Calcium reactor vs. Kalk stirrer?

My understanding of a kalk reactor is that you have to add new kalkwasser every other week or so, whereas with a calcium reactor once its dialed in, you don't really have to do anything until you run out of co2 or media ...which would only be about twice a year. A calcium reactor is going to cost a little more up front, but I've seen some nice used setups selling for good prices on rc.

I've never used a kalk reactor so I could be wrong about how often you need to fill it.

 

Fawn,

My understanding is that a Calcium reactor is for overall tank balance and the Kalk stirrer is to raise Ca and Alk for top off water. I know there are some that use a Kalk stirrer for other purposes, but that is how I would use them. If the tank is using too much Calcium and Alk to be recooped by Kalk usage during top off I would definatly invest in the Calcium reactor first. I personally would not get a Kalk stirrer unless my top off was completely automated and my tank parameters could be replenished by kalk addition or if the Ca and Alk usage was so high my Ca reactor could not keep up without lowering pH. Remember a Ca reactor can lower pH, a kalk stirrer will raise pH. Yet another item to look at with your decision.

 

If you are dosing that much I would suggest the calcium reactor first and soon.

 

If it was me, I would first try using saturated Kalk water to top off your tank and hook up a fan to increase evaporation. I have a descent SPS collection and have never had to dose anything and my parameters stay at Alk=7-8 and Ca=380-420. I also do a 10 gal water change each week with water that had an Alk=9 and Ca=450. This lets me dose and water change at the same time, so I guess I do sort of dose the tank...

This might let you avoid having to buy anything new and spend that money on something else.

 

brtfrued

Are you using Coralife salt or what salt are you getting those numbers from during a water change?

 

Travis,
I use instant ocean and supplement with Ca, and Mg. If I let it sit a day or two the alk will also start to drop. I wish it mixed to that.

Phishcrazee,

You don't need an airtight container to store or mix kalk, just a lid to cover it. There was a study I read on reef central in the chemistry forum that just covering a mixed bucket of limewater is sufficient to get the benefits, just don't aerate the container. Here is the link http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.php

I personally just mix it in a 30 gal brute and fill my top off container from that. I really love this method and I find that I get all the benefits without a large cost or complicated system. I also personally don't see any reason for a kalk stirrer in my experience.

Do you have an autotop off system?

 

I personally just drip fresh lime water (post settle) into my tank. My buddy that turned me on to lime water over 7 years ago used his own version of a Kalk stirrer with his auto top off. He had a liter meter that pulled top off from a 5 gallon bucket. The stirrer part was that every time he walked by he would take a stick and stir the kalk back into suspension. That is the part of the equation that the kalk stirrer removes. It allows you to automate lime water addition and increases the lime water's potency by stirring it occasionally. Thus making it completely automated beside the occasional refreshing of the lime.

 

You can build a DIY kalk reactor without spending a lot of money. I did it using this plan:

http://www.members.cox.net/skyedugger/reef/DIY_kalkreactor.htm
It's worked very well except that my SPS colonies are getting big enough now that it's having a hard time keeping up...

-JB

 

The pH is a bit of a surprise except for the fact that I bet you closed your house up due to the cold snap. Homes that are energy efficient tend to trap CO2 inside. Increased CO2 translates to carbonic acid creating a lower pH in our tanks. I still would have expected to see your pH rise with the addition of Kalk though. I used to use vinegar in my lime water to decrease the pH effect, then I could really push some alk and Ca into my system.

 

I am glad it is working for you and be ready for the coralline algae to take off. If you want to save some money I would look into two part solution kalk. It is very cheap, comes in bulk, and works well.