Kalk stirrer and KH Director. Anyone running these in adaptive mode?

AZMSGT · Dec 13, 2020

Anyone running a Kalkwasser stirrer and KH Director in adaptive mode?

In my previous set up I would use the KH Director to take measurements then I would adjust the amount I dosed through the Kalk stirrer. Since I am resetting everything I would like to try to automate this process.

For those that don’t know a Kalk Stirrer is a container that will stir up the Kalkwasser solution and you have a doser feed RODI top off water through it. This allows you to keep your Kalk solution separate and you can control the amount dosed.

I use the Icecap 150 Kalk stirrer.

@Vinny@GHLUSA @Ditto

Dr. Jim · Dec 13, 2020

Wouldn't you just have a doser operate the Kalk reactor and just set the doser to adaptive control?

AZMSGT · Dec 13, 2020

Dr. Jim said:
Wouldn't you just have a doser operate the Kalk reactor and just set the doser to adaptive control?

Not sure, that's why I'm asking

Dr. Jim · Dec 13, 2020

AZMSGT said:
Not sure, that's why I'm asking

Unless I am missing something about what you are doing, this will work. Normally, one uses the KH Director to control the dosing of a buffer. It doesn't matter if it is bicarb, carbonate or kalkwasser..... so just set it up the same way.

I have the same exact kalk reacter. I have the intake going into the RO/DI reservoir (which is at a higher level) and the outlet tube going to a Maxi-Doser. But I control the dosing with a timer instead of the KH Director. After playing with the KH Director's Adaptive Control feature I concluded that I get more stable Alk if I just use a timer rather than relying on the Director's dKH readings to control the dosing. (The Adaptive Control was varying the doses too much and too frequently and throwing my Alk readings all over the place!)

I use a GHL timer to dose Balling 3-Part and a timer to dose Kalk. If measured Alk drifts (as determined by the KH Director AND verified by Hanna checker) then I will manually adjust the amounts dosed. That doesn't have to be done often.

AZMSGT · Dec 13, 2020

Thanks, but as you say, you aren’t running this set up now. I’m hoping to find someone that is and successful with it.

Dr. Jim · Dec 13, 2020

AZMSGT said:
Thanks, but as you say, you aren’t running this set up now. I’m hoping to find someone that is and successful with it.

You were asking how "to automate the system." What I told you is how to do it. Whether or not I liked it or if it worked for me has nothing to do with the way it is set up.

arking_mark · Dec 13, 2020

Here's how I set it up and why...

1. I set doser for the nominal dose a reef tank uses per day, which is .5dKH. For my tank, I dose 6 times a day and require 24ml of supplement. So 4ml per dose. This ensures that if my tank is at target 8dKH, it still will dose this minimum amout that will be used up b4 next dose.
2. I set the 1dKH deviation volume to the actual ml needed to raise my dKH by 1. The KHD is set to measure 30 minutes b4 dosing. This ensures that after every measurement, my dKH is replenished to at least 8 plus my minimal dose.
3. I limit the max/min dose adjustment to .25dKH because I never want a larger change then that. It protects my tank from anomalous readings as well.

With these setting, I'm typically between 7.9 and 8.1 dKH. Sometimes a little higher and sometimes a little lower. The dKH consumption of my tank varries throughout the day. The more measurements / doses you do the tighter you can lock in the target dKH.

Dr. Jim · Dec 13, 2020

arking_mark said:
Here's how I set it up and why...

1. I set doser for the nominal dose a reef tank uses per day, which is .5dKH. For my tank, I dose 6 times a day and require 24ml of supplement. So 4ml per dose. This ensures that if my tank is at target 8dKH, it still will dose this minimum amout that will be used up b4 next dose.
2. I set the 1dKH deviation volume to the actual ml needed to raise my dKH by 1. The KHD is set to measure 30 minutes b4 dosing. This ensures that after every measurement, my dKH is replenished to at least 8 plus my minimal dose.
3. I limit the max/min dose adjustment to .25dKH because I never want a larger change then that. It protects my tank from anomalous readings as well.

With these setting, I'm typically between 7.9 and 8.1 dKH. Sometimes a little higher and sometimes a little lower. The dKH consumption of my tank varries throughout the day. The more measurements / doses you do the tighter you can lock in the target dKH.

So you are using Add-On Control, right? (The OP asked for Adaptive Control but the concepts are the same and this really isn't the point I'm writing about but just thought I would point that out so it doesn't cause confusion).

In #3, you wrote that you limit the max/min dose adjustment to .25 KH. But these boxes call for "mls". So are you putting "12 ml" in these boxes? (.5 dKH= 24ml so .25 dKH would be 12 ml.). I'm just trying to compare your settings to ones I was using.
Thanks.