Neilsen Reactor owners w/ mag stirrers

reefer_wannabe · 01-13-2004, 09:36 AM

I just got my DIY Neilsen Reactor done and set up. I currently have my stirrer set up to cycle every 3 hours for 1 minute. Does this sound right? Too much? Not enough? Does it really matter? Please help me out!

TIA

ReefLady · 01-13-2004, 10:47 AM

I don't have a magnetic stirrer, ours is mixed via a Mag pump. In any case, ours mixes for 15 minutes every 4 hours.

I'm not sure how much it matters, but keep an eye on the pH of the effluent -- if you have a pH monitor, it should be at about 16.0

HTH,

reefer_wannabe · 01-24-2004, 12:07 PM

Thanks, Teri. I pulled out my handheld Ph meter to check, and that sucker is broke! Time for a new one.......

StoneyReef · 01-24-2004, 02:06 PM

The following info should help everyone mag stir or powerhead stir.

You use your reactor to replace evaoprated water. Thus you should know
1) The volume your nilsen holds
2) How much evaporated water you have to replace
3) How high the kalk cloud rises in your mixing cylce

All the CLEAR saturated kalk effluent rises to the top of the reactor leaving the undissolved kalk in the bottom of the reactor.

So thus if your kalk cloud rises 1/3 of the way up your reactor during the mixing cycle, once you dose 1/3 of your reactor volume you need to mix. Thus if your reactor holds three gallons, and your cloud rises 1/3 the way, for every gallon you dose, you need to do a mix.

You really have to figure out how long your going to run the mag stirrer to figure out how high the kalk cloud goes.

In the powerhead models, the intake on the power head is set at a specific height so that you always know how high the cloud goes.

reefer_wannabe · 01-27-2004, 11:58 AM

Great information, Stoney! Any help on figuring the volume of an acrylic tube that is 18" long and 4" ID? I think I slept through that day in math class

Thanks!

StoneyReef · 01-27-2004, 09:33 PM

pi times radius squared times height = volume

thus 3.9 gallons

reefer_wannabe · 01-27-2004, 10:42 PM

You so RAWK! Karma to ya (if I can figger that one out, also!).

Tanks a million!

Pro_builder · 01-28-2004, 12:51 AM

(2 times 3.14) squared times 18=709.89 Cubic Inches

Or, as a final answer, 709.8 cubic inch(es) is 3.072727 gallon(s)

StoneyReef · 01-28-2004, 12:54 AM

YEP! your right!!! I took the diameter! Dang it all, someone shoot me!

StoneyReef · 01-28-2004, 01:08 AM

I must be beyond exhausted so I am going to bed. Anyhow lets break it down.

3.14 * (2^2) * 18=226.08 Cubic Inches

226.08 cubic inches = 0.9787127678571429 Liquid Gallons

wooddood · 01-28-2004, 06:17 AM

great info all,your the best.

Pro_builder · 01-28-2004, 08:27 AM

ooops, Stoney, I messed up too.

dgasmd · 01-28-2004, 09:19 PM

I have one these reactors. I can telly ou for sure if I was to do it all over again, I would go with a powerhead as a stirrer instead.

The magnetic stirrers have a lot of inherent problems with them. One of them being the kalk would cake up over the stirrer and would not mix. Another being that the stirrers are not designed to be in intensely humid conditions, so if you ahve them in a fish/equipment room or inside the stand, they will go kaka in a few months.

No question in my mind the better deisgn is the pump driven ones.

MAPA · 02-12-2004, 02:10 PM

Hi, everybody
I just finished my new calc-mixer as we call them here in Europe
I just want to make sure that we are talking about the same stuff:
It's made for mixing the limewater and to gradually pump it into the sump (or tank). Right?

Pro_builder · 02-12-2004, 04:26 PM

01-13-2004, 09:36 AM	#1 (permalink)
reefer_wannabe Tubeworm Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Rantoul, IL Posts: 34 View Gallery Karma Komment	Neilsen Reactor owners w/ mag stirrers I just got my DIY Neilsen Reactor done and set up. I currently have my stirrer set up to cycle every 3 hours for 1 minute. Does this sound right? Too much? Not enough? Does it really matter? Please help me out! TIA __________________ Bill http://www.cimaonline.us Join a local society or club today. You'll be glad you did!

