Recommend a Kalk Reactor - GEO, A.S.D., P.M.

[yeldarbj]

Any recommendations on a specific brand kalk reactor? The designs from GEO, A.S.D. (Aquatic Systems Design), or Precision Marine all look similar and use a maxijet for mixing. Does it mostly come down to price, or does one have specific features that I need to look out for?

I want to run the reactor in-line with a Tunze Osmolator top-off system.

[lecher]

I use a Geo. Nice unit and I have no complaints. Have not used the others.

[setec69]

Tunze actually makes one too. Havent used it, but you may want to check into it.

[tony13]

I went with Aqua Medic. Uses a stirrer and the price is right. Happy so far.

[yeldarbj]

I have the Tunze Ca Dispenser which is made for kalk, but I don't think I get a very concentrated kalk solution. Since the Tunze Osmolator pump has to pump water over 4' into the tank (no sump), I don't get much of a stream so the kalk in the dispenser doesn't get mixed too well.

I thought about the stirrer, but would really like to load a lot of kalk into the reactor and not have to load it very often, like every 1-2 months. I had read that the stirrers can get bogged down in a lot of kalk. Do you find that to be true?

[burris]

Aside from build quality, the thing to consider when comparing pump stirred Nilsens is maintenance. You'll have to add more lime every once in a while. How do you open it to add more lime? Some have a screw cap. Some require loosening 8 screws and twisting the top off but there may be a tube running down from the top that gets in the way. Some have a valve to remove some limewater so the thing doesn't overflow when you dump more lime in. Others don't but you can use a turkey baster to remove liquid.

Another thing that makes it tough is the manufacturers are constantly tweaking the designs but usually don't have the most up to date pictures on their site. That an the pictures tend to be small and from only one or two angles.

[Sk8r]

That's very true. On mine, to add lime, turn off the stirrer, let kalk settle, unscrew the top [screw cap] disconnect the check valve that leads to the reservoir, which causes the long tube inside the reactor to siphon off water into any can: take it down about 2", reconnect the check valve, add kalk, re-cap [be sure it's tight!], turn on the stirrer, and just wait for demand to activate the topoff pump again, which will fill the tank.

One thing with Hanna stirrers, don't shift them about to try to 'pick up' the stir rod, because their stirring mechanism is rotary, delicate, and easily screwed up by this kind of manhandling. Just turn it on and be patient: if your stir-rod is in the center, the Hanna will eventually 'grab' it and all will be well. If it isn't in the center, use one of those long-handled scrapers [sans blade] to nudge the stir rod: nobody human can get enough of their arm down that opening to do the job.

You have to add kalk about once a month [1/2 lb] and when enough sludge accumulates [3-4 months] to be a pest and interfere with the stirring, you just disconnect its hoses, take it to the sink and give it a flush-out: no moving parts on this creature, so it's easy-clean.

Sure beats daily dosing!

Mine, which is something like BAS, and about the height of your hand and lower arm, keeps my 54g tank in balance for alk and cal with very, very rare adjustments. I use a big reservoir and fill it about once every month. I use a Lowe's 1/2 inch check-valve with locline hose-clamped around a locline connector to the 1/2 inch hose from the maxijet, and it has run most of a year without any check valve issues. If one did happen, the worst would be kalk all through my reservoir, no big deal, but I think the larger the check-valve [there are locline checkvalves] relative to the job, the less problem you will have---with clean water, no sediments, and no kalk accumulating down there, you should be ok for quite a while.

[Sk8r]

That's very true. On mine, to add lime, turn off the stirrer, let kalk settle, unscrew the top [screw cap] disconnect the check valve that leads to the reservoir, which causes the long tube inside the reactor to siphon off water into any can: take it down about 2", reconnect the check valve, add kalk, re-cap [be sure it's tight!], turn on the stirrer, and just wait for demand to activate the topoff pump again, which will fill the tank.

One thing with Hanna stirrers, don't shift them about to try to 'pick up' the stir rod, because their stirring mechanism is rotary, delicate, and easily screwed up by this kind of manhandling. Just turn it on and be patient: if your stir-rod is in the center, the Hanna will eventually 'grab' it and all will be well. If it isn't in the center, use one of those long-handled scrapers [sans blade] to nudge the stir rod: nobody human can get enough of their arm down that opening to do the job.

You have to add kalk about once a month [1/2 lb] and when enough sludge accumulates [3-4 months] to be a pest and interfere with the stirring, you just disconnect its hoses, take it to the sink and give it a flush-out: no moving parts on this creature, so it's easy-clean.

Sure beats daily dosing!

Mine, which is something like BAS, and about the height of your hand and lower arm, keeps my 54g tank in balance for alk and cal with very, very rare adjustments. I use a big reservoir and fill it about once every month. I use a Lowe's 1/2 inch check-valve with locline hose-clamped around a locline connector to the 1/2 inch hose from the maxijet, and it has run most of a year without any check valve issues. If one did happen, the worst would be kalk all through my reservoir, no big deal, but I think the larger the check-valve [there are locline checkvalves] relative to the job, the less problem you will have---with clean water, no sediments, and no kalk accumulating down there, you should be ok for quite a while.

[VaderWS6]

I just set up my new Geo kalk reactor last night with the Liter Meter 3 dosing pump. No problems so far, and it looks freakin awesome! I do have one question though. It seems that there is a little air trapped in the top of the kalk reactor. is this normal? It never goes away, I thought there was supposed to be no air at all in the reactor chamber? I doubt it will make any difference, but I was just curious.

[lecher]

Originally posted by VaderWS6
I just set up my new Geo kalk reactor last night with the Liter Meter 3 dosing pump. No problems so far, and it looks freakin awesome! I do have one question though. It seems that there is a little air trapped in the top of the kalk reactor. is this normal? It never goes away, I thought there was supposed to be no air at all in the reactor chamber? I doubt it will make any difference, but I was just curious.

The little bit of air will not hurt any thing. If you like you can remove the fill cap and tilt the unit around a little until the air moves to the fill cavity, then top off with some more water.

[tony13]

I don't find mine too be a problem at all. I do refill the stirrer every 2-3 weeks though. I have my topoff feeding my stirrer and it's contolled by a float/solenoid by autotopoff.com. Don't have to worry about anything ever getting clog.
http://autotopoff.com/products.html

[FibberMcGee]

Geo set it and forget it, built like a tank. Absolutely no problems here.

[smatter]

The Tunze works fine for me. It delivers saturated limewater with no moving parts. Mine pumps up to the tank like it should whether you have a sump or not, and the tangential jet in the reactor gives it a good mixing each time the pump runs. Opening the simple screw top and putting in some kalk when I fill the reservoir couldn't be easier either. For less than $100 it is really the way to go for tanks less than 100g.

[sjm817]

I prefer not to use a reactor, and use settled limewater from a topoff container. If I were to use a reactor, I would use a slow constant stir type such as the Aquamedic,