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richfavinger

Any reason not to get a Calcium Reactor?

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Any reason not to get a Calcium Reactor?
Other then money...

I've always done 2-Part, and have dosing pumps... The tanks demand is light for the moment, because I'm still getting corals. The trace elements and automaton perk my interests. - A Kalk reactor did come to mind for the mid-step. But I read too many tank disasters involving Kalk OD's ... Unless I'm missing something that seems kind of impossible with a calcium reactor.

If I do this, we're not holding any thing back...
CarbonDoser Electronic CO2 Regulator and a GEO 612 or 618 ... all set by my Apex... So in all it will run about $800 with all the bells...

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Categories
Questions - Need some input , ‎ Equipment

Comments

  1. melev's Avatar
    I love my calcium reactor - it's all I've ever needed since 2004. Notwithstanding the occasional drama that crops up, it's pretty much a set it and forget it situation for me. The only thing I visually check daily is that the effluent is trickling out. Even my tank sitter knows how to verify that at a glance.

    I used to dose two part before the calcium reactor, which wasn't a big deal on a 29g. But with a bigger tank, mixing up batches of additives to trickle in via dosers seems like way more effort compared to a calcium reactor setup.
  2. richfavinger's Avatar
    Well, with the 135g... I'm running about 25ml/day 2-Part... So with some fast math that's about 1g mix every 3 months...
    My biggest concern is low tank pH do to my homes high CO2. My skimmer air line is run outside; and since taking the tanks KH up to around 10, my pH has not come below 7.95 at night...
  3. melev's Avatar
    Perfectly valid point. And with dosers nowadays, it is a nicer task to maintain. That being said, I read story after story where a doser (various brands too) goes crazy and dumps in all the alkalinity into the system until the vessel is dry, and kills the livestock. So perhaps you might opt to only have a fixed amount in the container that doesn't supply a deathstroke volume?
  4. Jhodge's Avatar
    Going with the idea of issues popping up, that is where I don't run dosing pumps or calcium reactors...or kalk stirrers..........it is a pain a big pain with as many tanks as I oversee, but I am a safe rather than sorry type person. I use BRS or Seachem's two part. I always use caps, or measuring cups and dose on a daily or 3 day or weekly visits..........depending on the systems need. It is not the most economical way or the most efficient way to achieve the same results but I feel it is the safest.
  5. richfavinger's Avatar
    Well, I did bite the bullet and bought a CarbonDoser Electronic CO2 Regulator and a GEO 612, it will be run by the Apex... So we shall see. The trace elements really make me think hard... and I want to try and have a better reef...
    Updated 07-18-2014 at 09:52 AM by richfavinger
  6. Jhodge's Avatar
    you want to have a better reef........................................don't we all..................I'm not talking bad on reactors or any other way, there are so many ways to get success, and i would love the ease, but the uncomfortableness of never using them, and knowing the precision I get of doing it manually gives me solace............................................ ...best of luck..................blog your process...............and send me a PM on here so I can follow
  7. melev's Avatar
    jhodge, in the upper right corner of this blog entry there is a box with richfavinger's info. Click Subscribe to this Blog and select Email Notifications. Then each time Rich posts a new blog, you'll get a notification in your inbox.
  8. Jhodge's Avatar
    TY melev! Thats i great info