Pressurized Kalk Reactor

ataller

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I am looking for a Nilsen reactor that I can use with a dosing pump. The tank is an all in one therefore I do not have a sump.
I would like to put a dosing pump on the outlet of the reactor to pull kallwasser up 3ish feet into the tank. I would have the freshwater inlet in my rodi container. I am hoping the back pressure from the dosing pump would pull rodi into the kalk chamber as the kalkwasser is pumped out.
The chamber would need to be able to hold pressure for this to work.

Does this device exist ? Is it too risky ?
Is there anyway to use a kalk reactor in a tank without a sump while not having the reactor floating above the tank ?


Right now I am dosing saturated kalkwasser from a bin on the floor like you would dose 2 part.
 

laverda

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For what your describing you need a reactor capable of handling a vacuum. Any sealed container should work to some extent however the properties of seals for a vacuum and pressure are different. On a pressure seal the pressure is used to help create the seal. When a vacuum is applied to the same seal it will not seal properly. It acts more like a one way valve . This is why a external pump that has a restriction on the inlet side will suck in air and create micro bubbles in a tank.. The seals on the pump or steerer shaft are more likely to be an issue than the canister itself.
Another possiblity is the tubing may collapse on it's self under vacuum. Again most happy tubing was designed for pressure not a vacuum. Just depends on the amountbof vacuum as well as the tubing and fittings used. Also it is harder to draw a vacuum than to create pressure.
I think you will get better results by pumping from you RODI into the kalk reactor up to your tank. Most kalk reactors will have no problem handling that little pressure.
 
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ataller

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The only issue with what you describe that I can see is if and when the output gets clogged with kalk.

A failure in this manner will certainly lead to a water leak while the alternative would like you describe lead to micro bubbles.

A reactor with a magnetic stir bar should limit the issues with the seals on the stirrer bar or mixing pump.

Perhaps it is more difficult to construct a vacuum sealed chamber which is why I cannot find one.

If no one here knows of a reactor which will work in this way then I will have to assume it does not work.
 

Water Dog

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GEO’s Reef and MRC (My Reef Creations) are sealed and pressurized Kalk reactors. Though I would use the peristaltic pump to push rather than pull as running RODI water through the peristaltic pump is much less harsh than running saturated kalkwasser through the pump’s internal tubing.
 
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ataller

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GEO’s Reef and MRC (My Reef Creations) are sealed and pressurized Kalk reactors. Though I would use the peristaltic pump to push rather than pull as running RODI water through the peristaltic pump is much less harsh than running saturated kalkwasser through the pump’s internal tubing.
Thanks for the names.
 

Dennis Cartier

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Depending how big your All-In-One is, the Kalk reactor may dwarf it. I ran across a DIY reactor that can be made from an Erlenmeyer flask that I plan to use with a future EVO 13.5 quarantine setup. You can see the post here (https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/if-its-not-co2-then-why-low-ph.832896/post-8990833).

When I construct one of these in the future, I plan to include a magnetic stirrer bar in the flask and have the flask sitting on a magnetic stirrer plate that is energized once a day to re-mix the kalk to saturation (or as close to it as we can get).

Dennis
 
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ataller

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After some research I found the Tunze 5074.
I use an using a dosing pump to pull rodi water through it.
So far I am very happy. The kalk that comes out is almost saturated when I check the EC.

It does not stir but the incoming water is directed to agitate the kalk slurry at the bottom. Seems to do the trick.

It really is just an expensive bottle but a niche product can command a higher price I suppose.
 

reefpizza

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Here we go, the "feeding pump" is between the rodi storage and the pipe that goes deep in the reactor, then under the reactor i have a magnetic stirrer.

PXL_20210630_170057188.jpg


PXL_20210630_170100503.jpg
 
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ataller

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If anyone finds this thread and was wondering. I added a magnetic stir bar to the Tunze 5074.
I guess if you use your ATO then the water pressure is enough to stir the kalk.
Since I am using a peri doser the flow isn’t sufficient to saturate the kalk.
My EC was around 3.5 without the stir bar and with it is 9.5+.
You just have to be careful you aren’t dosing right after mixing. Have to let it settle.
 

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