Kalk in ATO

[Vorog]

Just wondering if the tunze kalk reactor is worth the investment? Or is there a better option? I currently put it in my ATO container with the pump off the bottom to not get the clumps. But I know kalk isn't good for your pumps over time. And I wonder if there is a better way. I'd rather not use a kalk reactor bc I have a carbon and gfo dual reactor and it takes up too much space. So I saw the tunze brand one that can sit in my bucket with RO and pump and not take up space in sump.

 

[Sonicboom]

yes kalk is bad for pumps, i would get a reactor and place it after the ATO, then push the topoff water through the reactor and into the sump, this way there is only topoff water at the pump. Ganjero is selling/looking to trade a reactor currently http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2505578

 

[BlueCoast]

I run kalk in my ato and use an aqualifter pump, another alternative would be to use a peristaltic pump. Either would work good since there is no impeller that gets beat up. Sonic is right on, Kalk is rough on normal pumps.

I read up on reactors and a lot of the advice on the forums led me to just dump it in the ATO container, if you do this, make sure the pump cannot reach the slurry at the bottom or you can have a kalk disaster.

 

[ichthyman]

If installed correctly, the Tunze Kalk reactor will isolate your feed pump from the harshness of calcium hydroxide. Their design is a modified old school Nielsen-type reactor which has been around for decades. They are simple, easy to service, durable and most importantly work without a fuss.

 

[kgravity]

I have wanted a reactor but after thinking about it I realized I have been running saturated Kalk through an aqua lifter for just about 2 years now. It is rough on the pump but its also a decently tough pump. Every few months I need to run vinegar through it to free it up, but you may need to do that on your reactor exit line any way, and it doesnt take much just put the intake and output in a large cup of vinegar. All that being said I rebuilt my aqualifter for the first time last night because output was slow and my timeout was tripping. It still seems a bit slow maybe 2gph so probably time to replace it. But at about $14 I guess thats ok for 2 years of running.

 

[kgravity]

Nice thing about a reactor though is its probably a lot easier to clean out that your ato bucket.

 

[Vorog]

Nice thing about a reactor though is its probably a lot easier to clean out that your ato bucket.

Yeah I think I will suck it up and get the reactor.

Also side note I noticed my ATO controller was flashing like the power cord wasn't getting a good connection. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it seems to be working and the lights are staying on, not flashing. Anyone else have or had this issue?

 

[ganjero]

Yeah I think I will suck it up and get the reactor.

Also side note I noticed my ATO controller was flashing like the power cord wasn't getting a good connection. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it seems to be working and the lights are staying on, not flashing. Anyone else have or had this issue?

What ATO do you have? If it is a Tunze, that usually means that your pumping time exceeded the safety duration.

 

[Vorog]

What ATO do you have? If it is a Tunze, that usually means that your pumping time exceeded the safety duration.

I have the tunze osmolator, however it isn't pumping more water in. My water level is staying right where it has been for almost a year. But I will keep a closer eye on it.

 

[ganjero]

I have the tunze osmolator, however it isn't pumping more water in. My water level is staying right where it has been for almost a year. But I will keep a closer eye on it.

The osmolator objective is to maintain the water at the same level, that means yours is working; however the duration of the pump being on might have changed. Maybe you were acclimating corals or fish, your evaporation increased, you added head pressure, the line became partially clogged, you didn't turn it off during a water change, etc etc,...remember that it is a safety timer

 

[anbosu]

The osmolator objective is to maintain the water at the same level, that means yours is working; however the duration of the pump being on might have changed. Maybe you were acclimating corals or fish, your evaporation increased, you added head pressure, the line became partially clogged, you didn't turn it off during a water change, etc etc,...remember that it is a safety timer

The same thing will happen if your ATO runs dry.

 

[ganjero]

The same thing will happen if your ATO runs dry.

Thanks :thumbsup:, I forgot to include the most common reason for triggering the safety timer:spin2:. I should mention, once the safety timer is triggered you have to unplug the power to the osmolator to reset it (as you did).

 

[Vorog]

I will keep an eye on the controller see if it does this again. The only thing that changed with my ATO in the last 9 months is I made a seven gallon bucket my container with a air tight lid. I noticed that the water level in the bucket is higher than the sump so it does have a slight drip after the pump shuts off. I mounted the ATO line higher up in the sump and it seems to work fine. But I was just curious what the flashing lights mean.