Question about kalk reactor usage

[bhodges82]

I've been using a kalk reactor with my ato to try to counteract my calcium reactors negative effect on my pH, it works decent. Because I always want to tinker and try to improve things I got the thought of running the kalk reactor separately and trying to control my pH. This would mean pumping saltwater in and out of the reactor to achieve a target pH level. I realize that I would be increasing the amount of kalk used obviously, but my question is can you mix saltwater and kalk powder in the reactor? Would it work? Am I crazy?

 

[Adam]

I'm not 100% sure on this, @ichthyoid may know better, but I'd think that the when the Kalk is mixed with the saltwater that there would be precipitate almost immediately due the the Alk & Cal in the saltwater.

 

[sharis100]

We have our kalk reactor fed by our ATO RODI container via a DOS and then kalk is controlled and out in sump via DOS- in out.

 

[ichthyoid]

Here is an article written by RHF, that does a good job of explaining what happens if kalk, ie- Ca(OH)2 , is dissolved in seawater. Please refer to the section: Precipitates from Overdosing Limewater -

The only way to prevent overdosing kalk directly into an aquarium, would be to use some type of precision powder feeder, with a magnetic stirrer in a reaction chamber. The Nilsson kalk reactor essentially controls the rate, within limits & is convenient.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.php#5