customclimates
New member
looks great!
300 gal reef re-do
- Thread starter pcostanzo
- Start date
ReefingBuddha
New member
nice standpipes... should these now be named "Costanzo standpipes"?
pcostanzo
New member
I need some advise from those of you who use Kalkwasser as ATO. I've only used a calcium reactor and never added kalk. My PH of my well water running through RO/DI is around 8.2 so I dont need the kalk to raise PH. Does it contribute to the calcium and alk level that much if you're still using a Ca reactor?
jnarowe
New member
Paul, this is more complicated than you think or most of us even know. First and foremost, it does not matter what the pH is of your well water. Based on discussions with Randy, there is no correlation between two different pH levels being added together. So if you have 100g of pH 7.0 and combine it with 100g of pH 8.0, you will not end up with 200g of pH 7.5. It just doesn't work that way, but I can't give you the scientific reasons why that is.
Once water has gone through the RO/DI process, it should essentially be pH nuetral anyway. Then you mix it with salt, which typically raises the pH, but it is not a consistant result. It all depends how much you aerate it, how long you age it, what the ambient conditions are etc.
The simple reason why reef keepers use kalk for top-off, like I do, is to keep the tank pH up when dosing CO2 into our Ca reactors. The CO2 tends to lower tank pH and as demand for Ca grows, we can run into low pH issues. Using the kalk keeps the pH up, and there are various ways to control it.
I use multiple controls for my top-off. I use a LiterMeter III for top-off and have it set to a little more than what my tank's needs are. I have a float switch for water level control, so it won't go on unless the water level lowers due to evaporation. Then I use tank pH to control it so if the pH get above 8.35, power is cut to the LiterMeter.
You also must be very careful about how your kalk is stirred. The liquid in the reactor should remain clear. I have a Barr stirrer and so I also have that set on a timer to stir twice/day, and during that time and for the following hour, I also cut the power to the LiterMeter. That way I am NEVER dosing kalk fines into the tank. That can cause serious problems!
Once water has gone through the RO/DI process, it should essentially be pH nuetral anyway. Then you mix it with salt, which typically raises the pH, but it is not a consistant result. It all depends how much you aerate it, how long you age it, what the ambient conditions are etc.
The simple reason why reef keepers use kalk for top-off, like I do, is to keep the tank pH up when dosing CO2 into our Ca reactors. The CO2 tends to lower tank pH and as demand for Ca grows, we can run into low pH issues. Using the kalk keeps the pH up, and there are various ways to control it.
I use multiple controls for my top-off. I use a LiterMeter III for top-off and have it set to a little more than what my tank's needs are. I have a float switch for water level control, so it won't go on unless the water level lowers due to evaporation. Then I use tank pH to control it so if the pH get above 8.35, power is cut to the LiterMeter.
You also must be very careful about how your kalk is stirred. The liquid in the reactor should remain clear. I have a Barr stirrer and so I also have that set on a timer to stir twice/day, and during that time and for the following hour, I also cut the power to the LiterMeter. That way I am NEVER dosing kalk fines into the tank. That can cause serious problems!
pcostanzo
New member
Thanks Jonathan. So I am currently dosing with a Spectrapure Liquid Level controller. It opens the flow when the pressure switch is activated by a drop in the sump. If that is hooked up to my controller to only dose at night and my stirrer only stirs in the day thats cool. Also I should set my controllers PH to shut off the dose if PH is too high. Does that sound right?
jnarowe
New member
Not quite. I think you may find that you need to bring up the pH even during the daytime. It all depends on how your system is set up, and what the demand is for calcium and alkalinity. My Ca reactor goes 24/7 and is also controlled by an internal pH probe as well as the tank pH probe, so if the tank pH drops below 8.15, my CO2 shuts down and of course, the CO2 goes on and off to maintain my target reactor pH.
It's a balancing act, but playing around with it will ultimately get you the results you need. The question is, can the power be cut to the LLC and not have it allow water to flow? Seems like those switches are normally on or normally off and probably opposite, so you may have some issue with cutting the power to it. I don't know, as I don't have one, but be prepared to observe it when you pull the plug. If it's in the open flow position when the elctricity is cut, will it remain open and over-dose?
Might want to ask Scott at SpectraPure about that.
It's a balancing act, but playing around with it will ultimately get you the results you need. The question is, can the power be cut to the LLC and not have it allow water to flow? Seems like those switches are normally on or normally off and probably opposite, so you may have some issue with cutting the power to it. I don't know, as I don't have one, but be prepared to observe it when you pull the plug. If it's in the open flow position when the elctricity is cut, will it remain open and over-dose?
Might want to ask Scott at SpectraPure about that.
jnarowe
New member
OK, so if you use a pump, you really do have to be careful about not dosing any time when and after the pump operates. I would suggest you look at other designs too. The Deltec has the best design for constant stirring without putting the kalk into suspension, butI don't like the fact that it has air at the top. I got one from Barr that is a lab style magnetic stirrer. It's very nice and has no air pocket, but can really get the kalk up into the water column. That's what prompted me to discuss this with you. Pump models are much worse in this respect.
jnarowe
New member
I have never used a pump stirrer so I can't tell you from personal experience, but it just seems to not be the best design IMO. I know there are issues with the pumps failing because of the abrasive nature of the kalk powder.
Based on what I have learned, I unfortunately have to say that for the health of your system, the Deltec seems to be a better design from a stirring aspect. I have seen Steve Weast's a couple times now, and it is constantly stirring but the water is crystal clear. I mentioned the air exposure and he kind of shrugged that off as a "so what"...and since it is a vertical stir bar, you cannot float anything on top of the water. But no need for timer control is a big plus, since you can run it 24/7 and dose 24/7 without a conflict. That's how I see it anyway.
Ken, Hammerheads are very quiet. I can't even hear mine in my tank room. You may see more noise from the water flow than the pump itself.
Based on what I have learned, I unfortunately have to say that for the health of your system, the Deltec seems to be a better design from a stirring aspect. I have seen Steve Weast's a couple times now, and it is constantly stirring but the water is crystal clear. I mentioned the air exposure and he kind of shrugged that off as a "so what"...and since it is a vertical stir bar, you cannot float anything on top of the water. But no need for timer control is a big plus, since you can run it 24/7 and dose 24/7 without a conflict. That's how I see it anyway.
Ken, Hammerheads are very quiet. I can't even hear mine in my tank room. You may see more noise from the water flow than the pump itself.
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