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We have one of these left and will not be producing more. Please contact us through support if you would like to purchase it.
Nilsen Reactors are the single best way to maintain calcium, alkalinity, and pH in salt water aquariums.
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Fishbowl Innovations |
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Benefits of the Fishbowl Innovations Nilsen Reactor
- Custom designed magnetic stirrer with microprocessor controlled timer (not retrofitted surplus stirrer!)
- 4" diameter 16" high chamber is suitable for tanks up to 300 gallons (one size fits all)
- Teflon stir plate to prevent wear.
- John Guest quick disconnect fittings for easy and secure plumbing (1/4").
- Nylon screws and thumb nuts with key holed flange gives easy access to the chamber for maintenance.
- Fitted O-ring (no gaskets!) for superior leak protection
- 6" Footprint, excellent for tight spaces.
- Can be used in addition to a Calcium Reactor (C02 style), especially on large tanks.
- Fully automatic, just plug and go!
Overview
Limewater (known as kalkwasser to the Germans) is used to maintain calcium, alkalinity and Ph in saltwater aquariums. Corals build their skeletal structures by extracting calcium from the water and will, over time, deplete the water of the mineral. Dosing saturated limewater replaces the lost calcium and maintains the alkalinity of the system. Furthermore, the high pH of the limewater counteracts the acidity caused by heavy fish loads and the use of calcium reactors. All marine organisms can benefit from the balanced water chemistry provided by dosing limewater, allowing your tank will flourish.
While other methods of dosing limwater are available (such as periodically adding a slurry of limewater or setting up a drip bucket), Nilsen reactors are by far the easiest to setup, maintain, and automate. Limewater is created by mixing calcium hydroxide with fresh water (CaOh can NOT be mixed with saltwater). The resulting solution is very high in Ca++ and OH- and has a Ph of ~12. In an open container, the Ca molecules will quickly react with CO2 to form calcium carbonate, which is insoluble and is useless for your aquarium. The Nilsen Reactor is sealed from the outside environment preventing the precipitation of calcium carbonate. Calcium hydroxide will tend to fall out of solution over time and needs to be occasionally stirred to maintain a super-saturated solution (and thus maximizing the amount of calcium added to the tank). Our reactor contains a magnetic stirring assembly and automatic timer to automatically mix the solution periodically to maintain proper saturation.
Other Nilsen Reactors use pumps or power heads to mix the solution. While this may work in the short term there are disadvantages. First, these pumps are not designed to mix slurries of highly caustic materials, and will fail prematurely, requiring frequent pump replacement. Secondly, the pump must be plugged into an external digital timer (at additional cost) to automatically stir the solution. Thirdly, the pump requires additional plumbing leading to an unattractive design and a larger footprint. By using a custom built magnetic stirrer coupled with a microprocessor controlled timer, we eliminate these problems.
Directions for Use
The Nilsen Reactor is used when replacing water lost to evaporation. It is used in addition to a top-off system such as a gravity feed, a peristaltic pump, or small power head driven by a float switch. Water enters the reactor on the offset port on the lid where it travels down the internal plumbing to the bottom of the chamber. This displaces saturated water in the chamber which exists the port in the middle of the lid. The effluent (output solution) should be dosed into the tank or sump in an area of high water flow and away from the input of any pumps or power heads (the caustic nature of the limewater will destroy pumps). Hard tubing, such as that used for RO/DI units should be used to create a secure connection with the fittings on the lid. Limewater should be dosed slowly over time as too much limewater added to the tank at once can be detrimental.
The stirring mechanism spins for five minutes when the reactor is first plugged in and once an hour thereafter. To make the stirring mechanism activate manually, unplug the wall adapter, let the charge dissipate for a few seconds, then plug it back in.
The reactor should be filled with about 1 - 2 cups of calcium hydroxide (lime) when first filled and refilled as needed.
Every month or so, the reactor should be cleaned out and refilled with calcium hydroxide as the reactor will accumulate heavy metals and other precipitated particles from your water source and from the limewater itself.
CAUTION: CALCIUM HYDROXIDE IS CAUSTIC AND SHOULD BE HANDLED WITH CARE! The most noticeable effect is that it will dry out your skin.
Additional Reading
Article on always and Nilsen reactors posted on reefs.org
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/n_will.html
What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime by Randy Holmes-Farley
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php
Technical look at the precipitation of heavy metals in limewater
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/totm/test.htm
Archived reefland.com forum discussing Nilsen reactors
http://www.reefland.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-13127
The Degradation of Limewater in Air by Randy Holmes-Farley
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/totm/test.htm
An aquarist describes nilsen reactors in general and his DIY version
http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/RCM/RCM/Aquarium/CalciumReactor.html
Another DIY kalk reactor
http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman/nilesn.htm |
