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Anyone use a Kalk Reactor on a Nano?


1fishmonger

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Kalk on a big tank is one thing but I was wondering if any of you long time nano keepers used kalk reactors on a smaller tank. If so, how did you set it up so the ph doesn't swing too wildly and so that your corals aren't blasted with kalk water?

 

I was planning to use this on a custom ~28g flat tank and I was concerned with the amount of evap that would have to take place to trigger the ATO.

 

TIA

 

Equipment/Set up details much appreciated :)

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Annnnnny one? :)

 

Really kalk reactors or any calcium reactor does not really have a big place in nano's due to the fact that simple small weekly water changes do the trick in even the most demanding tank.

 

Really a reactor of this type is done so on larger systems where weekly water changes can get costly.

 

I myself know folks that have 100+ gallon tanks that use a kalk reactor in conjunction with cheaper non-reef based salt mixes like standard instant ocean. They dose mag to get it up to par and use the reactor to make up for the lower levels of calcium in the cheaper mix. Non-reef salts do usually have a low alk also so that buffers up any swings.

 

But for the nano-reefer, salt cost shouldnt really be a issue which is one of the reasons people get smaller tanks to begin with....to lower cost or they just dont have room for a big tank.

 

With buying top of the line reef salt in 5 gallon buckets your looking at less than $100 a year for salt doing 5 gallon weekly changes.

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LPS - Appreciate the thoughts. Those are basically the reasons why I haven't used one in the past. I'm not really worried about the cost of salt in water changes since those will probably take place with or without the kalk. I do realize it's a bit overkill for a small tank in most instances (maybe all) but I also see this as a way of maintaining high alk/ca levels. I'll have an ato on the set up, so I thought adding kalk to the mix wouldn't hurt since the vehicle for getting it into the tank is already in place..

 

So anyone actually implementing this impractical methodology? Someone has to be... :D

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HecticDialectics

A lot of folks just put kalkwasser in their topoff water. A kalk slurry probably wouldn't be needed in such a small tank, but plenty of tanks have enough SPS and whatnot to utilize saturated kalkwasser.

 

This would effectively be the same as connecting an ATO to a kalkwasser reactor, as long as its one that adds saturated and not slurried kalk.

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A lot of folks just put kalkwasser in their topoff water. A kalk slurry probably wouldn't be needed in such a small tank, but plenty of tanks have enough SPS and whatnot to utilize saturated kalkwasser.

 

This would effectively be the same as connecting an ATO to a kalkwasser reactor, as long as its one that adds saturated and not slurried kalk.

 

 

:D Are there characteristics of kalk stirrers/reactors that would tell me if it adds saturated vs. slurry?

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HecticDialectics

Most just kind of stir at a few set points throughout the day. It's a bit of a toss-up when the ATO triggers, they could add slurried water or they could add saturated clear water. Thats why most people, if they have the space, just add it to their top-off container. Leave the topoff container undisturbed with no powerheads or aeration and the potency will be fine for weeks.

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Hmm - Thanks for the input. Sounds like coordinated digital timers would do the trick. Reactor in question is the PM KR620 (iirc). To be used with a later upgrade as well... Tank in question has ~25g total

 

Still looking for someone who is (if anyone is) actually doing something like this.

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I have the Aqua Medic Kalkwasser Stirrer 1000. It SLOWLY stirs the kalk slurry 24/7 creating a thoroughly saturated solution. The slurry is not agitated and dispersed into the water column and therefore does not create the risk of introducing kalk slurry directly into your tank. But like mentioned; for pump driven reactors timers are coordinated so that your ATO is not activated during kalk mixing. Either way, it's really pretty simple.

 

Please note, however, that my tank is a 75G with a 30G sump....

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