Nilsen Reactor
- Thread starter SPC
- Start date
I made a real large 6 foot Nilsen reactor.
http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/hardware/nilsen.htm
Using kalkwasser and a calcium reactor at the same time is probably the best solution. The kalkwasser will help push your pH back up from the CO2 of the calcium reactor.
http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/hardware/nilsen.htm
Using kalkwasser and a calcium reactor at the same time is probably the best solution. The kalkwasser will help push your pH back up from the CO2 of the calcium reactor.
The reason's I've heard for people using both is that the Kalk does a great job of maintaining the Alkalinity of the tank, but has a hard time keeping up w/ Caclium Demand in heavily stocked tanks.
I made a really simple Kalk Reactor w/ an old Reefcrystal's bucket, a PVC P-trap, and dosing pump. Works' great, tank's never looked better, etc., etc., etc.
- Mac
I made a really simple Kalk Reactor w/ an old Reefcrystal's bucket, a PVC P-trap, and dosing pump. Works' great, tank's never looked better, etc., etc., etc.
- Mac
randy holmes-farley
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Arlington, MA
Personally, I don't see much advantage of a limewater reactor compared to a standard large limewater tank.
The advantage of using both a CaCO3 reactor and limewater at the same time is the optimal use of available CO2.
CaCO3 reactors dump excess CO2 into the tank, and limewater causes a deficit of CO2 in most tanks. Using both together gives a nice synergy. The details of how and why this works are given in this article that I wrote:
http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish/library/articleview2.asp?Section=&RecordNo=2074
The advantage of using both a CaCO3 reactor and limewater at the same time is the optimal use of available CO2.
CaCO3 reactors dump excess CO2 into the tank, and limewater causes a deficit of CO2 in most tanks. Using both together gives a nice synergy. The details of how and why this works are given in this article that I wrote:
http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish/library/articleview2.asp?Section=&RecordNo=2074
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SPC:
<STRONG>Thanks for your help guy's. I am still a bit confused on this, if the Nilsen reactor works well, why run a calcium reactor?
Steve</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Steve, I ran a Nilsen reactor alone for 6+ months with, IMO, great success. Just an addition to my auto topoff system and I could put 1/2 lb. of kalk in and forget about it. As stated above, much less hassle than mixing, dumping, etc. However, my PH always ran in the 8.6+- range I think due to the high evap. rate which required a high daily kalk dosage to keep the water level in equilibrium. The calcium reactor provides the tank, usually, with extra CO2 which nicely counteracts the high PH. Conversely if you were to run a calcium reactor alone there is some chance the excess CO2 will keep your PH in the low acceptable range for a reef. You honestly don't need both, just a nicety, but I would definitely always use one or the other.JMO.
[ August 01, 2001: Message edited by: EEreefer ]
<STRONG>Thanks for your help guy's. I am still a bit confused on this, if the Nilsen reactor works well, why run a calcium reactor?
Steve</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Steve, I ran a Nilsen reactor alone for 6+ months with, IMO, great success. Just an addition to my auto topoff system and I could put 1/2 lb. of kalk in and forget about it. As stated above, much less hassle than mixing, dumping, etc. However, my PH always ran in the 8.6+- range I think due to the high evap. rate which required a high daily kalk dosage to keep the water level in equilibrium. The calcium reactor provides the tank, usually, with extra CO2 which nicely counteracts the high PH. Conversely if you were to run a calcium reactor alone there is some chance the excess CO2 will keep your PH in the low acceptable range for a reef. You honestly don't need both, just a nicety, but I would definitely always use one or the other.JMO.
[ August 01, 2001: Message edited by: EEreefer ]
Dr Mac, thanks for your reply, does this lime water reactor still require daily maintenance?
Randy, thanks for writting that article, I enjoyed it very much. Just curious, is there a way to remove the CO2 at or in the reactor before it enters the tank. I know that aeration seems to drive off CO2 from water, is this possible to do with some kind of reaction chamber after the reactor, maybe fed through the protein skimmer.
Thanks,
Steve
Randy, thanks for writting that article, I enjoyed it very much. Just curious, is there a way to remove the CO2 at or in the reactor before it enters the tank. I know that aeration seems to drive off CO2 from water, is this possible to do with some kind of reaction chamber after the reactor, maybe fed through the protein skimmer.
Thanks,
Steve
I just built one. It's been running about 10 days. No more mixing, syphoning, carrying, dripping, cleaning and doing it again every other day. PH and Calc are rock steady just as before. I have not refilled it with kalk yet either. I am impressed! My corals like it too.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SPC:
<STRONG>I know that aeration seems to drive off CO2 from water, is this possible to do with some kind of reaction chamber after the reactor, maybe fed through the protein skimmer.</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Steve, My calcium reactor is a dual chamber which has a second chamber filled with media following the CO2 mixed chamber. This dissolves more media thus raising the PH coming out of the reactor to a higher level than a single chamber. Still not up to reef acceptable level however.
<STRONG>I know that aeration seems to drive off CO2 from water, is this possible to do with some kind of reaction chamber after the reactor, maybe fed through the protein skimmer.</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Steve, My calcium reactor is a dual chamber which has a second chamber filled with media following the CO2 mixed chamber. This dissolves more media thus raising the PH coming out of the reactor to a higher level than a single chamber. Still not up to reef acceptable level however.
randy holmes-farley
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Arlington, MA
No, you cannot prevent some excess CO2 from entering the tank. You can prevent some of it, but seawater with a low pH from CO2 addition necessarily has more CO2 in it than normal seawater.
The CaCO3 dissolves because the CO3-- is converted into HCO3-. After it washes into the main tank, and is used to reform CaCO3, you are left with CO2 that has lowered the pH:
2HCO3- -----> CO3-- + H2O + CO2
That's why CaCO3 reactor tanks usually run low in pH.
Aerating the tank will minimize the effect by removing the excess CO2 as fast as possible.
Soaking it up with limewater is another good approach, that is being discussed here.
The CaCO3 dissolves because the CO3-- is converted into HCO3-. After it washes into the main tank, and is used to reform CaCO3, you are left with CO2 that has lowered the pH:
2HCO3- -----> CO3-- + H2O + CO2
That's why CaCO3 reactor tanks usually run low in pH.
Aerating the tank will minimize the effect by removing the excess CO2 as fast as possible.
Soaking it up with limewater is another good approach, that is being discussed here.
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