Mmmmmm, kalk

[EBR]

Well, it's finally getting time to turn this thing on, but would like a sanity check:

 

This is a DIY kalk stirrer that I got second-hand, and has a screw-on top to add the kalk (to keep it air-tight I suppose?). Once filled with enough kalk to saturate the water (leaving some solid in the bottom of the chamber), I set the timer to stir it up a couple of times a day for a few minutes. I have an auto-top off that draws from a 5g bucket that would feed into this chamber, with the output of the chamber then going into the sump.

 

Question: should the output (that goes into the sump) draw from the top or bottom of the chamber? It's not the best photo, but you can see the feed to the bottom -- the other connection is very short and near the top.

 

Thanks.

Matt

[bigJPDC]

it should draw from the top of the chamber, away from the floating and unsaturated kalk. The idea is that your ATO water goes into the kalk stirrer and forces out kalk-saturated water, giving you way more capacity than if you just maintained a kalk reservoir.

[EBR]

it should draw from the top of the chamber, away from the floating and unsaturated kalk. The idea is that your ATO water goes into the kalk stirrer and forces out kalk-saturated water, giving you way more capacity than if you just maintained a kalk reservoir.

Very cool -- thanks!

Matt

[flowerseller]

One thing to remember is to keep the kalk fresh.

Recharging with new each week and cleaning via dumping or siphoning off old once each month does wonders.

With this maintenance method, many can put off adding a Ca reactor as long as they boost the Ca level with calcium chloride as needed.

 

Watch for unintentionally created siphoning

[bigJPDC]

Really? How are you measuring degredation of kalk over time such that you 'recharge' every week?

 

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php#11

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/...ature/index.php

 

A non-aerated container of kalk , closed or not, does not degrade, but you might wind up adding more kalk anyway as your system uses it, depending on your evaporation\delivery rates.

 

jp

[flowerseller]

Really? How are you measuring degredation of kalk over time such that you 'recharge' every week?

jp

 

15+ years of living and learning thru using it.

 

try it, you'll like it.

[bigJPDC]

15+ years of living and learning thru using it.

Exactly.

 

try it, you'll like it.

I add kalk to my ATO reservoir, the same way RHF does in those articles I posted the links to.

 

jp

[yauger]

15+ years of living and learning thru using it.

 

try it, you'll like it.

 

dude 15 years? umm thats a lot of money spent on the hobby....

[flowerseller]

I add kalk to my ATO reservoir, the same way RHF does in those articles I posted the links to.

jp

I used to do it that way but found a much more effective way to add it to my system.

 

 

 

dude 15 years? umm thats a lot of money spent on the hobby....

Money well spent on items I actually need and understand how to use.

Also remember, I have DIY'd my DD skimmer, kalk & Ca reactors.

[bigJPDC]

[yauger]

how do you know when the kalk is used up? mine has been sitting for about a month with no noticeable change in kalk...

[bigJPDC]

[flowerseller]

how do you know when the kalk is used up? mine has been sitting for about a month with no noticeable change in kalk...

Used up would be very little showing on the bottom of the reactor.

You can tell if it's degrading(and it will) by a lower ALK and lower PH in the mixing vessel.

It does happen.

 

 

We'll all be

soon enough

[yauger]

 

 

whats so funny? do I have a booger hanging from my nose?

[bigJPDC]

no, the thread just went in a direction that makes me laugh, that's all.

[yauger]

no, the thread just went in a direction that makes me laugh, that's all.

 

my bad I guess that was my fault! so for the accidental hi jacking...

[flowerseller]

Any time a thread moves in a direction where someone has a new experience it moved in the right direction.

[EBR]

 

whats so funny? do I have a booger hanging from my nose?

I have to admit that I'm not sure I get it either -- but since ...

 

Any time a thread moves in a direction where someone has a new experience it moved in the right direction.

Then I'll consider this thread a success. I think. Unless I, too, have a loose booger.

 

Matt

Edited October 5, 2007 by EBR

[bigJPDC]

when you post two articles written by the most respected name in reef chemistry, and something is still disputed, there is nothing left to do but laugh. Sorry if that created confusion.

