Simple Kalk Reactor Question

[rleechb]

I was wondering, if your pump is pumping water out of the kalk reactor into your tank, and the kalk reactor had just finished stirring.. doesn't your tank water get cloudy initially, since all those particles held in suspension get pumped into the tank? Or do the particles quickly dissolve, doing no harm to water clarity?

 

[Ereefic]

You shouldn't be pumping cloudy kalk water in the tank to begin with, but a little (in proportion to your total system volume) should not hurt anything or cloud anything up. Dump in a bunch, you could have problems.

You want to set your doser on a timer so it comes back on after the kalk has settled enough from being stirred.

 

[bureau13]

A slow-speed mechanical stirrer that runs 24/7 (e.g. Deltec or Aqua Medic) never causes a cloud inside the reactor. When the water is pumped through, the sediment on the bottom seems to puff up, but never to the point where it makes a cloud. Now, the water trickling out is not crystal clear, but where it enters the tank its not at all cloudy.

jds

 

[rleechb]

hm... what about those pump driver kalk reactors that are set on a timer? Wouldn't that cause the "effluent" to be really cloudy?

 

[einsteins]

I have a PM Kalk reactor and it stirs the Kalk but the strried slurry stays well below the top where water leaves the unit thus making an area of clear water that is sent to the sump.
I have never had it send slurry to my sump and all of my top off water goes throught the kalk reactor.

GL

einsteins

 

[King-Kong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8059720#post8059720 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bureau13
A slow-speed mechanical stirrer that runs 24/7 (e.g. Deltec or Aqua Medic) never causes a cloud inside the reactor. When the water is pumped through, the sediment on the bottom seems to puff up, but never to the point where it makes a cloud. Now, the water trickling out is not crystal clear, but where it enters the tank its not at all cloudy.

jds

The aqua medic should NOT be run 24/7. The manual clearly states this.

The stirring pump has a life of 10,000hrs.

I dont know if the deltect is the same.

 

[bureau13]

Actually, my manual says no such thing. It does mention the 10,000 hour lifespan on the motor. We'll see about that, I'm not sure how much it costs to replace. But there's no mention in mine of putting the stirrer on a timer or otherwise restricting its operation....I just re-read it to make sure. I know I saw an older manual which had the inlet and outlet lines backwards, so I guess they do change.

I'm actually trying to figure out a way to dose only at night, while still using it with my Tunze Osmolator, but I don't want to flood the system with a whole days' worth of top-off either.

jds

 

[sjm817]

To dose only at night, only have it stir at night. The topoff water going through during the day will be much less saturated with no stirring.

 

[bureau13]

Hmmm, that's it? The concentrated kalk at the bottom won't turn into sludge or something?

jds

 

[sjm817]

No, it shouldn't. One thing people dont realize is you can adjust the kalk dosage through the day by changing how often you mix.

 

[bureau13]

Cool...changing program as I type

(and apologies for the hijack)

 

[Hal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8059983#post8059983 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by einsteins
I have a PM Kalk reactor and it stirs the Kalk but the strried slurry stays well below the top where water leaves the unit thus making an area of clear water that is sent to the sump.
I have never had it send slurry to my sump and all of my top off water goes throught the kalk reactor.

Same for me, except I've got a GEO reactor. It uses a maxijet to stir the kalk. Again, the slurry stays in the bottom 2/3 of the reactor, even when the maxijet is on, so no slurry makes it into the tank. My auto-topoff feeds through the reactor. This combo of equipment has saved me soo much work, I absolutely love the setup.