Kalkwasser reactor setup.

[Mattewell]

Ok, some of you know that I’m starting to dose Kalkwasser. I understand what Kalkwasser does but can someone tell me how kalkwasser reactors work. I assume they are very simple. I can see that they are basically a tube with a stirrer or pump. Dont you have to let the solution settle before dosing it? What is the point of the kalkwasser reactor?

[Mr James]

You saw the one I had at the meeting correct?? That was a DIY version of, what I consider to be, the professional ones. All that you need is an empty container (like a milk jug) and some airline tubing. Drill two holes in the top of the milk jug cap. One will be where you insert the airline tubing and the other is a breather hole. Dangle the air line tube into your sump or tank and begin the siphon. Tie a few knots in the air line tubing to slow the drip. That is the cheapest and easiest method.

[Turbo5oh]

mr. james ur thinking of kalk drip he's asking about a reactor

basicaly a reactor it used as a top off system. there is a reaction chamber that has a lot of kalk in it and has some type of stirring mechanism that stirs the contents a few times a day keeping the water in the the chamber highly saturated, the most common way to use the saturated contents of the chamber is to have some type of auto top off system on the tank and a small pump is used to pump fresh water through the reactor pushing out saturated kalk water into the tank

the principle is that water can only take some much kalk before it cant mix any more so the un-mixed portion of the kalk sits in the bottom untill new fresh water enters the reactor and stirs, when using a sealed reactor the kalk never goes bad being that it is never introduced to air. but most people completely clean the reactor every 1-3 months

the problem with a kalk drip is that the mixture of kalk and water is sitting exposed the air and will basicaly go "bad" with in 7 days

just another way to make life easier, i personaly have no hands on experience with a kalk reactor but know a few that do., i have researched some becuase i plan and building one soon just need to find some acrylic tube

[Mr James]

I don't think he should do a reactor yet, that is why I suggested a drip. The "reactor" I had at the meeting had a mini-jet 404 in it set to turn on and off several times a day.

And I never heard of kalk water going bad when exposed to air. I used to run a 5g kalk jug on a 240g reef tank. I dripped it in before it had time to go bad.

[moonyguy]

From what I read from Randy's articles the "myth" about kalk water loosing its punch remains a myth. I have been using it as a top off for the last year or so with little or no ill effects as far as high pH. The key is to keep the top off dosing amount less than 0.9% of the total tank volume from Randy's article. Check out reefkeeping chemistry articles when you have time.

[Turbo5oh]

yeah i know there has been a lot of discussion about the self life of kalk pre and post "mixed" i couldnt tell ya either way
but the main advantage is if set up right u could do zero alk and ca adittions for 2-3 months, just keep the water res. full and ur good to go

[Mattewell]

Ahh turbo that makes sense. I think Ill hold off on the kalk reactor since my system isnt quite advanced enough yet. But I do find it pretty interesting. So far I just have a jug that I use to drip kalk into the tank.