kalkwasser reactor

[reefman77]

i just added an auto top off system to my tank and now i would like to get a kalkwasser reactor to go with it. i am currently just driping water with a little bit of kalk in it into the tank. I understand how the mixing devices work but i dont exactly understand the plumbing of the reactor with the auto top off unit. can someone please explain for me.

thanks

[reefman77]

bump

[kevin gu3]

Auto topoff dumps into reactor. Reactor dumps into system. If the reactor is constantly stirring you want a settling tank canister between the reactor and the system to avoid dumping powder into the system.

[rgulrich]

Hmm. You might want to hit the company web site for the specific reactor instructions, but I'll give it a try, using mine as an example.

I use a ten gallon reservoir of RO/DI water for top off. A 1/8" airline runs from this to a dosing pump (insert your personal preference here), from the dosing pump to the reactor at the bottom, up through the slurry to the top where it exits through a 1/2" line into the sump. The exit line is at the same level as the sump wall, and drips into the sump-the line is not under water.

The dosing pump is controlled by the auto top off system. The one I use is controlled by a float switch that sits in the sump. At a pre-determined water level, it turns on the dosing pump and begins the above cycle (reservoir water to sump). When the water level in the sump reaches the predetermined level, it shuts off the dosing pump.

There are a few safeguards here. The top off controller has a built in safety to control the amount of time it runs; mine is set at the max of fifteen minutes. Finding this part out required going to the company web site and downloading their updated/instruction manual additions. The second safeguard I use is a separate fifteen minute timer on the top off controller itself to ensure it shuts down at fifteen minutes. I don't need to cook a 180 full of clams, coral and fish with a high ph.

The controller controls the dosing pump (low volume/very slow/drip flow), the dosing pump dispenses the kalkwasser (lime water), which just happens to be at a very high ph that would wreak havoc if too much is added too quickly (hence your drip method-the same I use in my quarantine tanks).

I hope this is what you were looking for.

Cheers,
Ray

[VaderWS6]

By the way, GEO reactor + Litermeter 3 is all you need.

[schneijt]

Here is my setup:

5gal RO/DI bucket, in which the pump for my Tunze Osmolator sits. Water gets pumped up from the bucket and into the reactor. The exit line from the reactor leads into the back corner of my tank, in an area of decent water movement. The exit line is higher than the Osmolator pump so that there are no siphon issues in that direction (from the reactor into the tank.) The reactor sits above the tank, and the bucket lower than the tank.

In order to keep water from siphoning in the OTHER direction (kalk reactor down into the RO/DI bucket), check valves are used. I have 1/4" RO tubing running from the Osmolator pump into the reactor, so I have two John Guest check valves installed in the line between the pump and the reactor. They allow flow upward into the reactor, but will not let the water flow back down. I use two just for redundancy. Without check valves, this setup would not work.

Hope that might help you in some way,
Joe Schneider

[cnaegler]

Mine is similar to rgulrich. 5gal. bucket to Aquamedic dosing pump, via 1/4 line, controlled by a timer to dose at night to minimize PH swings, then to the reactor. Through the reactor, into my sump, unsubmerged. Also, the Ph of the tank is monitored by an aquacontroller 2 so in case the PH reaches 8.4, it'll cut off the dosing pump. That's not really necessary but i LOVE the safeguard. I don't have the auto-topoff feature yet but it's the same principle. It just automatically does it for you! Good luck with your reactor!

[reefdom]

I use a reefiller pump the draws from the RO/DI water and pushs to the reactor and (since the pump is strong) it pushs the water up one floor into the sump.

The reactor only mix's for 30 mins during the day about 2 hours before the nightly top off (so everything settles).

My line in the sump is under water since I noticed if it was hanging in the air it would clog more often due to Kalk build up at the mount of the tube.

All my tank metrics (ph, temp and orp) are ploted with a AQIII so I can see when it's time to refresh the Kalk or alter anything.

[reefman77]

Would this setup work:

I already have 3/4 inch tubing running from the auto top off pump and resivour in my basement up to the tank, so i would put a T in the line up near the sump, one end of the T would be the 1/8" diameter airline tubing. this would feed the kalk reactor. the pump for the auto top off system would be pluged into the aqua controller Jr. and programed to turn off if the PH rises over 8.4

would this work?

[reefman77]

bump

[cnaegler]

The only problem i see is that you may not get enough water back to the sump to replace your evaporated water before the PH reaches 8.4 and automatically shuts off, otherwise i think it may work.

[kevin gu3]

Reefman, what kind of pump are you using for the auto topoff? 3/4 tubing seems a bit much, you want the output to run at a drip drip drip rate, not a garden hose rate.

Keep it simple, you don't need the Tee; run it all thru your reactor at a drip rate. As far as too much alk goes, no way as long as you don't dump precipitate into your system. My reactor cannot supply enough alk for my system, I have a calc reactor in addition.

Think about what happens if something fails. Two scenarios, it doesn't turn on and it doesn't turn off. Is either a disaster? If so, fix it so it becomes a minor problem when it happens.

My system: 5 gallon jug to timer-controlled reef filler pump to reactor to "settling tank" to air above skimmer outflow (no chance of back siphon). If it fails to turn on I'll notice the water level has gone down and do something. If it fails to turn off 5 gallons gets dumped into the system over the course of a day instead of the usual 2 1/2 gallons, no big deal.

[edwardlmarshall]

My setup is pretty similar to the ones described above: 5g freshwater container feeding through 1/4" airline tubing and Aquamedic dosing pump to PM Kalkreactor (which stirs 4 times a day for 5 minutes), then into the sump. The dosing pump is controlled by a float switch. So far, so good.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a very precise float switch? I have an old Tsunami that worked just fine when it was controlling a Maxijet topoff pump. Now, it seems a little crude for the purpose I'm using it for.

I like the idea of using a timer instead of a float switch, but then I'll have to watch closely as my evaporation rate changes throughout the year.

Eventually, I'd like to put a pH controller into play but, for now, I figure the float switch is the cheaper option.

Thoughts?

[rgulrich]

Ed,

I'm using a JBJ Auto Top Off float switch, and it seems to work fine for my purposes. This one you need to hit their site for the updated/appended instructions on how to adjust the runtime to its maximum of 15 minutes if you want to reset it. Its factory setting was too short for my purposes. I haven't seen this unit as having an auto reset if it needs to run for more than 15 minutes, so I have it on a 15 minute-interval timer as well, so it can reset if it needs to run more than 15 minutes as well.

I'm curious as to why your kalkwasser reactor only stirs 4 time day, if I'm reading your post correctly. I keep mine stirring 24/7, and the top off water feeds up through the suspended kalk in the bottom of the reactor, coming out clear. Do you mean that you top off 4 times a day for 5 minutes, even though the reactor stirs all day long? Just curious.

Cheers,
Ray

[kevin gu3]

When on a timer you do indeed have to futz with the output, but I only do it a few times a year. I lose about a gallon more water in winter than in summer.