400 gallon project

[Delphinus]

7 seconds every 2 days? Just curious but did you read anything to suggest that it should be so infrequent or short? I mix mine for 1/2 hour a couple times a day. What a profound difference. I use a diaphram metering pump set a rate which is slightly less than evaporation (and just use a float valve for the remaining topup). I found my evaporation rate using trial and error. Kept slowly increasing it every couple of days until I noticed the sump volume increase slightly over a 24 hour period and then backed it off to the last setting before that.

[michika]

I run my stirrer runs every 2 hours for 10 minutes! 7 seconds sounds too little. How do you plan to increase it?

[untamed]

Originally Posted by michika

I run my stirrer runs every 2 hours for 10 minutes! 7 seconds sounds too little. How do you plan to increase it?

It would be easy to increase the mix time or frequency if I wanted to (via the Aquatronica). 10 minutes every 2 hours seems like way too often to me. As I watched the stir action, 7 seconds was about as long as it took to make milk up to about 2/3 height in the cylinder.

I figure that by keeping it at 7 seconds, a few good things happen:
1) I avoid running Kalk powder through the pump
2) The pump doesn't have time to heat up.
3) The remaining undissolved solids settle to the bottom more quickly, ensuring that I only deliver clear Kalk to the tank.

I figure these will help avoid calcification inside the pump, and possible precipitation at the delivery point in the sump.

The un-answered question is whether the quality of my saturated liquid Kalk diminishes between mixing. I'll watch that. It could be possible that I may need to mix more often as I pump more water through the reactor. Even then, I'll be mixing more often, but not longer each time.

[Myka]

There's 37 pages...where's the link to spy on your tank?

[Tom R]

Originally Posted by Myka

There's 37 pages...where's the link to spy on your tank?

Try
http://brads-aquarium.viewnetcam.com:50000/

Tom R

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Tom R

Try
http://brads-aquarium.viewnetcam.com:50000/

Tom R

Thanks! Now, time to spy!

Wait a sec...it's not working. Is it turned off sometimes? Do I have to "Login"? All I see is a blue page that says "Panasonic Network Camera", but no screen.

[untamed]

Here are the results of my Kalk reactor testing:

I tested the pH of the fluid in the top of the reactor. For this first reading, it has been almost 48 hours since the last 7 second mix cycle. The entire column is clear liquid except for 1cm of undissolved Kalk on the bottom. pH = 11.59

I then allowed the reactor to mix for 7 seconds. This caused the column to "milk" to a level of about 1/2 way up the reactor. I measured the clear liquid at the top of the column again. pH = 11.63

I then allowed the reactor to mix for about 2 minutes. Interestingly, the column of "milk" only reached a height slightly above the pump intake...maybe 2/3 of the total height of the reactor. It seems that no matter how long you run the pump, the topmost part of the reactor will never get cloudy. Again, I measured the liquid at the top of the column. pH = 11.64

My conclusion is that the pH of the liquid being delivered to the tank has not significantly changed even 48 hours after even a 7 second mix. Nor does it significantly change immediately after mixing for several minutes. This actually has made me consider that even 7 seconds every 2 days is more than adequate.

However, the amount of FW that I am pushing through the reactor per day is still very small. It may be possible that pushing MORE FW through the reactor could dilute the clear Kalk between mixing cycles. As I increase the flow through the reactor, I will repeat the experiment.

[mark]

Realize that you are running the Kalk reactor for it's effects on pH in addition to Ca, but since there is a Ca component, have you measured the Ca with the different stirring strategies (or is there a direct collation between ph and Ca).

[untamed]

Originally Posted by mark

Realize that you are running the Kalk reactor for it's effects on pH in addition to Ca, but since there is a Ca component, have you measured the Ca with the different stirring strategies (or is there a direct collation between ph and Ca).

The clear liquid at the top of the reactor is Calcium Hydroxide. An over-simplified way of thinking about this is that the Calcium represents the Calcium part, and the Hydroxide represents the Alkalinity part. So...yes, a measurement of the liquid's pH is representative of Ca and Alkalinity potential of the liquid, in this case.

[michika]

Originally Posted by untamed

I figure that by keeping it at 7 seconds, a few good things happen:
1) I avoid running Kalk powder through the pump
2) The pump doesn't have time to heat up.
3) The remaining undissolved solids settle to the bottom more quickly, ensuring that I only deliver clear Kalk to the tank.

I figure these will help avoid calcification inside the pump, and possible precipitation at the delivery point in the sump.

Sounds like a good basis. Would you post your results? I would love to see if it works out for you, and if if it does I will probably change my settings on my reactor.