Putting a kalk reactor in. Need advice.

[Biglurr54]

So I have a 175 display 220g total volume tank with a mixed reef medium stocked. I am currently dosing 27 ml of brs two part 5 times a day. The untimate goal is to have a kalk reactor and calcium reactor and no dosing.

I got a Geo kalk stirrer. My plan is to use a Tom's aqualifter on a timer. I will have the Tom's dose for 1 minute every hour. I will set the mixing pump to mix every 12 hours also with a timer. These will be on the Apex and if the pH gets too high it will shut the whole thing down.

How should I make the transition to kalk? Should I turn off the dosing, initiate the kalk reactor and take alk readings every hour or every other for 24 hours. Then adjust the dosing pump to make up the deficit every other hour. Then keep measuring every 2-3 hours for the next 48?

I'm worried about alk swings with the switch. I'm running at 10.13dkh so I have some room to drop.

Is this a good setup and implementation.

 

[Ranjib]

bump

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not sure if your reactor can saturate the limewater/kalkwasser, but 27 mL of the DIY #1 (e.g., BRS) is equivalent to 1.26 liters of saturated limewater. If you dose that 27 mL, 5 times a day, you'd need something like 6.25 L of limewater a day.

 

[Cory]

Toms aqualifter isnt going to be precise imo. Id lean towards a peristaltic pump for your kalk reactor.

 

[Biglurr54]

I'm not looking to replace the dosing. Just trying to get the most out of the kalk reactor and have the 2 part make up the rest.

I am toying with the idea of a litermeter on the kalk reactor but would rather put that money towards a calcium reactor.

How do I know if my reactor can reach full saturation?

 

[Biglurr54]

well i picked up a masterflex pump off Ebay. I will pull through the Kalk reactor with the masterflex and slowly drip all day. I am aiming for 1.5 gallons a day as thats slightly below my evap rate.

Next is CaRX!

 

[Wrasse-cal]

I'm not sure if your reactor can saturate the limewater/kalkwasser, but 27 mL of the DIY #1 (e.g., BRS) is equivalent to 1.26 liters of saturated limewater. If you dose that 27 mL, 5 times a day, you'd need something like 6.25 L of limewater a day.

Is the same true for soda ash?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is the same true for soda ash?

Is what the same? It can be made much more concentrated than limewater, if that is what you mean.

 

[Wrasse-cal]

Is what the same? It can be made much more concentrated than limewater, if that is what you mean.

Sorry. I’m considering starting kalk, but I’m trying to gauge how saturated kalk compares to soda ash at the BRS dosage. I don’t want to spike my alk.

 

[Biglurr54]

Kalk and soda ash are two different things. Kalk is a balance of calcium and alkalinity. Soda ash is only alkalinity.

If you do soda ash you have to dose a calcium supplement as well.

Soda ash and calcium brs two part is much much much more concentrated than kalk.

My 220galllon sps system is currently using 120ml of brs calcium and soda ash solution a day.

I can olny dose 1.5 gallon (evaporation) of saturated kalk per day. That 1.5 gallons of saturated kalk will not keep up with my demand.

So to recap 120ml of brs two part (soda ash and calcium) is more potent than 1.5 gallon (5670 ml) of kalk.

 

[garbled]

Are you supposed to pull through a kalk reactor? I know yours is one of the pump style, so I'm not as familiar with them, but I thought you were supposed to push?

 

[Biglurr54]

Depends on the style and pumps. I can pull through with the perstaltic pump. If I were using a different pump you would push through.

Peristaltic pumps don't come in contact with the effluent. A regular pump would and it would get build up. Also perstalic pumps will build pressure if something gets plugged. Then a gasket or line blows and the water goes on the floor. If you pull it only leaks a little and then sucks air.

If I was using a sicce, aqualifter, or maxijet type pump, I would push through. Masterflex, dos, or other perstaltic pumps, I will pull.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sorry. I’m considering starting kalk, but I’m trying to gauge how saturated kalk compares to soda ash at the BRS dosage. I don’t want to spike my alk.

My DIY two part (e.g., as BRS uses) is about 40 times more potent than saturated limewater. So you need about 40x more limewater.

 

[Wrasse-cal]

My DIY two part (e.g., as BRS uses) is about 40 times more potent than saturated limewater. So you need about 40x more limewater.

Thanks. Are you able to give me an idea what volume of saturated limewater would raise 75 gallons of saltwater at pH 8.0 to 8.2, and what effect on dKH that addition would have?

I’m trying to decide if dosing kalk will have a worthwhile effect on my pH relative to my alkalinity needs.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The pH effect of any additive is temporary. Adding 1.4 dKH of hydroxide will boost pH twice as much as carbonate, and will be about 0.6 pH units, with the exact rise depending on the alk and starting pH.

 

[bluewill]

In regards to kalk saturation , which Ive been using for over 30 years. i see lots of exact figures here on reef2reef , usually around 2 teaspoons per gallon , but theirs no way of measuring saturation directly. logically it makes sense that if its mixed really well, and theirs still precipitate left then its fully saturated , Ive allways found that it is somewhere between 1 and 2 tsp per gallon.whatever left will get integrated into the next batch , so monitoring whats left over in the bottom of the reactor dictates to me on what to add.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

In regards to kalk saturation , which Ive been using for over 30 years. i see lots of exact figures here on reef2reef , usually around 2 teaspoons per gallon , but theirs no way of measuring saturation directly.

Yes there is. Several, in fact, but conductivity works especially well for measuring limewater potency. Saturation depends on temperature (it dissolves less as temperature rises). but is around 10.3 mS/cm at 25 deg C.

MANY people who use reactors are surprised when they measure the potency and find it less than saturated.

I use that tool in many experiments here:

The Degradation of Limewater in Air - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.htm

from example:

Figure 1. The conductivity of limewater as a function of the time after the addition of
calcium oxide at 21 °C.

:

 

[bluewill]

I never Knew !
thank you Randy
are you monitoring saturation on your own systems ?
Will

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I never Knew !
thank you Randy
are you monitoring saturation on your own systems ?
Will

I did, yes. I made limewater in large batches (3 x 44 gallon brute cans plumbed together) and then let them settle. The way I made them was to add calcium oxide or hydroxide while stirring, monitoring the conductivity. When It hit about 8 mS/cm, it was adequate for me and I stopped adding solids and stopped stirring.

 

[Wrasse-cal]

Yes there is. Several, in fact, but conductivity works especially well for measuring limewater potency. Saturation depends on temperature (it dissolves less as temperature rises). but is around 10.3 mS/cm at 25 deg C.

MANY people who use reactors are surprised when they measure the potency and find it less than saturated.

I use that tool in many experiments here:

The Degradation of Limewater in Air - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.htm

from example:

Figure 1. The conductivity of limewater as a function of the time after the addition of
calcium oxide at 21 °C.

:

Interesting. Any reason why a neptune salinity probe couldn't monitor this (as opposed to a pH probe that some reactors use)?