01-13-2004, 10:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
ReefLady Golden Moray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 2,025 View Gallery Karma Komment	I don't have a magnetic stirrer, ours is mixed via a Mag pump. In any case, ours mixes for 15 minutes every 4 hours. I'm not sure how much it matters, but keep an eye on the pH of the effluent -- if you have a pH monitor, it should be at about 16.0 HTH, __________________ ~ Teri -------- "You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice."

01-24-2004, 12:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
reefer_wannabe Tubeworm Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Rantoul, IL Posts: 34 View Gallery Karma Komment	Thanks, Teri. I pulled out my handheld Ph meter to check, and that sucker is broke! Time for a new one....... __________________ Bill http://www.cimaonline.us Join a local society or club today. You'll be glad you did!

01-27-2004, 11:58 AM	#5 (permalink)
reefer_wannabe Tubeworm Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Rantoul, IL Posts: 34 View Gallery Karma Komment	Great information, Stoney! Any help on figuring the volume of an acrylic tube that is 18" long and 4" ID? I think I slept through that day in math class Thanks! __________________ Bill http://www.cimaonline.us Join a local society or club today. You'll be glad you did!

01-27-2004, 10:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
reefer_wannabe Tubeworm Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Rantoul, IL Posts: 34 View Gallery Karma Komment	You so RAWK! Karma to ya (if I can figger that one out, also!). Tanks a million! __________________ Bill http://www.cimaonline.us Join a local society or club today. You'll be glad you did!

01-24-2004, 02:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
StoneyReef No Longer a Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Minnesota Posts: 243 View Gallery Karma Komment	The following info should help everyone mag stir or powerhead stir. You use your reactor to replace evaoprated water. Thus you should know 1) The volume your nilsen holds 2) How much evaporated water you have to replace 3) How high the kalk cloud rises in your mixing cylce All the CLEAR saturated kalk effluent rises to the top of the reactor leaving the undissolved kalk in the bottom of the reactor. So thus if your kalk cloud rises 1/3 of the way up your reactor during the mixing cycle, once you dose 1/3 of your reactor volume you need to mix. Thus if your reactor holds three gallons, and your cloud rises 1/3 the way, for every gallon you dose, you need to do a mix. You really have to figure out how long your going to run the mag stirrer to figure out how high the kalk cloud goes. In the powerhead models, the intake on the power head is set at a specific height so that you always know how high the cloud goes.

01-27-2004, 09:33 PM	#6 (permalink)
StoneyReef No Longer a Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Minnesota Posts: 243 View Gallery Karma Komment	pi times radius squared times height = volume thus 3.9 gallons

01-28-2004, 12:51 AM	#8 (permalink)
Pro_builder DIY Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Oxford, Iowa Posts: 1,746 View Gallery Karma Komment	(2 times 3.14) squared times 18=709.89 Cubic Inches Or, as a final answer, 709.8 cubic inch(es) is 3.072727 gallon(s) __________________ -Troy 180 gallon Reef, 3- 250 XM 15K MH Electronic ballast, 380 watts VHO Actinics, 2- 5 watt LED Moon lights, 100 gal rubbermaid sump, 75 gallon Fuge, ETSS 600 Skimmer, 4700-5400 gph pump for return, Octopus 3000 controller, Iwaki 40 RL skimmer pump, 2- 65w PC 10K fuge lights, 2 55 gallon barrels, Custom light oak stand and hood, misc pumps, extra 600 gallon rated tank size protein skimmer. Purple tang, yellow tang, pacific blue tang, 2 green chromis, 1 Sand sifting star, snails, hermit crabs, 2 mated perculas, pulsing Xenia, Anenome, mushrooms, ricordia, zoanthids, kenya tree 1 1/2" tall, misc other hitchhiker stuff. DIY is my dream... ...well OK the only way I can afford this Addiction!! Just as the light goes on in my head... ... I break the bulb!!

01-28-2004, 12:54 AM	#9 (permalink)
StoneyReef No Longer a Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Minnesota Posts: 243 View Gallery Karma Komment	YEP! your right!!! I took the diameter! Dang it all, someone shoot me!

