kalkwasser stirrer

[kerry]

Hey ladies and Gentleman,
So I want to introduce a kalkwasser stirrer and auto top off to my setup. Problem is, I am having a hard time learning exactly what I need, how to plumb it, and all that. Can some of you shed some light on this, I thought is was going to be simple, until I started really researching it. Now I am more confused than ever.

 

[Woodstock]

Kerry, I simply have a small powerhead (sitting in a kalkwasser reservoir) with a 1/2" vinyl hose attached to it and going to a small chamber in my sump (the hose is above the sump's water level to prevent the possibility of unwanted siphoning from/into into the reservoir).

The powerhead is plugged into an ATO system (extension cord wired into dual float switches that are sitting in that same small chamber in my sump. The dual floats have a internal switch that turn off/on the powerhead.

My system adds approx 1/2 cup of kalkwasser at a time since the chamber is small. Note: the larger the chamber, the more it will take to move the floats up.

Check out AutoTopoff.com They have some nice systems there. Be sure you get a dual float switch set up to help prevent possible flooding if a float valve was to stick!!

 

[kerry]

Thanks Woodstock,
I understand everything except for the kalkwasser reservoir. Is this a separate container than the kalkwasser stirrer? Also, I have been reading that some people use both kalkwasser stirrers and calcium reactors with CO2 tanks. Maybe I am not getting it, but that seems to be doing the same thing, just two different ways. I really don't want to buy an expensive set up like that.
Another question that is kind of in the same topic is my r/o water. The kalkwasser stirrer says that it holds enogh dosage for approx. 2 weeks. I have a fifty gallon container that I use for water changes that I would use to hold fresh r/o water for top offs. Problem is, I hear that it is a bad idea to let r/o water sit for any length of time. Let me know if my babbling isn't making sense, I am trying to wrap my head around this one.

 

[mps9506]

Kalkwasser stirrer and a reservoir are two different things. Woody has a setup like I used, which is basically just a big container that holds kalkwasser and we use a float switch to control a pump that pumps kalkwasser from the reservoir directly to the sump.
The kalk stirrer, or nielsen reactor typically has a feed source, either a resivor with RO/DI water, or it is connected directly to the RO/DI unit and controlled via a solenoid that stops the supply water.
Depending on your ca/alk needs you may or may not need a Ca reactor. How much Ca/alk is your tank using per day?

 

[kerry]

Right now I am only using Fiji Gold supplement, 3-4 tablespoons twice a week keep my calcium between 400-450. The main reason I wanted a kalkwasser mixer was for my alk and ph. I finally started testing alk about a month ago and came to the conclusion that it is at dangerously low levels (stays at around 7). I have always had problems keeping my ph up, and now I have a little money to fix this problem. Am I going in the right direction with this? I have yet to adjust my alk level (no lfs in my neck of the woods).

90 g. tank, approx. 35 g. in sump, 250-300lbs of live rock
What else would be helpful to mention?

 

[kerry]

My mistake, I posted the incorrect alk reading. It is actually very low at 5.6 dKH.

 

[mps9506]

Well, kalk won't really correct your problem, it will stabilize your levels, but you want to increase your alk first, then maintain with kalkwasser.
Water changes and reducing the amount of caclium being supplemented might be enough to correct your imbalance:
Chemistry and the Aquarium
You are zone 4 in this article, it will give you some tips to correct the imbalance.

I think you would be fine with just a kalkwasser reservoir, you probably don't need to invest in a stirrer or reactor. A simple autotopoff unit with a small pump to dose a small amount of kalk to make up for evaporation in your sump will do wonders.

 

[kinghokus420]

so what you're saying is that i can just add some kalk powder (1 cup?)directly to my top off water? im mixing it in 5 gal bottles and siphoning the clear into my top off container, a 10g aquarium.it would be sweet if i just had to add ro/di. i have the 2 float ato from autotopoff.com so dosing is handled. i've wondered about this for a long time and just never asked.

 

[kerry]

Great information Mike, very helpful reading.

 

[sasquatch]

so what you're saying is that i can just add some kalk powder (1 cup?)directly to my top off water? im mixing it in 5 gal bottles and siphoning the clear into my top off container, a 10g aquarium.it would be sweet if i just had to add ro/di. i have the 2 float ato from autotopoff.com so dosing is handled. i've wondered about this for a long time and just never asked.

thats the principle behind kalk reactors, small pump mixes water and kalk powder, excess settles out, new ro water is pumped in forcing solution into tank or top off unit

 

[mps9506]

so what you're saying is that i can just add some kalk powder (1 cup?)directly to my top off water? im mixing it in 5 gal bottles and siphoning the clear into my top off container, a 10g aquarium.it would be sweet if i just had to add ro/di. i have the 2 float ato from autotopoff.com so dosing is handled. i've wondered about this for a long time and just never asked.

I would continue to do it the way you are doing, if you add kalk to the container you will have to clean it out