Kinetic's Kalk Reactor Idea

[kinetic]

Here's my kalk reactor idea, please help me perfect it, or scrap it if the idea sucks.

 

Equipment

 

AquaMedic Kalk Reactor $250 (6.7" x 6.7" footprint!)

 

2x ReefFanatic Level Controller w/ 2 Sensors ($100 each w/ Tom Aqualifter Pump)

- controller alpha: Auto Topoff RO/DI water only

- controller beta: Kalk Topoff w/ RO/DI water

 

AquaController III ($300+)

- pH control w/ DC8 and Neptune pH Probe

 

1qt ATO Resevoir

- Automatically topped off with Typhoon III RO/DI 75gpd system

 

 

Process

Two Modes, A and B.

Two Level Controllers (alpha and beta)

One pH Controller (ac3)

 

Mode A:

- AC3 detects good pH level

- alpha resumes normal auto topoff activity

- beta is turned off.

 

Mode B:

- AC3 detects low pH level

- beta resumes topoff activity

- Kalk reactor is now active as well.

- Calcium will be slowly replenished in this state.

 

Option A:

- Mode A works as usual

- AquaMedic dosing pump doses bionic without changing pH

 

My question now stands at this:

 

1. Does kalk raise or lower pH?

2. Does b-ionic not raise or lower pH?

3. Will this keep my pH levels stable?

4. Will this be enough calcium supplement for a ~40g display full of sps?

[andykee]

why not just get a calcium reactor? you won't have to deal with b-ionic and it will definitely give you the calcium you need

[pookstreet]

Man, you always have these big projects going. Wanna spread the wealth?

 

1) kalk will raise pH, so be careful

2) don't think this will do anything to the pH

3) NO!!!

4) HECK NO!!!

 

I tried dosing kalk 24/7 with a dosing pump for my 30G chock full of SPS and I can't get Ca level above 300 ppm. Now I run both a Ca reactor and a kalk reactor.

[andykee]

Now I run both a Ca reactor and a kalk reactor.

Any reason you are running both a Ca and Kalk reactor?

[kinetic]

I just read wetwebmedia's big Calc and Alk article.

 

Looks like a kalk reactor will affect pH by raising it, but so slightly it won't be able to do any sort of pH balancing. It also doesn't seem like it'll be sufficient for lots of SPS.

 

bionic looks like it's a hassle to maintain since you have to keep shaking it and what not, though it doesn't affect pH.

 

 

I am staying away from a calcium reactor because I want to see if there's a cool way of supplementing calcium with the equipment I already have plus one reactor. Also the project I'm working on may have limited sump space... unless you guys know of a tiny calc reactor (I heard myreefcreations did, but not sure if they're tried and true).

[pookstreet]

Any reason you are running both a Ca and Kalk reactor?

 

 

The effluent from the Ca reactor is around 6.8 so I am using the kalk to keep the pH up. Hopefully once the water is buffered correctly and the pH stays stable, I may do away with the kalk reactor or keep it for the extra Ca supplement since my tank has a really high Ca demand.

[pookstreet]

I just read wetwebmedia's big Calc and Alk article.

 

Looks like a kalk reactor will affect pH by raising it, but so slightly it won't be able to do any sort of pH balancing. It also doesn't seem like it'll be sufficient for lots of SPS.

 

How much kalkwasser will affect your tank pH depends on how much is dosed. I dose all 3 tanks with kalk 24/7 via dosing pumps. One of my tanks has a moderate evaporation rate and the kalk top off is able to keep it around 8.3-8.34. Another tank has a higher evaporation rate and dosing straight kalk brings it up past 8.5. What I do is to add white vinegar to the kalk mixing tub, which brings the pH down and also makes the kalk solution supersaturated with higher levels of Ca.

 

It is true that kalk alone will not be sufficient for a heavily stocked SPS tank but will be ok for a low to moderately stocked one.

 

I am staying away from a calcium reactor because I want to see if there's a cool way of supplementing calcium with the equipment I already have plus one reactor. Also the project I'm working on may have limited sump space... unless you guys know of a tiny calc reactor (I heard myreefcreations did, but not sure if they're tried and true).

 

You will need a Ca reactor if your tank will be heavily stocked with SPS. Otherwise, they won't grow and may die as they deplete the Ca in the water. That's why I finally had to set up a Ca reactor.

 

Schuran makes an awesome pico Ca reactor, but they are usually more expensive than other manufacturers. I have heard a lot of good things about their reactors. MRC does make a nano reactor, but I am using the CR-1 made by them.

[kinetic]

I think I"ll go with a dual chamber nano Ca reactor they make. 5lb. co2 tanks are also pretty small, with only a 6" diameter footprint.

[pookstreet]

MRC makes great products. Both of my Ca and kalk reactors are from MRC. One thing that I wished was part of my Ca reactor design was reverse flow. Reverse flow works much more efficiently and doesn't waste a whole lot of CO2.

[kinetic]

what exactly is reverse flow? What companies make ca reactors with reverse flow?

[pookstreet]

Most reactors have the recirculating pump receiving water from the bottom of the chamber and pumps it back in at the top of the chamber, so the water is forced down through the reactor media. The main problem with that is the CO2 may not make it all the way down through the chamber because it will want to go up and not down. A reverse flow model is just the opposite, where the dissolved CO2 is forced to travel up through the media, so the media gets better exposure and therefore more efficient.

 

I don't know off the top of my head who makes a reverse flow model, but if you browse through some online retailers, you'll probably run across a few.

[proraptor2]

kinetic - Do you even have a tank setup? All your posts are a lot of planning but no tank....Build a tank and put some coral in it...Dang!

[kinetic]

Most reactors have the recirculating pump receiving water from the bottom of the chamber and pumps it back in at the top of the chamber, so the water is forced down through the reactor media. The main problem with that is the CO2 may not make it all the way down through the chamber because it will want to go up and not down. A reverse flow model is just the opposite, where the dissolved CO2 is forced to travel up through the media, so the media gets better exposure and therefore more efficient.

 

I don't know off the top of my head who makes a reverse flow model, but if you browse through some online retailers, you'll probably run across a few.

 

oh i see! thanks for the info, I'll take a look.

 

btw the yuma I got from you has dropped about three dozen babies now, taking over my tank! It's super colorful, looks like it's my best coral in terms of health right now.

 

 

 

kinetic - Do you even have a tank setup? All your posts are a lot of planning but no tank....Build a tank and put some coral in it...Dang!

 

haha! I have one tank setup, a 32 gallon finnex m-tank.