reefhunter October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 (edited) Who makes the best (least maintenance, best built, best performance) kalk stirrer or reactor? I have run a POS GEO (maxi jet) and I currently have a early version grey seas stirrer but want to get something else... if not I will keep running the grey seas... Glen had a super nice one but I don't think he is running it yet... How nice are the deltecs? Thanks Edited October 27, 2009 by reefhunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 I had good experience with the GSA kalk reactor. Works with a stirrer rather than a power head. Good construction, and locally owned an operated means theres close support on hand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 I too think you'll be very pleased with the GSA unit, as long as you have it set up correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefhunter October 27, 2009 Author Share October 27, 2009 I need to have mine serviced actually... or i need to modify it... I got water into the plug on top of it and now it is so corroded that it doesn't work... I guess I can just delete that connection and hard wire it... I am pretty happy with my GSA... stirrers are way better so far than pump driven... I see the deltec has a small output tube which would concern me with it getting clogged? Anyone run these? Johnny? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Ward October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 I'm also very happy with Grey Seas. I have 2 of them now. PM Dan about fixing that connection. Chances are you can clean it and get it working again. Coca-cola is a great cleanser for electrical contacts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 I know that BRK is currently testing their own line as well. The only thing that I don't like about the stirrers that I've seen is that they are not a sealed unit. I had a GSA for a while and it worked great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabrego October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 (edited) At the end of the day it comes down to how you define best. Kalk stirrers are not overly complicated devices, so to that end best is usually defined by the users needs, in your case "least maintenance, best built, best performance". Since cost was not listed, it becomes a little harder to make a decision, I usually make a decision about how much I want to spend on any given item and make decisions based on that. For example, if you decided you do not want to spend more than 200 dollars, then it become much more easy to make a decision (probably stick with your GSA). Since i do not have any real experience with kalk reactors, other than the Reeftek I bought a week ago(60dollars- cost was a factor for me) I am not sure about how any of them last over time. Maintenance-Stirrers seem to be a good idea as long as the motor does not corrode or burn out, and there is a similar concern with powerhead driven mixers and impeller corrosion. Stirrers might have less maintenance, but when the motor burns out how much does it cost to fix/replace? Performance-I am not sure how you would measure performance of a kalk reactor. Best built-not sure. Edited October 27, 2009 by cabrego Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 I have the Deltec 500M on my system, works like a champ with no problems, just keep it cleaned out on a regular basis like any other one. Motor went out over a year ago and had to take it to Richmond to get it fixed, could of mailed it but wanted to get it back working, motor was $90 and only available from Deltec. Made me wish that I had bought a GSA for less money, bet a replacement motor is alot cheaper also. From what I see the stirrer bar is different between the Deltec and the GSA, probably doesn't matter, the GSA may actually do a better job than the round metal stirrer on the Deltec. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 Also you should note that the stirrers keep the water at a more constant level of saturation than the mixers........unless you have your mixing pump pulsing every couple of minutes. But the mixers are sealed..........didn't I read that the kalk is more effective when mixed in a vacuum? The tops of the stirrers just sit on the reaction chamber so I would think that they are less effective......but probably not by a noticable margin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dschflier October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 reef hunter. it sounds as if you have the older version of the GSA Kalk reactor. I have both and was very happy with the old one and like the improvements made on the new version. In the new version the motor is sealed and I was told the motor is more reliable then the old stirrer. Dan refurbed my old one recently with a new motor but I plan on selling that one because I like using the new product. They have both been excellent products as far as I am concerned. The new reactor has a different stirrer and because of this the RO water in can come in closer to the bottom of the reactor. The new reactor is a bit smaller then the old one. If you are looking at Deltec I would strongly consider the new GSA reactor. I think you will be happy with them. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefhunter October 27, 2009 Author Share October 27, 2009 Yes mine is the older one that has the motor in a sealed compartment up top and the ac adapter plugs directly into the top. This plug seems to have been eliminated in newer designs. I will probably take the old one and start running it again rather than buying a $500 deltec... or maybe I will sell mine and get a new grey seas... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAGA October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 I have been using Deltecs for many years and the KM500 and the KM500S have been extremely easy to use and maintain. IT is the only reason I use them because when we are servicing a tank we don't want to spend too much time fooling with hard to use or time consuming designs. I have found the Deltecs to be the easiest. JMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefhunter October 27, 2009 Author Share October 27, 2009 the thing I am worried about on a deltec is the output getting clogged too quickly... my grey seas has a huge output and even it got clogged after a few months... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 I have a Deltec KM500 on my system. I found, in my old setup which was driven by an aqualifter, that the backflow preventer valve would sometimes stick. Regular maintenance took care of it, but it was always reactive rather than preventative maintenance. Since driving it with a peristaltic pump, however, it's not been a problem. I did have a problem with the motor operating intermittently about 6 months ago - a drop or two of light machine oil on the drive motor fixed that up quickly. It continues to operate reliably. The one thing I would suggest be something you look for in a kalk stirrer would be to look for one that allows you to add kalk quickly and easily. The more easy it is to add kalk (i.e. the less disassembly you have to do), the less likely you are to try to add a month's supply to it and, thus, be that much less at risk to a kalk overdose. A design that lends itself to a quick cleanup is also always appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 the thing I am worried about on a deltec is the output getting clogged too quickly... my grey seas has a huge output and even it got clogged after a few months... My output never clogs. I've got about 12 inches of polyethylene hose attached to it, though. Any buildup tends to happen in the hose and not on the PVC output. The KM500's output is a 1/2" PVC hose barb that leads to an downturned elbow inside the stirrer. I've never had issues with it. - not even once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefhunter October 27, 2009 Author Share October 27, 2009 does the deltec let you add kalk quick and easy tom? I know the grey seas are super easy to refill... