Diy Kalk reactor

[coryjac0b]

So i plan on building this, My question is, can i build it at 12" instead of 18"? As the price of 4" clear is hefty, and don't wanna waste 6" of it cuz its only sold by the foot at aquaticeco.

 

[1628mna]

make it out of white pvc, you dont really need to see in there. actually there isnt anything to see really. just fill it every week and you will be alright and save lots of money.

 

[seawandrr]

One option is to make the body out of ABS instead of clear.

Take a look at this thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=733057&highlight=tap

And modify/simplify it to be a Kalkenstein.

Of course the drawback is not being able to see how much Kalk is left through the clear body, so the fix for that is to use a piece of clear vinyl tubing to attach the stirring pump at the bottom of the reactor (I used an MJ400) I put my bottom 1/2" fitting from the pump right down as low on the body as I could tap it.

It's then easy to see if you're out of kalk. Whenever it's done stirring, the powder settles back to the bottom, and flows back into and fills the tube. When my tube is looking a bit weak powder wise a minute or two after a stir, it's time to pop the top and drop a couple of more cups in.

Cuts the body cost down to $5.68 at Lowe's.

 

[One Dumm Hikk]

12" of 4.5" OD clear acrylic tubing, a 4" PVC coupling, 24" of white PVC. Put the clear at the bottom then the coupling then the 24" white PVC. The 4.5" OD acrylic tubing will fit into the coupling. Gives you the clear bottom to see the kalk in the bottom and lets you use PVC pipe to make it as tall as you want.

 

[coryjac0b]

i thought about that, but the price of clear pvc is still expensive, and wasn't sure what would match up to 4" pvc. Exact measurements of 4"pvc is 4.5"?

 

[One Dumm Hikk]

For thick wall it is. The size of PVC is insided dimensions (ID) and the thick wall pipe has 1/4" walls so its 4.5" OD.

 

[coryjac0b]

so, 4.5", 1/4" wall is different from the 1/8" wall? Would 1/8" wall still work if i used something like weldon-16?

 

[laverda]

12" should be plenty big enough for a tank your size.

 

[1628mna]

bigger the better, you wont have to fill as often

 

[shikhyung]

Can some one explain how does it work? Thanks,

 

[alc]

CO2 is injected into water creating carbonic acid

carbonic acid reacts with kalk

resulting effluent is discharged into aquarium

 

[virginiadiver69]

Are you sure about that?

 

[Harry_Fish]

A Kalk reactor does not use CO2

It is a sealed vessle to keep CO2 out

 

[shikhyung]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14339591#post14339591 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shikhyung
Can some one explain how does it work? Thanks,

bump

 

[amstar]

interested how one works as well and how do you use it? as a ATO of just feed it to the tank all the time?

 

[One Dumm Hikk]

Most run it as the ATO. You simply does Kalk instead of plain RO/DI water. Or, you can dose the tank directly if your tank can keep up with the Ca you are adding.

 

[laverda]

I did not design it, but it is pretty easy. Basically RO water comes in H, the pump draws water in at the middle through G and pumps out at the bottom to stir the kalk, then your Kalk saturated water is dripped out of I into the tank. You would want to keep the Kalk below the pump intake. I would but "I" in the very top of the reactor to draw out any possible air in the reactor.

 

[ReefObsessor805]

I have a question. For 'e.' on the Kalkstein parts, the bushing's 1/4" slip does not match up with my maxijet; the maxijet's OD is a lot smaller than the bushing's 1/4" ID. It's a schedule 80 bushing, maybe this is why? Any ideas?

 

[ReefObsessor805]

Well, I think I found the answer. The ID of the Sch 80 '1/4"' bushing is 9/16; the OD of the Maxijet output is exactly 1/2". So, I'm guessing the Sch 40 ID will be exactly 1/2" as well. We'll see...

 

[coryjac0b]

yeah it doesnt fit in there perfect, but enough weld-on 16 seals it pretty good.