Nilsen Reactor

[Osama]

I am getting a large Nilsen reactor from Andy at Reef Creations. I would appreciate hearing from those who have such a reactor regarding:
A) Their general satisfaction/dissatisfaction &
B) with keeping calc & Alk level up using it. Do you need to put oither supplements
C) The type of pump to use to continuosly feed it RO water

THANKS

Osama

 

[Len]

Osama,

I use a Nelson reactor from Ecotech Marine. I have no real complaints about it. I use it in conjunction with a calcium carbonate/CO2 reactor since my tank is heavily, heavily stocked with hermatypic corals. In most tanks, I would imagine a Nelson reactor being capable of maintaining Ca and alk levels; most Europeans use this device as their stand-alone Ca delivery method. Again, it depends on your stocking level and evaporation level (it can only replace as much water as you evap). Fans can definitely increase evaporation.

I use a LiterMeter dosing pump to feed my unit. You can use a small Mini-jet pump hooked up to a float switch if you prefer, but I find dosing pumps work much better and are much safer.

 

[Osama]

Thanks Len
My suppkier also recommended LiterMeter. I got a price of 239 from my Internet supplier. I wonder If I can get it cheaper. I think I am going to go for a LiterMeter.
My tank is 180g very heavily stocked. I can hardly keep up while using a calcium reactor that is rated for 300G & I drip kalk . I can only keep up if I also dose Bionic about 15hrs per day. ....

So I am getting a Kalk reactor very large rated for 800g & a large Caqlcium reactor rated for 1000g. Hoping to stop the B-Ionioc.
THANKS for the input.

Len: How often do you keep the stirring going and do you drip kalk while the stirring is going on? Any tips on the operation of the Nilsen

 

[Len]

I put the stirrer on a timer set to go off every 30 minutes for 2 minutes at a time. I find that is sufficient time to make a fresh batch of kalk. The stirrer is set so it only raises the kalkwasser powder about 2/3rds up, so I don't have to worry about unmixed kalk delivered into my aquarium.

I bought my LiterMeter from Marine Depot.

 

[-JB]

Hey Len,

I just recieved my ecotech reactor. The stirrer is variable speed. Any reason you can think of not to have the thing on full all the time?

I also am using the nilsen reactor with a Ca reactor. To help supplement calcium in addition to helping with the pH. I've be playing with the timer and the strirrer. I found if you don't have the stirrer come on often the kalk can settle and stop the stirrer from spinning. Right now I have the stirrer set to come on every three hours for 15 minutes. I am not using a doser. I have it hooked up to a float switch in my sump. A Maxi-Jet 1200 feeds the nilsen. The pump is in a container of makeup water. I have the hose going ifrom the nilsen to the sump up about 5 feet before it dumps into my sump. The head pressure makes it so the water is added VERY slowly. It seems to work fine.

 

[Len]

There's no good reason not to have it on full throttle, although there's usually no need for it so long as the stirrer has enough torque to get going once the timer goes on. I have mine dialed about about 3/4 and find that's plenty to get it going. Full is ok, but will wear out the bottom plate faster.

15 minutes per operational cycle is a long time, and I really don't think it's necessary. I'm sure it works just fine, but probably put undue stress on the motor and plate then is needed. FWIW, I'm gonna change my on/off cycle to every 2 hours for 3 minutes at a time and see if that affects anything. Honestly, it's all guesswork, since the alk/Ca/pH of the output is so high as to make testing unfeasible. My guess is that the differences are ultimately insignificant.

 

[Osama]

JB & Len
This info has been very helpful. THANKS.
One more question: How much kalk do you add and how do you tell it is time to add new kalk. In my present manual dripping system I mix one to two teaspoon per gallon of RO water.

 

[Len]

I add about a 1.5-2 pounds of kalkwasser every fill, and refill when the settled Ca(OH)2 level is noticably low. Because the chamber is transparent, you can tell when the kalkwasser is running out, and refill accordingly. It usually lasts for about 2 months in my system.

 

[Jeff Hood]

WOW, great timing guys. I should be receiving mine any day now. I was hopeing on getting a starting poing on the stir bar thing by doing a search. You have saved me some time.

Jeff

 

[Osama]

Jeff: Beautiful tank & setup.

 

[SPC]

One of the major problems I had with my Nilsen was in adding the kalk mix too quickly. I find that I must add it very slowly to avoid clumping. I also have found that the SeaChem product mixes (less filler I think) better than the Kent product. I talked with Kent about this a few weeks back and they were going to check into it.
The way I determine when it is time to add more kalk is by my PH dropping. You can also test the limewater coming out of the reactor with a PH meter to determine its potency.
I run my mixer for 3 minutes 6 times/day.
Steve

 

[Marcosreef]

You can also test the limewater coming out of the reactor with a PH meter to determine its potency. Steve

What is the desired pH level of limewater? I remember reading somewhere that at pH 12.0, that limewater is useless for maintaining calcium. Is this true and does anyone have an article I can read explaining this? Regards, Marco

 

[danmhippo]

I too found out the kalk clumping the hardway like SPC. I have Andy's too.

 

[-JB]

I had the Kent clump on me as well. Mainly this was the reason I was having the stirrer stay on so long was because the Kent kalk would clump and stop the stir bar from turning when I had the timer set only for a few minutes.

 

[ReeferAl]

The best way to test the potency of limewater is to use a conductivity or salinity meter. Saturated limewater will have conductivity of about 10.5 mSv (I am going from memory, but I think that is close). The trouble with pH is that a little lime will increase the pH quite a bit. The pH will be near maximum even when the lime is still far from saturated since it is not a linear relationship. The conductivity will be linear (assuming pure Ca (OH)2). So a conductivity of 5 means the lime water is only 1/2 saturated.
Allen

 

[Len]

Thanks for the info, ReeferAl. That's a novel idea of measuring the potency of limewater. Do you have references to more information about this measuring techinque?

I use TLF Kalkwasser, and have never experienced clumping yet.

Macro: the pH of kalk is in the neighborhood of 12. I'm not familiar with the concept that at this pH, kalk is ineffective in delivering Ca. I can't think of any reasons for it. Then again, I'm also not a chemist.

 

[SPC]

Randey Holmes Farley response:
http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14774
Steve

 

[Osama]

Al; I am measuring in my tank ORP in mv Can it be used to measure the potency of kalk.

How clear does the kalk get in a Nielsen reactor. I left mine settle overnite it is cloudy I cansee faintly the water supply tube . Is this considered clear to start dosing .....

 

[Jeff Hood]

In mine it would become completly clear at the end of the next day. Once clear, the top portion would stay clear even when mixing. The cloud would go up about 12 inches in the chamber. Mine is around 30 inches tall or so.

 

[SPC]

Posted by Jeff Hood:
In mine it would become completly clear at the end of the next day. Once clear, the top portion would stay clear even when mixing. The cloud would go up about 12 inches in the chamber. Mine is around 30 inches tall or so.

-Ditto.
Steve