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 does the deltec let you add kalk quick and easy tom? I know the grey seas are super easy to refill... The Deltec KM500 is very easy to add kalk to, just turn it off, lift the lid up a little bit and spoon the kalk into it. Never had any issues with clogging since I've owned mine, love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 does the deltec let you add kalk quick and easy tom? I know the grey seas are super easy to refill... Like Charles says, yes. They're easy to fill. GSA and Deltec's design are similarly patterned. The one-piece stirring bar of the Deltec is also nice because it has some give, to it. Generally, when I replenish kalk, I don't even bother to turn the stirrer off (I'd have to unplug it). Instead, I pull it out and turn it over, leaving the bar to continue turning while I use a small measuring cup and a plastic canning funnel to add more kalk. I tend to add around 1 cup a week or so, so spooning it in with a small spoon doesn't appeal to me. Personally, I like the stirrer approach rather than having a recirculating pump inside mixing up the kalk. At least I don't have another pump I have to maintain, you know? I've recently seen some ghetto designs that I thought were pretty innovative. Essentially, these designs take an approach that's a lot like a laboratory stirring plate and use it to turn a plastic coated mixing bar located inside with the kalk powder. People have been pretty innovative, attaching old hard drive magnets to an old PC fan with some glue and using that assembly to turn the mixing bar. Some people have even gone so far as to make their own stirring rods by plastic coating a piece of old coat hanger. All I can say about that is: Necessity is the mother of invention.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefhunter October 27, 2009 Author Share October 27, 2009 Hmm well I can trade my calcium reactor set up for a new deltec stirrer so I will have to do some thinking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 27, 2009 Share October 27, 2009 Hunter, Kalk can only go so far in replacing calcium. Ultimately, you hit a limit because of the low solubility of calcium hydroxide in water and the amount of top-off that your system needs. You'll have to make the call on what those needs are. Saturated kalkwasser (at room temperature) delivers 808 ppm of calcium and 40.8 meq/liter alkalinity. Let's say that you have 1.5 gallons (about 5.7 liters) of evaporation a day and that you replace this with saturated kalkwasser. At best, you're only able to deliver 232 meq of alkalinity total. Assuming that you have 130 gallons (492 liters) of water in system, that replaces less than 0.5 meq/liter (1.3 dKH) of consumption on a daily basis - or enough to put down 12 grams (around 0.42 ounces) of calcium carbonate skeleton per day. That's fine if you don't have a lot of SPS hungry for calcium and alkalinity. If you do, though, then you'll need to supplement the additional calcium in other ways such as using two part or a calcium reactor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefhunter October 27, 2009 Author Share October 27, 2009 Thanks Tom! I think what I will do is keep the calcium reactor for later use... and upgrade my old grey seas to the new one on sale... then I have a calcium reactor for when kalk wont cut it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkiCurtis October 28, 2009 Share October 28, 2009 My output never clogs. I've got about 12 inches of polyethylene hose attached to it, though. Any buildup tends to happen in the hose and not on the PVC output. The KM500's output is a 1/2" PVC hose barb that leads to an downturned elbow inside the stirrer. I've never had issues with it. - not even once. this works and and should be done.i use a blue silicone hose. The Deltec KM500 is very easy to add kalk to, just turn it off, lift the lid up a little bit and spoon the kalk into it. Never had any issues with clogging since I've owned mine, love it. I have the deltec km500 and it is awesome but pricey! I also have the geo with maxi jet hooked up to a timer for the pump to come on every 4 hours. i clean mine on both systems once a month. GSA I have heard good things and 1/2 the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman October 28, 2009 Share October 28, 2009 I have a couple of GSA's - one very very old one (bare-bones before they were called bare-bones), and a larger, newer one. After 3 years of constant running, the motor on the smaller one burned out - and Dan sold me a replacement top with the motor enclosed. If you keep the end of the hose out of the water to prevent siphoning, it will eventually get clogged with hardened kalk. If you remember to give it a good squeeze every month or three, that won't happen. Loading kalk - not recommended - I don't even turn them off. Just lift the lid, put in a scoop, lower the lid, lift the lid, put in a scoop - until you have a week's worth in there. After 3 years - I actually followed the bi-monthly advice to clean the entire kalk reactor. Looked great! Will have to try that again in a couple more years. bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 October 28, 2009 Share October 28, 2009 There's no magic pill for this answer... Kalk degrades when exposed to air but the ones that are completely sealed are harder to maintain and replenish than the ones that are open topped. It's like trying to get into your calcium reactor in general as you are entering a closed system. I had a system that worked very well with a magnetic stirrer, but the issue I had with it is that it could not handle the load of kalk that I wanted to use with my system. As far as production, it was superior to the GSA, but it was inferior as far as running smoothly. The GSA I have doesn't get clogged while the old one I had would clog with the amount of kalk I used. If the stirrer has a stronger motor then it'll work great, but in my case, it was not strong enough to handle what I wanted it to handle. If you can get your hands on a magnetic stirrer with a lot of power behind it I say go for that, but it'll be harder to refill than one that uses a stir bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefhunter October 28, 2009 Author Share October 28, 2009 anyone run the MRC unit with the digital timer?? http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/p...roducts_id=3061 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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