve. The doser would push the water to the bottom of the reactor. As this happens the clear effluent will exit the top. Once the mixing pump mixes the kalc all of the particles fall to the bottom of the reactor leaving clear solution on top. You only need to turn on the mixing pump for a couple of minutes once a day or two times a day to keep the solution potency.

OK. And you’d want to make sure to stop dosing kalk for a while after the mixer has run? Something else I don’t understand, wouldn’t you have to make sure the dosing line out of the reactor is above the reactor, otherwise it would siphon into the tank

 

[Coolcasino]

OK. And you’d want to make sure to stop dosing kalk for a while after the mixer has run? Something else I don’t understand, wouldn’t you have to make sure the dosing line out of the reactor is above the reactor, otherwise it would siphon into the tank

You don't fill the reactor all the way. You add about 2 cups or so. Most of the cloudy water stay towards the top even when mixing so no need to only dose when not mixing. Most dosing pumps create a vacuum so they don't syphon back. You can also place the line above the reactor like you said.

 

[Dave-T]

I ended up going with the Deltec KM500. Thanks everyone.

 

[Ironfish]

I ended up going with the Deltec KM500. Thanks everyone.

Hi! Did you install the reactor already? How is it working?
Im trying to decide for my new 260gal system.

 

[Mike1970]

I’m using the avast K1

 

[Saltyanimals]

You don't fill the reactor all the way. You add about 2 cups or so. Most of the cloudy water stay towards the top even when mixing so no need to only dose when not mixing. Most dosing pumps create a vacuum so they don't syphon back. You can also place the line above the reactor like you said.

hey @Coolcasino any issues with dosing the cloudy water? I thought I read somewhere that we shouldn't be doing that and only dosing the semi clear water after the stirrer settles? I guess cloudy is subjective as I a good fresh stir is very white milk water where-as it becomes mostly see through after the kalk is allowed to settle for 5-10 mins.

 

[Coolcasino]

hey @Coolcasino any issues with dosing the cloudy water? I thought I read somewhere that we shouldn't be doing that and only dosing the semi clear water after the stirrer settles? I guess cloudy is subjective as I a good fresh stir is very white milk water where-as it becomes mostly see through after the kalk is allowed to settle for 5-10 mins.

No problems at all. And when I mean cloudy I mean not 100% clear. But in a reactor when its mixing the clearest solution will be towards the top. That will be dosed. Not 100% will move up. Once the reactor stopes mixing it will become clearer. You might get some of the not so clear water dosed but it will depend on how much is dosed at a time. I use to mix twice a day and the clear mixture was always at the very top. Some times I would look at the reactor and it would be all clear with the powder at the bottom. Some people dose a slurry and thats a total white mix. A little cloudiness never hurt anything.