kalk/osmolator question

[orb]

Hi all. I have a question about adding kalk using the osmolator. I wanted to add kalk thru the osmolator as topoff water, but want to run the pump when lights are off to prevent as much of a ph spike as possible. My tank is around 230 gal total volume. the amount of evaporation when the lights are on, i'm not sure about. I do know the osmolator will run for 5 1/2 to 6 when i turn it back on if it's been off when the lights are on. I would like to run it on a timer, so it would start adding topoff water/kalk a few hours after the lights go off, and then turn back off before the lights come on in the morning. I know i'll have to get a new pump eventually.

Question. Would adding 6 min worth of kalk to my sump be ok for a tank my size? How many cups would this be adding? Can I just do a reduced amount of kalk to my makeup container if the ph spike is too much? Is turning the osmolator on/off once a day ok for it?

thanks for any help, Lawrence

 

[rvitko]

I think you will have worse spikes doing it this way. The problem is that in normal operation the osmolator is just going to dose maybe a cup every hour or two, not enough to have a big impact and you can control this by making a more dilute solution- this is the best way. To switch it on at night means it will dose maybe a 1/2 gallon at once which could cause a pH spike.

 

[steve the plumb]

You can use the tunze kalk disspencer.You should add about half to one tbls ok kalk per gal of evaporate water.I used the tunze disspencer for over a year and it works fine.Depending on your tanks demands you may find that the dispencer is small.I bought a kalk reactor and went on vacation and came back to a dead tank.Beware not to use to much kalk.If you use the tunze you won't put more than 4 tbls of kalk.If you decide on a reactor(its more for the fact you don't have to fill it all the time)I would use a ph controller so you don't make the same mistake I did.For some reason my osmolator overdosed and then shut off.I came back to a white tank.If I wasn't away I colud have fixed the problem.If you run the osmolator with kalk it will burn the pump.Use the dispencer or a kalk reactor but don't put more than one cup of kalk and use a ph controller if you want to do it that way so as not to have a ph attack.The dispencer should work fine and you won't need a controller with it.You could probably use about 2 tbls of kalk.

 

[orb]

Thanks Roger, i was hoping on a tank that size it wouldn't be so bad. It looks like i'll just leave it on.....at least i won't have to buy another timer.

Steve, That's too bad about your tank. I'm always nervous leaving home, even if it's for a couple days. How did your osmolator break? I haven't heard about too many going bad, mine has worked great so far. I was planning on just putting the kalk powder in my RO reservoir, which only is a 32 gal rubbermaid container with a lid. I was going this route to justify spending the money on a calcium reactor...... and first i have to get a couple of the nano streams I'll have to look into a ph controller for my osmolator then...I didn't even think of trying that.

Thanks for your help guys.

 

[rvitko]

I would recommend a smaller reservoir if possible. The osmolator has three layers of safety, first the optic sensor as the main sensor is quite accurate. Then their is the float and if you put it just an inch or so above the optic sensor it will stop the whole system without much over dose should the optic sensor fail. The unit also has a built in time out and can only pump for ten minutes before it shuts down. The main risk is with a large reservoir if it is installed wrong it could siphon the whole thing. Small reservoirs add another layer of safety by limiting the amount of flow that could be added.

 

[steve the plumb]

my reservoir was only 10 gallons I made sure I didn't get a syphon but something went wrong and I got screwed.The osmolator worked but for some reason it overdosed and then stoped working.I do have the float switch set just above the eye.I think to much kalk got in and screwed up the tank.I don't know what happened.If you have a high demand tank I would go with Randy's formula.You will not need a calcium reactor and its very safe.I have been using this method for a year and a half.