Lucky Dog

[Gatortailale]

Well last night the effluent drip tube from my kalk stirrer became plugged and caused reactor to overflow and since my dosing pump kept pumping water & flooded the rack where I have equipment and as a result it dripped down on power strip which caused the GFI to trip. Main tank return was off for about 3-4 hours.

 

I knew something was wrong as I headed to the basement because I could smell a little aquatic smell as I went down there. I got to back room where pump and sump is and all was silent - Get to rack system and what - water all over the place - but what is the ... oh, kalk stirrer reactor flooded, but why ... oh the effluent tube is mostly solid white = plugged from dried kalk.

 

I was able to get the few inches to drain off so I could disconnect tube and then I gave it a good flush with hot water and wire. Now tube is clear again.

 

On inspection this AM when I found problem - all fish appear to be fine [saw angels, idol, tangs, anthias swimming and looking fine]. I guess the good thing is that I have a closed loop and tunze streams both on separate circuits from main tank outlet.

 

Upshot - at least this happened before I go to FL on June 1. Can't imagine trying to walk neighbor through process of discovering what is wrong. Also learned that I better label plugs and outlets and write some more details down for neighbor before I go in case something else hits.

 

SO my lesson for the day to all of you - clean your effluent tubes and check them often.

[fab]

Gatortailale,

 

Excellent post. Two great messages: redundant, independent flow and labeling.

Thanks,

fab

[jason the filter freak]

Why not have a wamas member watch your tank? That way at least they'll already have an idea what to look for?

[Gatortailale]

I got dbartco who is going to check a few times while I'm gone, daily visit will be neighbor who does feeding of tank cats. Also have few members on call list. But even then, nobody really knows your system so smart plan is to label plugs - something I should have done long ago

[Guest Undercoverdork]

glad you caught that early!

 

my phos reactor return line was pumping slow for the last week and almost came to a dribble. I took it all apart and found that the foam filter pad was clogged with debris. Things are much better looking now.

 

good idea to lable you stuff incase your neighbor or family has an emergency while you are out.

 

Glad to hear you tank is Ok

 

Tim K

[dbartco]

I will be over in the early parts of your vacation so your corals have time to heal before you return.

[traveller7]

I will be over in the early parts of your vacation so your corals have time to heal before you return.

 

Coming soon to an Auction Forum near you: "Gator's Famous Frag Packs"

Sponsored by dbartco.

[BeltwayBandit]

Just remember, give Mr. Murphy a shout out with a set of fake dates that you will be out of town. That way when he shows up to do that thing that he does, you will be there to catch him! For some reason he seems to like to visit my tank when I'm away. Just ask Howard.

[Gatortailale]

all fish present and accounted for Appears it tripped around 3:00 AM (or close there - best I can tell based on AC III graphs when temp and PH on database started to drop. Probe in sump so not sure what actual #'s in tank were.

[flowerseller]

This safety tip also applies to CA reactor effluent lines as well.

What's happening is the little bit of KALK left on the tube is turning to calcium carbonate and drying at the tubes end. Kinda like the arteries in my chest and neck are.

One possible way to lesson and lengthen the risk time is to have the KALK reactor effluent line just under the water line in the sump or tank.

This can allow the crusty to dissolve up but in some cases may cause the blockage to form slightly higher in the tube. This would generaly be increased in a situation where enough fresh O2 is entering from the reactor itself.

[fab]

flowerseller,

Please amplify on:

This would generaly be increased in a situation where enough fresh O2 is entering from the reactor itself.

What do you mean by this and why is it likely to be so?

fab

[Guest Undercoverdork]

drying at the tubes end. Kinda like the arteries in my chest and neck are.

 

lOl..

[flowerseller]

flowerseller,

Please amplify on:

What do you mean by this and why is it likely to be so?

fab

 

OK, HERE GOES AS THIS WILL LIKELY BRING UP A BUNCH OF DEBATE EVEN THOUGH THIS THREAD IS'T ABOUT YOUR QUESTION.

 

 

Water, air and calcium hydroxide mixed together to the point of saturation form a crust of calcium carbonate. Once created, calcium carbonate does not disolve readily at higher pH and mostly becomes usless for "our purposes here". This is not from experience, it is fact.

In the old days when kalk was much more expensive, it was a big deal to get the most use of your powder. - enter efficient reactors, stage left.

The mixed kalk that collects at the end of the tube reacts with air and turns into carbonate and forms a crust hastening the clogging process. Generally doesn't dry because it is wetted many many times per day but clearly forms a crust which over time bulids up and clogs the end of the tube.

 

There are several ways to add calcium hydroxide (KALK) any of which I would recommend, as long as you are adding kalk I don't really care how you do it.

 

Vat - a container, often a trash can, with water and kalk added and mixed - creates the most calcium carbonate and I consider it the least effective method. (this rests squarely from long term experience)

 

Open or loose fit top type kalk mixer (whether bar stir or mag stir) They are ALL reactors folks - user adds a bunch of kalk powder (charges unit) mixes kalk and water and adds upper clear mixture to tank on demand diluting lower cloudy mixture but stirs back up to full potency - usually creates less carbonate than the VAT because it has a top and lessons exposure with air.

This is also accomplished if the crust on top stays intact.

 

Sealed type kalk reactor - whether PH or mag stired (I do not know of a sealed bar stir reactor but they likely exist)- kalk added like above, PH stirs as user requests but otherwise functions like above with the exception that only minute amounts of new air is added to chamber until it is unsealed for re charging or maintinence - clearly creates the least amount of carbonate of the reactors.

 

Leaving for work but this can start the discussion.

[fab]

First off,

Thanks for a clear and straight line discussion. You answered my question. As I understand you, the O2 enters the tube from the reactor, causing the encrustation to occur, even if the tube tip is underwater where it is seemingly protected from air.

 

fab

[flowerseller]

First off,

Thanks for a clear and straight line discussion. You answered my question. As I understand you, the O2 enters the tube from the reactor, causing the encrustation to occur, even if the tube tip is underwater where it is seemingly protected from air.

 

fab

Exactly. This could be more pronounced on any type reactor that is not a sealed one.

The caps were for amplification.

 

All that said and I'm debating that witht he tube under water, we might run into salt creep issues in conjunction with carbonate that will be formed. This may hasten the clogging or may simply become more of an issue than the carbonate.

Let's all let Craig test it and fill us in down the road.