[flowerseller]

I used the kalk laced reservior for as much as 10 years before switching to a reactor.

Voila,

whole new ball game. Actively growing corals litterly exploded.

All of us using reactors have learned the same thing you might in time.

 

I'm adding as much as 3-4 gpd of a likely much higher potency with a reactor than you are without one.

Think you can keep a Ca level much higher than 350 using kalk without adding Calcium Clhoride, guess again.

Wonder if it actually degrades?

You betcha.

 

Again,

for optimum results, recharge weekly (at least bi weekly), clean and replace all monthly, you will not regret it!

[dandy7200]

how do you know when the kalk is used up? mine has been sitting for about a month with no noticeable change in kalk...

 

 

You may find this helpful:

 

http://greyseasaquatics.com/files/kalk_calc.pdf

[EBR]

when you post two articles written by the most respected name in reef chemistry, and something is still disputed, there is nothing left to do but laugh.

No doubt. Sorry I was so thick ;-)

 

I used the kalk laced reservior for as much as 10 years before switching to a reactor.

Voila,

whole new ball game. Actively growing corals litterly exploded.

All of us using reactors have learned the same thing you might in time.

 

I'm adding as much as 3-4 gpd of a likely much higher potency with a reactor than you are without one.

Think you can keep a Ca level much higher than 350 using kalk without adding Calcium Clhoride, guess again.

Wonder if it actually degrades?

You betcha.

 

Again,

for optimum results, recharge weekly (at least bi weekly), clean and replace all monthly, you will not regret it!

Sage advice, thanks!

 

You may find this helpful:

 

http://greyseasaquatics.com/files/kalk_calc.pdf

Yay! More homework! (seriously, thanks)

 

Matt

[bigJPDC]

I used the kalk laced reservior for as much as 10 years before switching to a reactor.

Voila,

whole new ball game. Actively growing corals litterly exploded.

All of us using reactors have learned the same thing you might in time.

 

I'm adding as much as 3-4 gpd of a likely much higher potency with a reactor than you are without one.

Think you can keep a Ca level much higher than 350 using kalk without adding Calcium Clhoride, guess again.

This is fun. Thank you for a good debate.

 

I've been at dkh 10+\ calcium 440 since the first week I started using kalk, but that has everything to do with my light sps load, and not the delivery method. I never had that kind of stability by dosing 2-part and again, if you read the articles you'll see that the only way kalk degrades is by aeration, which is why your closed reactor and my TO tanks should keep it much longer than one week. RHF measured conductivity and saw no change over a three week period in his 44gal Brute cans.

 

If you are going to load up your reactor and then toss out the excess, why not just measure out exactly the amount you will use in a week and only add that much and then repeat every week? The reason is that would be the same as adding to your TO reservior, and would defeat the purpose of using a reactor, which is to provide an endless supply of kalk by pushing TO through a closed container ridiculously saturated with kalk.

 

I am happy for your years of success but you would find many who see the same without a reactor.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...mp;pagenumber=1

 

[flowerseller]

I"ll suggest you try a reactor, then comment on your findings. Should only take about 30 days.

Not a delivery method issue, it's a potency issue. reactors rock.

 

Plus if your on top of things and routinely exchanging enough water, your info is skewed as most if not all "low demand" tanks can "get by" with just that and a simple kalk vat. No way for high demand.

You might not even really need kalk.

 

Maybe you want to read "what your "mother" never told you about limewater" since some info is considered out dated by many experienced, true tested, hobbiests.

 

Here's a goody for fumming,

you'll be hard pressed to get much more than an 1/8 tsp kalk to dissolve and REMAIN in solution after 24hrs. The rest falls out of solution, until remixed.

Why do we add more? because in a reactor enviornment, we are consistantly stiring, blending it, therefore keeping a much more potent supply available for addition. This is not nearly as possible with a simple kalk vat as it will create calcium carbonate which is useless for our intentions here.

[yauger]

QUESTION:

 

What is the best delivery method for your kalk reactor?