Tunze Osmolator & Kalk

[kylecanada]

I bought a Tunze Osmolator and I am looking for an easy way to dose Kalk. Can I add Kalk to my resovoir and let the tunze pump do the work, or will this have ill effects? I don't know how much these things dose at once, and I know it needs to be added slowly. This may also ruin the pump. I am not sure. Tunze makes an in-line kalk dispenser for this. I have not heard any reviews. I have a heavily loaded 240 reef. Any other suggestions are welcome.

I am also looking for a reasonable Kalk source. Any suggestions?

 

[alan214]

I have the same dilemma so I'm tagging along. I've heard in some of the posts on here that adding the kalkwasser directly to the topoff water will significantly shorten the life of the Tunze pump. The good news is that replacements are fairly cheap.

I believe there are other alternatives to the Tunze dispenser but I've yet to locate them. I know I don't want to spend $200 or more for a calcium dispenser.

 

[kylecanada]

Yeah, with the pumps being as cheap as they are, it may not be a bad solution. If I could get 6 months out of one, I'm in. Do you know how much the pump adds at one time? The Tunze dispenser is under $100.

 

[kylecanada]

^^^^

 

[barjam]

I tried to make a DIY "Tunze Kalk Dispensor" but I never could get the saturation up past 30-50% without pushing kalk powder into the tank. It looks like the tunze pump runs at 13 gph (I was using a different pump at 3.5 gph) and that may have been a factor.

If you wan't to experiment try an old RO housing (or multiples) with a 1/2 cpvc pipe shoved in the end... run the water backwards and you basically have a tunze kalk dispensor. I am confident that if I would have played with it more I could have gotten it to work but based on my research it looks like a large still resevoir would fit my needs better (in wall tank, plenty of space to store water).

 

[kylecanada]

I'm in the same boat. I will also have an in-wall and should have room for a resovoir.

 

[barjam]

I am in the same boat you guys are in... cheap dosing pump (aqua lifter in my case) with a potentially shorter life because it is dosing kalk. I am not sure if this would work for your pump but I have read that if you soak the aqua lifter in vinegar once a month it really helps. I have seen reports of guys using it for 2+ years this way.

 

[mcurl98]

i used the Tunze Kalk dispenser with an osmo. I evaporate about 2 gallons a day and had to fill the dispenser every 3 days. I changed and now run the osmo through a Kalk reactor. With the Kalk reactor, I can go a couple weeks without having to add Kalk. Adding Kalk to the top off water itself will shorten the life-I think I remember Roger, in the Tunze forum, predicting it would only last 3-4 months running Kalk through it.

As far as a Kalk source, I use Mrs Wages
http://mrswages.stores.yahoo.net/mrswagpiclim.html

 

[kylecanada]

Okay, good to know. That is not an option for me, since I will have a large tank. What type of kalk reactor do you have and how much was it? Thanks for the help.

 

[barjam]

That is interesting... hopefully my aqua lifter lasts longer... I figure if I have to replace it once a year it would take at least 10-15 years to recoup the costs of kalk reactor.

 

[mcurl98]

I have this one (a Geo) for $225
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...OD&Product_Code=GEO-NR&Category_Code=creactor

aqualifters run ok for quite a while with Kalk but I don't think they'd work with a Tunze Osmo-the osmo, as a safety feature, will only pump for up to 10 minutes. If the sensor doesn't sense the water as being to the correct level in 10 minutes, it shuts down. The aqualifter, especially if pumping upward, can pump pretty slowly-much slower than the osmo. Plus, I don't know how you'd hook and aqualifter up to an osmo sensor. The only options I can think of are to run the osmo pump in a Kalk solution (cleaning or replacing it periodically), using the Tunze Kalk dispensor (refilling often) or using a Kalk reactor-the most expensive initially but also the most consistent and convenient method IMO. I have a 20 gallon trash can of RO/DI. The osmo pump and lines go into the can. The sensor in my sump turns on the pump, pumps water out of the can, through the Kalk reactor and into my sump.

 

[kylecanada]

Thank you for your help Matt. That is probably the way I will go.

 

[ralphie16]

Here's a real easy way I have been keeping up my tanks parameters.

I have a ~30 gallon Brute Container. I mix in the solid kalk, let it settle, toss ion the tunze osmo pump (not sitting on the bottom), put the container top back on, and i'm done for 3-4 weeks (depends on evap rate of course)

The kalk solution will be much more concentrated then with the kalkstirrer they sell. Have not had a pump failure yet. Even if it fails after one year, I can replace it so many times before I recoup the cost of the tunze kalkstirrer.

Benefits: delivers a more concentrated kalkmixture, no additional equipm. to buy, maintains the levels I desire in my tank, and easy as heck....in the words of one of our great masters: just set it and forget it!!

FWIW, Randy from the chemistry forum uses the same general method of using an ATO to pull a kalkmixture from a large container. He says there are no problems keeping the kalkwater in the container as long as its covered so thats where I got the idea from.

 

[kylecanada]

OK. It is nice to hear someone that uses this method. This is what I have wanted to do, but was unsure. Why is it more concentrated this way?

 

[ralphie16]

I dont know why but it is. It is pretty simple to test for to prove it is as well. I think you have to measure the effluency, but im not sure thats term for it but if you browse the chemistry forum you'll find the answer you seek. Sorry, I did a lot of research before settling on this method but I cant remember for the life of me.

 

[kylecanada]

Works for me.

 

[dallaskerley]

Hi everyone, I would like to start adding kalk to my tank. Am I correct that I can just add some kalk to my top off contaner, and let the tunze osmolator pump squart the lime water everytime it tops off the evaporation? the pump only runs for about 20 seconds when it is topping off. Additionaly, I have my top off contaner hooked up by a float switch to my RO/DI unit so it automatically refills the top off. I guess I would need to disconect that because it would dilute the lime water correct? Am I missing anything?

HDK

 

[ralphie16]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9548378#post9548378 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dallaskerley
Additionaly, I have my top off contaner hooked up by a float switch to my RO/DI unit so it automatically refills the top off.
HDK

Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. I would suggest manually filling your topoff container. I refill mine once every two weeks.

Everything else you are on the right track about.

 

[dallaskerley]

Thanks Ralphie 16, I guess it's time to go shopping for a big container for my top off.

HDK

 

[Conceyted]

Just buy a kalk reactor. I use a PM (very similar to the geo). You can run it inline with your tunze topoff pump so that when the tank gets topped off, the pump pushes water through the reactor and into your system. Works perfect that way.