Kalk Reactor / Calcium Reactor

[SnowManSnow]

I've never had a reactor for kalk // calcium. My question is ... besides the media... what is the difference? Also, what do you prefere and why? Don't they basically both just dose CA?

2nd, what are some good brands for these reactors? What would you use on a 120g mixed reef?

Thanks,

B.

 

[SnowManSnow]

OH, I also use an Osmolator for ATO into the sump... would a kalk reactor just go between the ATO and the Sump so that it tops off with kalk water?

Sorry for the noobish questions,, ,just new to this world of CA reactors

Thanks again

 

[Anonymous]

The el cheapo option is to get the calcium dispenser for the osmolator. Actually, the el cheapo option is to DIY your own version of it.

I've never liked Calcium reactors, as I always found adjusting the CO2 too stressful. I had a thread called "Another Kalk options thread" a couple of weeks ago that might have some useful info for you.

 

[SnowManSnow]

wait.. the calcium dispenser... does that use kalk or what? Since I've already got the osmolator would that be the simpliest thing to do ? I've actually never been dissapointed with anything that Tunze makes.

b

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, you just fill it up with RO water and add some kalk, shake it up every so often. The good thing is that it adds almost continually as the osmolator tops up your tank. Good for low-medium calcium requirements (I don't think it would suffice for a tank heavily stocked with SPS for example).

 

[Anonymous]

Here it is - not much more than a PVC flask with some tubing attached, but it's made to fit the osmolator so easy to plug and play.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI..._Off-Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies~vendor~.html

 

[SnowManSnow]

oh.. and is a kalk stirrer just a reactor that keeps the media disolved?

Or is it ONLY a stirrer?

B

 

[Anonymous]

Just an even more expensive tube, with a stirring mechanism built in, sometimes a stirring arm, sometimes a powerhead. Generally best hooked up to the sump and fed with something like a peristaltic pump. Bear in mind that I've never owned one.

 

[Ben1]

With kalkreactors I like the ones with top mount motors. The ones with magnetic stir bars IME cant take as much kalk or the stir bar gets stuck. The ones with powerheads to stir the kalk wear through impellers pretty fast. I have owned both types. The ones with top mount motors seem the most reliable.

A kalk reactors theory is that if the c02 never enters the water since the chamber is sealed the kalk will not change and stay usable, since the reactor stirs on a set interval the solution stays in saturation. FWIW, there was a recent thread where someone (Matt I think) was explaining that adding kalk and a powerhead to a bucket with a loose lid can be just as effective.

As far as calcium reactors go, theres a lot of good ones on the market, GEO reactors seem pretty popular now adays. They basically just melt the argonite to provide CA/ALK to the tank, you can also use zeomag or dolomite in them to maintain Mg. You can connect the solinoid on the reactor to a pH controller and have the probe reading from the effluent output making C02 controll easier, then you just need to controll the drip rate to match you tanks needs. I still find 2 part easier to keep my tanks CA/ALk levels more stable but thats JMO. Alot of people love both types of reactors either individually or used at the same time.

A CA reactor tends to lower the pH because of the C02 used, and the Kalk reactor tend to keep the Ph higher so lots of people use both.

Nothing wrong with either method, what ever floats your boat!

 

[SnowManSnow]

It seems, on first glance that a kalk reactor with some sort of stirring mechanism would be the "most simple" between kalk reactors and calcium reactors, since the CA reactor will need CO2 injection.

That being said even with a good kalk reactor it looks like you would need something to monitor your ph and automatically does when levels aren't optimal.. is this correct?

B

 

[Ben1]

When I ran a kalkreactor I had it fed from my RO/DI bucket of water by a liter meter. The doses were so small and spread out the pH never got to high, even if it dosed when the mixer was on. That said since kalk tends to raise pH my pH was always on the upperend of the scale though the day, and decent at night. Some people only have their reactors mix at night, or only have their dosing pumps top off at night.

A kalkreactor has the same limits using plain kalk does, and thats that it can only add as much as you can evaporate.

 

[kgross]

The biggest thing to remember about kalk, is that there is not a lot of ca/alk in saturated kalk, so if you demand is higher than the kalk provides, you will have to do something else for ca/alk. With a calcium reactor, within reason you can keep turning it up higher and higher and keep up with a very high demand much much higher than kalk can.


Kalk is great, in that it is very inexpensive, and it helps to keep the pH up, but to be honest, it is not a very good calcium/alk supplement, it is just to week.

Kim
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