kalkwasser output getting clogged

[fungia]

i wonder if i am doing something wrong. i have a kalkwasser reactor and every few month the output will get clogged with calcium deposits. is this normal, do you have to clean it regularly? or is there any tricks to keep it from clogging? this problem also happened when i was dripping kalkwasser.

 

[Anonymous]

Place the end of the drip underwater once you are certain that you have your drip rate set properly. Put it just under the surface. You don't want any back pressure from depth or verturi (suction) pressure from a current.

 

[fungia]

i have tried running under water but it seems to get clogged faster that way, i dont know why. right now i am using hard acrylic piping that goes straight down and stops right above the water. it used to go under the water but it would form white buildup faster when it was underwater, not sure why.

 

[Anonymous]

As soon as the kalk touch anything that has CO2 or carbonate, it will oxidized to calcium carbonate. So leaving it up in the air will not be a good idea due to the CO2, and putting it underwater won't do it either, due to the carbonate in the saltwater.

So, before you go insane, keep in mind that it is not hopeless afterall. The trick mentioned in cknowlto's reply will work if the flow rate around the outlet is fast enough that it move the deposite away from it. This is why it is important to drip kalk near high flow area of the sump.