Question for any Kalk Reactor or stirrer fans

[fatoldsun]

I picked up an Aqua Medic Kalk reactor. It was given to me by the guy selling it because he couldn’t locate some parts when I went to pick it up. Nothing in life is ever free though, right? I hoped I could get it running with some DIY mods but no such luck because I had such a hard time getting a manual for it – I needed to see what I was missing and how it should be properly set up. Well it turns out that this model isn’t made anymore and when it was, it seems it was more popular in Europe than here, stateside. Anyway, after a ton of calls and emails and google searches I got in touch with someone from Aqua Medic of North America and I was able to get a .pdf of the manual and subsequently I was able to request parts. Given how much their stuff costs new I braced myself and given that they were all “small” relatively insignificant parts I guess I was prepared for the tab - $50 which is a lot for parts but what I thought I’d pay for the used, functioning reactor. I couldn’t just let it go because it worked well and seemed like an effective design.

All right, so in typical long-winded fashion, anyone running a kalk reactor? It seems that this design runs around the clock (not on a timer like the stirrers), and uses a filter to prevent any precipitate from being pumped into the system. Basically, the reactor is full and when the ATO kicks in, it runs through the reactor and by displacement, continues on into the sump. I know the more elaborate systems use Calcium Reactors and I guess 2-part dosing is the preferred alternative. Seems like kalk has fallen out of favor but I wanted to give this a shot – worst case scenario, it was a $50 loss

 

[Hawkeye]

I haven't heard of a reactor that is on 24x7. As far as I know, Kalk reactors run on two basic principles:

1) Stirring with a rod/stick. Either the rod uses some device to be turned inside the reactor to mix the kalk, or perhaps it has some kind of magnetic system where the "spinning" mechanism is outside the reactor and the rod (magnet) inside mixes the kalk.

2) Stirring with a pump. the PM reactors I purchased via the NJRC Group Buy uses a maxi jet 400 - that is turned on (either manually or via timer) periodically to stir the kalk.

The PM reactor i have is the same in terms of displacement you talked about. The outflow is on "top" and the "inflow" is on bottom (of the reactor). ATO pumps water in from the top (for me it's via pump - I use a tunze osmolator) and then by displayment my reactor dumps the effluent (from the top) into the sump (gravity fed). The tunze pump cuts off when the optical eye shows the water level has replaced the evap, or after 3 minutes of running. Even if somehow it kept running and ignores the optical eye and timer, there is a backup float valve that would shut power.

The risk people cite with kalk use is the dumping of all the precipate/effluent all at once into the tank (e.g. imagine taking a gallon of two-part and pouring it all into the tank at once). To avoid this I only put in a minimal amount of kalk into the reactor. Seems to work so far for my tank - but I'm guessing if I want to see fast SPS growth, the amount of kalk would have to be increased or a CO2 reactor may be required in the future.

 

[fatoldsun]

Thanks Phil. ...and Happy B-day
This one is different than what I've seen before. I'm used to the PM style or rod stirrers like you described. This uses a pimp like the PM but it's built into the lid. The "pipe" that feeds to the sump uses a 10 micron filter to prevent undisolved kalk from escaping. This in theory prevents any sediment that's in the column from getting through - again, in theory this is in place of the intermittent stirring/mixing. Hence why I'd love to find someone using (or used) this Aqua Medic to see if it's ok to use

 

[Hawkeye]

This uses a pimp like the PM but it's built into the lid.

pimp?

LOL.

Is the feed pipe to the sump at the top of the reactor? or bottom? I'm not getting the filter stock, seems extraneous and another item that you have to monitor to prevent failure.

oh and thanks for the bday wishes. As usual my children got their favorite - a carvel ice cream cake.

 

[fatoldsun]

Rock on with the iPhone auto-correct.
Anyway this should make it easier to understand.

Behind the filter you can see there is a "PIPE" from the "PUMP". The pipe drops to a cone and that circulates the effluent before it exits through the filter via the port on the lid. It doesn't seem like anyone is (or has) used one of these. I even posted onRC out of desperation and still no one...

 

[Hawkeye]

what am i looking at...lol the picture confuses me more!

the barbed hose inlet on the bottom - is that were you hook the inflow pump? no right - because you have a cone thing above it - which makes me think that is the outflow. But you said "exits thru the fitler via the port on the lid" - i presume the lid is on top? or are you talking about that vent by the barbed hose? How or where do you put the fresh kalk? does it drop into the filter sock?

 

[fatoldsun]

It's confusing and made worse since NO ONE uses these. The thing on the bottom is a drain to clean/service the unit. The lid has 4 "things". One is a threaded port that has a bung. Use this to pour in new kalk and water using a funnel (after you drain it with the thing on the bottom) also you can screw a pH probe in there hooked to a controller - optional. Next is a valve to adjust how much O2 mixes in. Last there are 2 John guest fittings for ATO in and kalk out. The filter you see prevents the kalk particles which are undisolved, the precipitate from pumping out of (escaping) the reactor
Make more sense now? ... I hope

 

[Hawkeye]

I guess I feel like the design is very different from what i use in the PM kalk reactor.
Example -

you have a valve to mix in O2. PM Kalk does not.
you have a valve to clean the thing out. Pm Kalk does not. I've never taken the thing apart once. All that it ever gets is kalk and fresh rodi water.
you have a filter for precipitate. I've never seen any precipiate in my reactor.

So many questions in my head...sorry i cannot help. A Ph probe makes sense in a calcium reactor to help fine tune it - i've never been told of setting one up in a kalk reactor - i'll have to research that more.

 

[fatoldsun]

Thanks for seeing what you can find don't make yourself crazy. I scoured everything I could find - went back to like '06 to even see them mentioned other than unanswered questions like mine.
Maybe I should have asked the sales guy who got me the parts. Doh!

A 5 oz bird cannot carry a 1 lb coconut.
...
Please! Please! This is supposed to be a ...happy occasion. Let's not bicker and argue over WHO killed WHO.

 

[Hawkeye]

A 5 oz bird cannot carry a 1 lb coconut.
.

Maybe if it were an african swallow?