01-28-2004, 01:08 AM	#10 (permalink)
StoneyReef No Longer a Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Minnesota Posts: 243 View Gallery Karma Komment	I must be beyond exhausted so I am going to bed. Anyhow lets break it down. 3.14 * (2^2) * 18=226.08 Cubic Inches 226.08 cubic inches = 0.9787127678571429 Liquid Gallons

01-28-2004, 06:17 AM	#11 (permalink)
wooddood the wood dude Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: CARMEL. INDIANA Posts: 3,450 View Gallery Karma Komment	great info all,your the best. __________________ 120 gal/in wall tank/starboard substraight/2 250 watt 10k xm metal halides/ 4 55watt 03 actinics/150lbs lr/scwd on return/scwd on a closed loop/aquaclear aquatics 200 pro wetdry w/skimmer. ask all the questions you have if we cant answer it we'll make up some thing. remember patience is the key to a kick ass reef. dave.

01-28-2004, 08:27 AM	#12 (permalink)
Pro_builder DIY Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Oxford, Iowa Posts: 1,746 View Gallery Karma Komment	ooops, Stoney, I messed up too. __________________ -Troy 180 gallon Reef, 3- 250 XM 15K MH Electronic ballast, 380 watts VHO Actinics, 2- 5 watt LED Moon lights, 100 gal rubbermaid sump, 75 gallon Fuge, ETSS 600 Skimmer, 4700-5400 gph pump for return, Octopus 3000 controller, Iwaki 40 RL skimmer pump, 2- 65w PC 10K fuge lights, 2 55 gallon barrels, Custom light oak stand and hood, misc pumps, extra 600 gallon rated tank size protein skimmer. Purple tang, yellow tang, pacific blue tang, 2 green chromis, 1 Sand sifting star, snails, hermit crabs, 2 mated perculas, pulsing Xenia, Anenome, mushrooms, ricordia, zoanthids, kenya tree 1 1/2" tall, misc other hitchhiker stuff. DIY is my dream... ...well OK the only way I can afford this Addiction!! Just as the light goes on in my head... ... I break the bulb!!

01-28-2004, 09:19 PM	#13 (permalink)
dgasmd Scopas Tang Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Royal Palm Beach, FL Posts: 466 View Gallery Karma Komment	I have one these reactors. I can telly ou for sure if I was to do it all over again, I would go with a powerhead as a stirrer instead. The magnetic stirrers have a lot of inherent problems with them. One of them being the kalk would cake up over the stirrer and would not mix. Another being that the stirrers are not designed to be in intensely humid conditions, so if you ahve them in a fish/equipment room or inside the stand, they will go kaka in a few months. No question in my mind the better deisgn is the pump driven ones. __________________ Water is what keeps a ship floating, but it is also what sinks it.

02-12-2004, 02:10 PM	#14 (permalink)
MAPA Tunicate Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Warsaw Poland Posts: 4 View Gallery Karma Komment	Hi, everybody I just finished my new calc-mixer as we call them here in Europe I just want to make sure that we are talking about the same stuff: It's made for mixing the limewater and to gradually pump it into the sump (or tank). Right? __________________ 180 G reef tank w overflow HQI + T5

02-12-2004, 04:26 PM	#15 (permalink)
Pro_builder DIY Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Oxford, Iowa Posts: 1,746 View Gallery Karma Komment	yes __________________ -Troy 180 gallon Reef, 3- 250 XM 15K MH Electronic ballast, 380 watts VHO Actinics, 2- 5 watt LED Moon lights, 100 gal rubbermaid sump, 75 gallon Fuge, ETSS 600 Skimmer, 4700-5400 gph pump for return, Octopus 3000 controller, Iwaki 40 RL skimmer pump, 2- 65w PC 10K fuge lights, 2 55 gallon barrels, Custom light oak stand and hood, misc pumps, extra 600 gallon rated tank size protein skimmer. Purple tang, yellow tang, pacific blue tang, 2 green chromis, 1 Sand sifting star, snails, hermit crabs, 2 mated perculas, pulsing Xenia, Anenome, mushrooms, ricordia, zoanthids, kenya tree 1 1/2" tall, misc other hitchhiker stuff. DIY is my dream... ...well OK the only way I can afford this Addiction!! Just as the light goes on in my head... ... I break the bulb!!

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