Kalk Reactor Setup

[weaglereefer]

Ok, I'm getting this reactor here:


18" tall, 3" wide, MJ-400. Not the biggest or the best, but I only have a few SPS frags so this will suffice.
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After some time searching the internet, I've found very little about the numbers. I understand how to set it up with an aqualifter and RO/DI reservoir (gonna plumb it into my ATO reservoir) and I understand how all of the plumbing works. My question is what kind of kalk is recommended? How much? How often should I have the pump mixing the water and for how long?? I only plan to drip at night, figure it will start 1 hour after the lights go out and stop an hour before the lights come on. It will be hooked up to a Reefkeeper Lite so the PH can be monitored and the drip can stop if the PH swings too high. Can I put a micro ball valve on the end of the line to the sump and figure out how many ml/min it's dripping? Or should I swing for a nicer dosing pump that has more control?

I currently use a limewater drip on every other night. 2 tsp of Mrs. Wages Pickling lime is mixed with a gallon of water around noon and the drip is started around 11pm with a rate of appx. 1 drop per second. Will the pickling lime work in the reactor? Is there something better that will add magnesium as well? I understand the reason I have to change the lime out for each drip is CO2 and the water being exposed to open air, and the reactor will be sealed with no air, so it should work, right?

 

[grouper therapy]

mrs wages pickling lime is what i use .I keep plenty in the reactor more than enough so that I get complete saturation. If you have the pump come on for 10 mins a few hours before the drip starts you should get complete saturation.Make sure that you give it time to settle so that the effluent is pretty much clear and the solids have had time to settle. You can use a pinch valve or drip emitter to control the drip rate. With running the controller you can place a solenoid valve inline to control the drip time . the dosing pump would be nice and set the drip rate so that if it did continue to drip it would not overdose your tank. I personally let my kalk drip 24/7 at an extremely low rate. It is just under my evaporation rate.

 

[acroholic]

I have not heard of anyone using a kalk reactor for a kalk drip, but usually as part of an ATO system controlled by a float switch in the sump, but really no reason you couldn't do it like that.

So you would basically be making up for evaportion with your kalk drip, not using any ATO, and increasing or decreasing the kalk drip rate to roughly keep your water level in the sump consistent?

However you do it, definitily hook it up so if your pH spikes your controller cuts off the drip. Could save your tank.

Dave

 

[weaglereefer]

It would be hooked up so that it is the ATO at night time, and straight RO/DI is the top off in the day time. I'm not opposed to a constant drip, but then how is it agitated without dumping a cloudy mess into the tank if I have to let it settle out. I know some with the bars at the bottom can run 24/7, but that is out of the budget for now.

It will definitely be on a controller, wouldn't try it without one.

 

[acroholic]

That's right. Dose the kalk at night because the tank pH naturally drops after lights out.

My Nilsen is hooked up thru my Osmolator, so it is always inline whenever water tops off the sump 24/7. Your system is a bit different. I have my Kalk Stirrer mix for 3 minutes every 3 hours via a digital timer. The rationale is that since the IR sensor of the Osmolator is always working, the actual amount of water added to the sump for topoff at any single time is very small, guessing about 20-30 ml each time, so even if the kalk is being mixed when the topoff comes on, such a small volume of the slurry enters my system (300 gallons net) it does little or nothing to the system pH. I have a Pinpoint controller that controls power to the Osmolator and the stirring pump, and will turn them off if my pH spikes about 8.5.

Your system as is, just have the mixing pump come on like Grouper said, 10 minutes before and be done with it. The kalk settles down pretty fast after the pump turns off.

Have you thought of installing a float switch type solenoid and having the kalk reactor inline as part of a 24/7 ATO setup? Sounds like all you are missing may be a solenoid and ATO pump, both pretty inexpensive. Either method will work, with the only advantage I see to an inline ATO type setup is a more constant water level in the sump.

The one thing I learned about my type setup is to disconnect the ATO/Osmolator when you are drip acclimating a new fish/coral or otherwise removing water from the system. I forgot once and the tank pH spiked. I installed the controller safety after that.

 

[weaglereefer]

Yes, I plan to have a float switch sensor. My RO/DI reserve will have 2 hoses and 2 pumps. One will run straight to the sump for use during day time, and one will run through the kalk reactor for use during night time. Using the Reefkeeper I can use one sensor input (the float switch) for multiple devices and put the devices on separate time settings. It will automatically switch to fresh water at the time the kalk drip stops. I plan to put the drip lines above the first baffle in the sump so the water travels down the baffle, then back up befor entering the return pump chamber so hopefully everything is nice and mixed up.

 

[acroholic]

Sounds like your setup is good as is, then.

Mixing kalk:

I might start as Grouper suggested with a 10 minute mix period 1/2 hour or so before your night setup starts and see how your tank pH is. If you want a higher pH during that time, then add a second mix period in the middle of the night setup, but start at 1 minute and increase as needed.

As I said, I run my kalk mix pump every 3 hours for 3 minutes without any pH spikes, but I am also running a sulfur denitrator, which lowers tank pH a bit, so I need a bit more kick from the Nilsen.
Dave

 

[grouper therapy]

It sounds like dave's setup works well also since his top off is done in multiple small doses. I could not do it that way because my ato dumps about a gallon each topoff event. Either way Dave and I agree use as many safety devices as you can.

 

[acroholic]

grouper therapy;325915 wrote: It sounds like dave's setup works well also since his top off is done in multiple small doses. I could not do it that way because my ato dumps about a gallon each topoff event. Either way Dave and I agree use as many safety devices as you can.

+1. Forgot to add that Mrs. Wages is calcium hydroxide, same as any other kalk powder. I buy mine from bulkreefsupply. Tried to find Mrs. Wages, but neither Publix nor Krogers in my area has it.
Dave

 

[weaglereefer]

Yeah, I've been doing the drip for about 2 months now and it works fine but I'd like to get more automated. Mrs. Wages was about $3, a 1 gallon jug, some rigid airline, and some flexible air line. All in all it ran about $8 for the whole setup.

 

[acroholic]

dawgdude;325975 wrote: Every wal-mart I have been to has had it with the tupperware and mason jars.

I appreciate the heads up, but I have about 12 lbs. from BRS sitting in my basement! Over-ordered by just a bit! Probably last me until 2015.
Dave

 

[rostato]

Or you can use this and dose it all day long and not worry about spiking anything!

 

[weaglereefer]

rostato;326403 wrote: Or you can use this and dose it all day long and not worry about spiking anything!

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?p=326402#post326402">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?p=326402#post326402</a>[/QUOTE]


Haha, shameless plug? Lemme see how much I have from my tax refund and I'll get back to you.


Ok, so lights go off at 10pm. Mixing will occur from 9:50-10:00 pm. At 10:30 dosing will start. At 4:30 dosing will stop and the reactor will mix for 1 min. At 5:00 AM it will resume dosing. At 11 it will stop dosing and mix for 1 more minute. At 4:30 pm it will mix for another minute, and at 9:50 it will repeat the process.

I'm going to start with 1 cup of pickling lime. Too much?

 

[rostato]

Nah you'll be fine. Jusy so you know, this pump I have cannot be set and then turned off with a timer. It is digital, and doesnt have a memory. So you just need to set it for a slow drip rate and let it go all day long. I never go a PH spike in my old tank by doing it that way.