Kalk Stirrer

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Need some info as I have been off the market for some time.
I used to run the tank with a kalk Stirrer but when I restarted, I omitted it. However, I want to add it again, but do not know the different types and prices etc.
I used to have this:

100_4481.jpg



This type of Kalk Stirrer worked well for me and I am looking for something similar.

Any ideas, prices and availability please
 
Hi Sean. Have been tempted to go that route for many years, but my mind always goes back to an old article by RHF:

The Degradation of Limewater in Air by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

The rate at which this happens in large containers, such as plastic trashcans with loose fitting lids, is much less than many aquarists expect. There is, in fact, little degradation under typical use conditions. Consequently, the dosing of limewater from such large still reservoirs can be just as effective as dosing using any other scheme, and may have substantial advantages. These advantages include simplicity of the system and the ability to use organic acids such as vinegar to boost the potency. The use of a reactor to dose limewater has the advantage of requiring less space, but does not have the oft-stated advantage of eliminating degradation by atmospheric carbon dioxide that is reported to plague delivery from reservoirs.

Havent seen your system in person, but considering its size, I assume that you have a bit of space in the engine room? A drum, RO, kalk and a lid on it will be just as good....
I have never blown a pump on my top up which is heavy loaded with the white stuff.

And those units featured in your pic have always bothered me, as I would think a lot of kalk passes through the impellor.....
 
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I used the drum method Ivan, the problem I kept on encountering (which after 2 years was more a burden than anything else) was that when the auto top off switched on, water was pumped from the reservoir (230lt blue plastic drum) to the sump, but when the float switch, switched off, the water would still "pump"/siphoned through...
And every time this happened, I had to move the pump either higher up or lower down in the tank. I blew about 5 small pumps during this last few years, as sometimes the auto switch would kick in, but the pump was too high and it ran dry, stuffing up the impellers.... I hated the system, and was actually glad when I switched it off on Friday.
The problem was that the reservoir is higher than the Sump
 
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Sh!t...
and the stirrer would be lower than the sump?
 
I bought your reactor years ago. :tt2: Cannot have it back....

That setup of your is not going to work.
When the blue drum is full, it will keep on siphoning. When almost empty it should not.

Another option is to use the 250L Big Jim Bins from Plasticland. But they will need more horizontal space.
 
these
images
 
Ohh, and another thing. I used to buy (the first tank setup) a type of Calcium something (also a white powder substance I added to the Stirrer) from @millepora but cannot remember what it was. It was definitely not the "off the shelf" kalkwasser.

I also need the stuff again, but do not know what it was
 
I bought your reactor years ago. :tt2: Cannot have it back....

That setup of your is not going to work.
When the blue drum is full, it will keep on siphoning. When almost empty it should not.

Another option is to use the 250L Big Jim Bins from Plasticland. But they will need more horizontal space.

Riaan, I would much rather go for a stirrer again. Do not want to use unnecessary space, and it is more controlled.
 
or else, you can build yourself a siphon break station.

ROthing_zpsba24836f.jpg


My blue drum is also higher than the sump
RO pipe just enters the 50mm pipe. Its open at the top. Fills up, and drain via the 20mm pipe at the bottom. INSTANT siphon break.

I got a triple unit, feeding 3 sumps. All well below the blue drum. No problems.
 
here is another pic of the siphon break station
From the front. The top is slightly higher than the blue drum. Entry pipe just hooks into it.

Centurion-20131226-00322_zps9d53e9c9.jpg
 
Ok, after reading my own thread (Bad idea) I found the name:

"Calcium Hydroxide AR".
I need this stuff please
 
Another option is to use the 250L Big Jim Bins from Plasticland. But they will need more horizontal space.

No Man Sean. Go with a more shallow drum like Rian said, save the money a reactor will set you back. Lose the blue drum, don't see too much space being wasted if you do.
 
AR Grade refers to Analytical Reagent grade or better said, the standard Mallinckrodt grade of analytical reagents.

Good stuff, less impurities, but considering that Calcium Hydroxide is self purifying, not really needed for Kalkwasser.
 
Thanks Riaan. Will try it for now.
Ivan, do I add it to the drum with the RO in it and mix it every now and then, or do I add it to the sump in powder form on a daily basis??
 
NOOOO, not straight into the sump.... Unless you want to have caustic sushi!

You add it to the drum with the RO, and close the lid. Whenever you top up the RO drum with RO, add a teaspoon for every four litres of RO added to RO drum and stir.
 
Just remember, with KALK, do it slowly. when topping up from your RO drum containing Kalk, put a tap on the line dripping into your sump, as adding kalk too rapidly, will spike pH and kil stuff!
 
Sean why not lift the drum a little higher and use a solinoid switch to control top up..? It takes 4 mm pipe so over dosing can be controlled.
 
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