Kalk reactor as top-off?
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roscoe
Well-known member
I'm not using a reactor but I soley drip kalkwasser water for my top off and have been for over a year now with great benifits. That was on a much smaller tank though I'm not too sure on bigger system if it would work the same way.
I was thinking of using this:
OPERATION:
The KalkStar has a control panel with a digital display, four mode indicator LED’s and four soft-touch menu buttons. Three operational parameters that are fully controllable from the soft-touch menu buttons are speed (revolutions per minute), interval (hours) and duration (minutes). Speed is the speed at which the magnetic stir bar is rotating in the reaction chamber. The speed setting can be adjusted from 100 to 2000 rpm. Interval is the time period in hours that the KalkStar pauses between cycles. The interval can be set from 1 to 24 hours. A 0 hour setting for the interval can also be selected which will allow the KalkStar to complete the current program or duration and then return to the PAUSE mode without restarting the program. The duration is the time in minutes that the KalkStar will operate before pausing for the selected interval time. The duration can be adjusted from 1 to 60 minutes. In overview, the Kalkstar can be programmed to operate for a duration between 1 and 60 minutes. The KalkStar will pause for the selected interval time period and restart the program for the selected duration again and again until the unit is paused or the unit is reprogrammed. In the event of power outage, the default program will be restored. The default program is 1600 rpm with a 15 minute operational duration and a 4 hour interval.
Digital Display: The current selected parameter is displayed on the screen. As the menu buttons are pressed to toggle through the different parameters, they will be displayed on the screen.
Mode Indicator LED’s: Located adjacent to the display screen, the LED’s will indicate which parameter is currently being displayed on the screen. The three parameters are speed (rpm), interval (hours) and duration (minutes). A pause LED will indicate if the unit is in PAUSE mode. Due to the size of the display screen the speed (rpm) is displayed divided by 100, i.e. if the display indicates 12 for speed, the actual KalkStar rpm is 1200.
Soft Touch Menu Buttons: Control of the KalkStar is accomplished with four menu buttons located to the right of the LED indicators. From left to right, the STOP button (small square in the center) will toggle through the different operation parameters (speed, duration and interval) while in PROGRAMMING mode. The UP and DOWN menu buttons toggle the display value and LED indicator between the speed, duration, and interval parameters. The UP and DOWN menu buttons will also increase or decrease the three operational parameters (speed, duration and interval) while in PROGRAMMING mode. The PAUSE button will pause the operation of the KalkStar unit. The PAUSE button will also exit PROGRAMMING mode and return the KalkStar to normal operation if in PROGRAMMING mode.
OPERATION:
The KalkStar has a control panel with a digital display, four mode indicator LED’s and four soft-touch menu buttons. Three operational parameters that are fully controllable from the soft-touch menu buttons are speed (revolutions per minute), interval (hours) and duration (minutes). Speed is the speed at which the magnetic stir bar is rotating in the reaction chamber. The speed setting can be adjusted from 100 to 2000 rpm. Interval is the time period in hours that the KalkStar pauses between cycles. The interval can be set from 1 to 24 hours. A 0 hour setting for the interval can also be selected which will allow the KalkStar to complete the current program or duration and then return to the PAUSE mode without restarting the program. The duration is the time in minutes that the KalkStar will operate before pausing for the selected interval time. The duration can be adjusted from 1 to 60 minutes. In overview, the Kalkstar can be programmed to operate for a duration between 1 and 60 minutes. The KalkStar will pause for the selected interval time period and restart the program for the selected duration again and again until the unit is paused or the unit is reprogrammed. In the event of power outage, the default program will be restored. The default program is 1600 rpm with a 15 minute operational duration and a 4 hour interval.
Digital Display: The current selected parameter is displayed on the screen. As the menu buttons are pressed to toggle through the different parameters, they will be displayed on the screen.
Mode Indicator LED’s: Located adjacent to the display screen, the LED’s will indicate which parameter is currently being displayed on the screen. The three parameters are speed (rpm), interval (hours) and duration (minutes). A pause LED will indicate if the unit is in PAUSE mode. Due to the size of the display screen the speed (rpm) is displayed divided by 100, i.e. if the display indicates 12 for speed, the actual KalkStar rpm is 1200.
