I have a Aqua Medic Kalk stirrer but I couldn't adequately fit in my sump so made a DIY one more about in another DIY post I will do sometime.
Prior to using kalk my PH would be 7.8 before lights on getting up to 8.1 after lights on for a good few hour. I was also having to add calcium as my demand increased. Not an ideal situation and PH swing.
Anyway I decided to cut some of the base away to fit my AM kalk stirrer in my ATO reservoir. This I rigged up to my ATO directly from the pump with my Tunze controller delivering kalk 24/7.
This increased my PH but it was getting up to 8.6 during lighting hours, again not ideal. Something had to be done.
After experimenting running my kalk mainly at night I found I could narrow PH swings and keep them around 8.2 to 8.3. I did this by adding RO directly to my sump so the ATO wouldn't kick in. With klak only being delivered at night.
Having establishing I could achieve what I wanted, less PH swing and a more stable PH even if there was still some fluctuations I decided to make things simpler and easier.
I decided to split the feed from the ATO pump to the stirrer which is fed by 1/4" RO tube with a John Guest Y piece and 2 John Guest 1/4" Taps. One branch of the Y goes to the stirrer with a tap between them the other direct to the sump again with a tap between them. I used a stem elbow to in the tap for the feed to the sump so as not to put to much of a bend in the pipe. I used a cut down tube holder to securely attach the tube to the sump on the glass baffle dividing my ATO reservoir from the rest of the sump.
Now I simply turn off one tap and open the other so kalk is supplied during night time only. The branch to the sump is closed. Just before bedtime I open the tap on the branch directly to the stirrer and closing the one to my sump.
This has worked very well and so far and has kept my PH between 8.2 and 8.3 over 24 hours.
OK so its manual but it takes seconds to swap over and even if I forget to swap them over it's no big deal it's now all part of my nightly ritual.
I know you can automate the swapping over using a timed switching switch and a second pump with a bit more DIY but for around £14 it works just fine for me.
My sump level stays pretty stable anyway
hardly fluctuates and there is little chance of the Tunze sticking on. I do have some insurance against that in the reduced amount of water now in my ATO due to the fact my stirrer is sitting in the reservoir and I have a second auto cut off float switch in the sump.
Parts required.
1 x John Guest equal 1/4" Y branch.
2 x equal 1/4" John Guest taps.
1x 1/4" stem elbow.
1x 1/4" single tube holder.
Photo of the branches and taps etc.
Stem elbow out of the tap leading to the sump.
1/4" equal John Guest Y branch.
Prior to using kalk my PH would be 7.8 before lights on getting up to 8.1 after lights on for a good few hour. I was also having to add calcium as my demand increased. Not an ideal situation and PH swing.
Anyway I decided to cut some of the base away to fit my AM kalk stirrer in my ATO reservoir. This I rigged up to my ATO directly from the pump with my Tunze controller delivering kalk 24/7.
This increased my PH but it was getting up to 8.6 during lighting hours, again not ideal. Something had to be done.
After experimenting running my kalk mainly at night I found I could narrow PH swings and keep them around 8.2 to 8.3. I did this by adding RO directly to my sump so the ATO wouldn't kick in. With klak only being delivered at night.
Having establishing I could achieve what I wanted, less PH swing and a more stable PH even if there was still some fluctuations I decided to make things simpler and easier.
I decided to split the feed from the ATO pump to the stirrer which is fed by 1/4" RO tube with a John Guest Y piece and 2 John Guest 1/4" Taps. One branch of the Y goes to the stirrer with a tap between them the other direct to the sump again with a tap between them. I used a stem elbow to in the tap for the feed to the sump so as not to put to much of a bend in the pipe. I used a cut down tube holder to securely attach the tube to the sump on the glass baffle dividing my ATO reservoir from the rest of the sump.
Now I simply turn off one tap and open the other so kalk is supplied during night time only. The branch to the sump is closed. Just before bedtime I open the tap on the branch directly to the stirrer and closing the one to my sump.
This has worked very well and so far and has kept my PH between 8.2 and 8.3 over 24 hours.
OK so its manual but it takes seconds to swap over and even if I forget to swap them over it's no big deal it's now all part of my nightly ritual.
I know you can automate the swapping over using a timed switching switch and a second pump with a bit more DIY but for around £14 it works just fine for me.
My sump level stays pretty stable anyway
hardly fluctuates and there is little chance of the Tunze sticking on. I do have some insurance against that in the reduced amount of water now in my ATO due to the fact my stirrer is sitting in the reservoir and I have a second auto cut off float switch in the sump.
Parts required.
1 x John Guest equal 1/4" Y branch.
2 x equal 1/4" John Guest taps.
1x 1/4" stem elbow.
1x 1/4" single tube holder.
Photo of the branches and taps etc.
Stem elbow out of the tap leading to the sump.
1/4" equal John Guest Y branch.
