Icecap Kalk stirrer modifications!

Derrick0580 · May 8, 2022

So I would imagine I’m not the only one having issues with the drain line clogging with kalk at the sump and the stirrer overflowing but today while cleaning it I noticed something and discovered the drain elbow at the stirrer is in fact threaded into the plastic bulkhead in the acrylic tube. Upon this discovery I immediately headed to menards and got a straight 1/4 mpt to 3/8 push connect fitting and some 3/8 od vinyl tubing to replace all of the old 1/4 stuff. I also drilled a 1/16 in hole in the cap to prevent any type of vacuum lock since the lid fits so tightly on the top. Up until this point if I didn’t run a small bottle brush through the elbow and drain on an every few day basis it would back up and over flow. And once it sealed off the drain it would vacuum lock the system! I will try and update this in a few weeks with results. Hopefully no more overflowing!

blaxsun · May 12, 2022

Interesting... do keep us posted.

Derrick0580 · May 24, 2022

Update! So tonight I noticed the water line in the stirrer was above the drain. So I got out my trusty bottle brush and ran it through the drain and it dislodged a chunk of slurry and the stirrer began to drain. Now here is my question. I stir for 5 minutes every 6 hours. I stop my versa doser the entire time and begin dosing again 10 minutes after the stirrer stops. Am I not waiting long enough? Or I read on another forum that the stirrer should not be mixing the slurry clear to the top of the chamber and there should be some clear water remaining visible while it is stirring. However following icecaps suggested setup you use 50% power and that definitely takes the slurry clear to the top. Does anyone have any insight into this?

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 24, 2022

If the stirrer is meeting alk demand in the aquarium and is not delivering a slurry from unsettled solids, what you are doing is fine.

But the device is not going to be delivering saturated limewater (kalkwasser) for much of the time (if ever), so if it is not meeting demand, stirring more or just delivering from a still reservoir may allow more alk and calcium to be delivered.

Potency of the product water is best measured by conductivity, if needed.

The Farmer · May 24, 2022

I run the same kalk stirrer with the same modification’s, the only thing that would clog up is the end of the 3/8” tube. All I do is take it off rinse it with hot water out it back every month or so. I have my stir time set for 1 min only it’s been good so far

Derrick0580 · May 24, 2022

The Farmer said:
I run the same kalk stirrer with the same modification’s, the only thing that would clog up is the end of the 3/8” tube. All I do is take it off rinse it with hot water out it back every month or so. I have my stir time set for 1 min only it’s been good so far

I reduced my stir time to 1 min to see if that prevents the slurry from mixing all the way to top. But I kept the doser restart time the same so it give the excess kalk 14 minutes to settle instead of 10.