cleaning nilsen reactor

[big o]

how often do you emty and start with fw and new kalk.And how often do you just add kalk?

 

[O P Ing]

hi.
I used to start with a new batch every single time. Maybe that's why I ended up with DIY a calcium reactor, and save me all the headach.

It just matter of personal preference, and how meticulous you are.

 

[mgk65]

I clean mine out each time I refill; usually around every 2-3 weeks.

I'm going to switch from Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime to ESV kalkwasser powder and see how that goes. The Mrs. Wages seems as if it produces a lot of residue; while Two Lil Fishies Kalkasser powder had very little. I bought the ESV because it was a lot cheaper than the TLF. Around $17 for 4 pounds.

With the ESV I hope to not have to clean it out every time.

mgk

 

[Anonymous]

I use the ESV and I only clean it out maybe once a year and it usally does noy have a whole lot of sediment remaining.

 

[reefland]

I clean mine once or twice a year. Test with a pH probe to make sure its around 12.5 anything in the 11.x range should have more kalkwasser added or cleaned whichever.

 

[O P Ing]

I'm going to switch from Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime to ESV kalkwasser powder

hi.
With the money you saved by using pickling lime, you could very well be hiring people to clean the reactor for you instead... :wink:

 

[Mac1]

LOL! You're supposed to clean those things?

- Mac

 

[Jeff Hood]

I have a large Nilsen and I clean it about once every two weeks.

I watch the tanks pH and when it drops below 8.2 its time to add more Kalk powder. When fully charged my pH runs right at 8.25 to 8.35 24/7. When it gets weak the pH will fall to 8.15 over a day or so.

Now that I use Seachem's Kalk powder I get almost no residue but when I would use Balls I would get tons of brown residue. Yuk.

About every couple of months I will siphen out the bottom of the reactor to vacuume out the bottom.

Jeff

 

[golfish]

I clean mine only when it needs to be cleaned...HTH

 

[danmhippo]

LOL! You're supposed to clean those things?

- Mac

Only if you have substantial residues left in the chamber after all Ca Hydroxide exhausted. Usually you get very little residue, if any, if you are using aquarium grade kalkwasser.

 

[Mac1]

LOL! You're supposed to clean those things?

- Mac

Only if you have substantial residues left in the chamber after all Ca Hydroxide exhausted. Usually you get very little residue, if any, if you are using aquarium grade kalkwasser.

LOL! I guess nobody got my joke then....
I was just making light of the fact I've never cleaned my Neilsen Rxr. I've used the ESV Kalk powder for a couple years, and end up w/ a bunch of white gunk on the bottom. But after adding a fresh dose to the vessel and mixing well.. always test's out at pH=12!

- Mac

 

[jiml77]

I have had mine for over a year now. Never have cleaned it. I add a 1/2 pound of kalk every 60 days or so. Tanks always stays at 8.4. I just add kalk when it does not look milky enough when the mix pump is on. Mine is totally hands off.