KALK "Reactor" Setup Decision

ADAM · Jul 9, 2018

I am in the process of deciding which Kalk dosing method to use. I am leaning towards the Avast line of stirrers. From what I gather I can add a few teaspoons of Kalk and that should last me a few days, hopefully 1-2 weeks based on evaporation amount and Kalk added to stirrer. Id prefer this over dripping due to size and space constraints of dripping a mixed clear solution like the BRS DIY dripper kit allows which I currently use; I can really only fit a 1 gallon container of mixed Kalk which only last about 24hr. The reactors using pumps to mix the Kalk look to be more problematic due to the degradation of the pump inside the camber.

Am I missing something that may prove to make one way better over the other?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 9, 2018

I prefer deliver from a settled reservoir for better control over potency and settling, but a reactor is certainly fine when space is limited.

That said, how are you feeding water to the reactor?

ADAM · Jul 9, 2018

Fed from ATO reservoir that also auto refills as water is depleted.

Sallstrom · Jul 9, 2018

When I started working at a public aquarium there were about 4 reef tanks which had calcium mixers/stirrers connected to auto top off(RO water). I think all of the level controls at some point got stuck and the tank water looked like milk when we got in in the morning:)
So if you do have a setup like that you need some kind of control for the pump, if it's on more than x minutes the power turns off and you get an alarm for example.

Easier is to just get a dosing pump just for the calcium mixer. Then you can control the KH and adjust the dosing when needed.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 9, 2018

ADAM said:
Fed from ATO reservoir that also auto refills as water is depleted.

One concern with such a system is more rapid depletion of the DI due to salt creep between such rapid usages of RO/DI water.

ADAM · Jul 9, 2018

1. Would auto-dosing a 2 part solution be an "easier" system as far as maintenance and safety of over dosing?
2. Would an Alkalinity controller be the best way of dosing Kalk to help discourage a tank meltdown?

Mrx · Jul 10, 2018

Don't run your kalk off an ato. You can but that will give indiscriminate dosage amounts every day dependent on evap. Run it through a doser by splitting your daily uptake into 96 doses a day. I set mine for every 15 min around the clock. This will help provide a very stable ph and alk. If your system is sps dominated like mine and uses more than just the kalk to hold alk levels, you can set your doser to dose your daily uptake of 2 part in between those 15 min period slots. I mix 55gal at a time, just set a small pump to mix it for a few hours and then let it settle. I use 2.5gal a day once its mixed split into 96 dosages a day. I don't stir it again till making more as a I want an accurate saturation being dosed and not a slurry. If you need to tweak your alk levels as corals grow if its falling once you have reached the total volume your going to dose of kalk per day just tweek the 2part.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 10, 2018

ADAM said:
1. Would auto-dosing a 2 part solution be an "easier" system as far as maintenance and safety of over dosing?
2. Would an Alkalinity controller be the best way of dosing Kalk to help discourage a tank meltdown?

A pH shut off of limewater/kalkwasser delivery is a relatively inexpensive way to prevent an issue. That said, I've overdosed a few times, turning the tank milky white, and it usually does no apparent harm. Of course, too big of an overdose of any alk supplement can be a problem.

You can dose limewater on a timer and pump, just like a two part. It just needs a different pump since the volume of doses are higher for limewater (since it is more dilute).

But with the advent of the new DIY two parts systems using hydroxide, I'm not sure there's a strong need for limewater, despite the fact that I used it for 20 years in my ATO. :)