Soft Touch Menu Buttons: Control of the KalkStar is accomplished with four menu buttons located to the right of the LED indicators. From left to right, the STOP button (small square in the center) will toggle through the different operation parameters (speed, duration and interval) while in PROGRAMMING mode. The UP and DOWN menu buttons toggle the display value and LED indicator between the speed, duration, and interval parameters. The UP and DOWN menu buttons will also increase or decrease the three operational parameters (speed, duration and interval) while in PROGRAMMING mode. The PAUSE button will pause the operation of the KalkStar unit. The PAUSE button will also exit PROGRAMMING mode and return the KalkStar to normal operation if in PROGRAMMING mode.
roscoe
Well-known member
Ahh I see I know someone that is using that exact unit. He basically gravity drip it into his sump but he also has a seperate ATO that he utilizes for top off also. So this is what he did depending on the time of the year he calculates his evap and subtracted 25% and and dialed his kalkwasser in to drip 75% and the remainder 25% is taken cared via the ATO with fresh RODI. This way he there would be a slim chance of accidently overdoseing with kalk as your evap changes through the season. Does that makes sense. I'm more of a visual person myself. I probally wouldn't understand it myself if I hadn't actually see how it works. I hope that helps a bit.
Mine has been sole provider for three years. I also use a calcium reactor and I have to adjust the calcium reactor to make up for extra evap in the summer. Well, I think so.....I dont remember but will soon find out. My memory is going
Saltyfish
Banned
Is there a way to put it on a timer?
I just use a dual float switch, hook it to a MJ 900, feed it to the kalk mixer and then feed it into a high flow area away from corals.
danno14
That's Dumas!
Brett-
Duane is on track with this.... almost exactly how mine is set up too.
That's a nice reactor/stirrer! What I don't like is how you have to undo the top each time you want to add Kalk, and how it will p[lace torsion on the o-rings when doing so. Not a big deal with the large one, but may be with the smaller. A simple port that could be opened would serve nicely.
D
Duane is on track with this.... almost exactly how mine is set up too.
That's a nice reactor/stirrer! What I don't like is how you have to undo the top each time you want to add Kalk, and how it will p[lace torsion on the o-rings when doing so. Not a big deal with the large one, but may be with the smaller. A simple port that could be opened would serve nicely.
D
Herefishyfishy
Smart Bass
Ditto here, but be sure to add a syphon break at the top or check valve to prevent backflow or excess filling. I have mine dump into the sump next to the water return from the display
I forgot about that check valve, I have it between the RO resivoir and the mixer so I dont back siphon a slurry into the clean water. BY having it there, it wont clog with Kalk. On another system I had, I used a siphon break at the tank. On this one, its basically just that by simply dripping kalk from above the waters surface rahter than placing the line in the sump.
travis_
Sea Cucumber
this is how I have my kalk and ATO setup and it is very simple and works great. Running the kalk through a float valve will probablly cause issues, this way I only run water through the float valve and drip in my kalk at a constant rate.
Saltyfish
Banned
Got pictures?
travis_
Sea Cucumber
I will take a picture tonight, but it is not very complicated. I have a ~25 gallon rubbermaid tub that I cut a small hole 1" off the botton and siliconed in a piece of hard tubing with flex tubing running to my tank. The tub is at a higher elevation than my tank and the kalk is gravity fed. I mixed up ~ 25 gallons at a time, stir well, stir every couple of days and keep the lid tight, drip in to my tank. I set the drip rate using a $1 c-clamp and squish the hose until I get about 1 drop every second or slightly faster.
I know some say you need to mix in small batches, stir constantly, keep airtight and only use the clear liquid, but my system has been working great an maintainin CA, ALK and pH for me right in check.
I give credit to the reefer in Everett who sold me frags recently for explaining his simple system to me.
Travis
Last edited:
travis_
Sea Cucumber
You can see the blue tote to the right, the white tubing running to the left, a rusty c-clamp squeeze valve, and tube going into my refugium. High tech I know, but I can see the difference already in my corals. Some that I thought were dead even came back to life.
