Let's see those Kalk. reactors.
- Thread starter Andrew
- Start date
Mr Bojangles
New member
here is the two versions of mine, the internal pump was too small so I am using a mag 2 now
speedsport
New member
This may be a dumb question but. How do you set one up?
driftin
New member
Not everyone uses a recirc pump. Here's a thread where it seems a lot of people had success without one.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=938048
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=938048
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
6" OD cast acrylic pipe, bonded with weldon3 to a 6 sided, 7" box at the base made of 1/2" acrylic. The top flange is a stock barr aquatic 6" flange. I ran all the piping through the bottom through bulkheads so its easy to open the top (keyhole flange), and I could just use bulkheads rather than trust uniseals or anything.
As for the whole 'mixing' vs. 'non-mixing' argument... you need to mix it somehow... shake it manually a couple times if you need to. This is an old argument that had been beaten to death. The inlet water alone is not enough to stir up the kalk though... so it will just rot at the bottom, and the calcium saturation will be minimal. My reactor was on a timer to mix for 3 minutes every 2 hours, and worked great.
I have seen some kalk reactor designs that are completely 'passive' though. They involve using very narrow cylinders to keep the kalk in, and so very small water additions (through a pipe that leads to the very bottom of the cylinder) do stir up the kalk powder. As for their effectiveness... who knows.
For my next kalk reactor, I want something smaller.... that mamoth one I made is enough for a many hundred gallon system. Im thinking 4" x 12" tall cylinder... like a phosban reactor. Then I will use a cord grommet (aka probe holder) so I can drop a small 90gph powerhead into the bottom of the reactor to stir stuff up on a timer. A sealed chamber with a powerhead inside is all you need.
PrivateJoker64
In Memoriam
allstar.h2o
Premium Member
Here is mine in need of a refill. The VWR on the bottom of it has been through hell and still spinnin. 10 gal resivior to the right. I usually let it spin slow so the kalk is at 2 or 3 inch in suspension.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
I dont see any... do you have a specific page or something? All I see are GE filter cannisters and things that are 3-5" in diameter. When I say skinny... I mean 1" pipe skinny.
This way, even the minimal flow from a 1/4" water line can have some effect on mixing the kalk, if only a temporary burst at best.
Avast Marine
.Registered Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10093470#post10093470 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by guido_kp
crappy pic, and its a stirrer - not a pump type reactor. but its diy. more pix in the lil red house.
Dang, that looks familiar LOL Good job!
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Sure, those would work fine, or just the ones from HD with the threads... you can just drill a hole that the threads barely fit through, and use PVC cement to glue them into place.
I think they are popular in Japan or something though because with a good burst from a top off pump (like a tunze osmolator or something like that), you can blast the entire kalk bed with just the top off. To make up for the lack of volume, the 2" diameter part up top is usually a bit taller than just a cap, and the 1" pipe part is very long... like 2-3' at least. But its small enough and light enough to just hang on the side of the tank, and when the ATO kicks in, it just drips right into the tank. Even with just a 90gph pump like a tunze osmolator pump, the cross sectional area is so small that its like a cannon.
Compare: a 6" cylinder that gets, say, a 300gph pump like a MJ1200 or in my case, a Mag3 (or eheim 1250). Thats 300/3x3x3.14 = 942 gph/square inch of pipe area. A 90gph in a 1" pipe is 90/.5x.5x3.14=1130gph/square inch of area. Its a bit on the higher side, but Im betting the pump wont ge 90gph exactly, AND, wont run for 2 minutes straight, let alone 10 seconds... so you need a fast, intense burst to stir things up...
or all the good stuff will never hit suspension like it should. The point of a kalk mixer is to saturate the water with what would otherwise settle and do little to nothing.
I think they are popular in Japan or something though because with a good burst from a top off pump (like a tunze osmolator or something like that), you can blast the entire kalk bed with just the top off. To make up for the lack of volume, the 2" diameter part up top is usually a bit taller than just a cap, and the 1" pipe part is very long... like 2-3' at least. But its small enough and light enough to just hang on the side of the tank, and when the ATO kicks in, it just drips right into the tank. Even with just a 90gph pump like a tunze osmolator pump, the cross sectional area is so small that its like a cannon.
Compare: a 6" cylinder that gets, say, a 300gph pump like a MJ1200 or in my case, a Mag3 (or eheim 1250). Thats 300/3x3x3.14 = 942 gph/square inch of pipe area. A 90gph in a 1" pipe is 90/.5x.5x3.14=1130gph/square inch of area. Its a bit on the higher side, but Im betting the pump wont ge 90gph exactly, AND, wont run for 2 minutes straight, let alone 10 seconds... so you need a fast, intense burst to stir things up...
or all the good stuff will never hit suspension like it should. The point of a kalk mixer is to saturate the water with what would otherwise settle and do little to nothing.
dobly_1999
Member
Mr reactor
Mr reactor
With modified top to allow easy access to inside.
Mr reactor
With modified top to allow easy access to inside.
phudeb
Member
Here is what what I was thinking about doing. I have a Pentair canister module laying around. What do you guys think? What is the best way to feed this? I know feeding directly from the RO and using a float valve is not a good idea but I think I will try it temporarily to see how it works before buying an electronic switch.
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