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Spurredon

Internal vs. External Return Pumps & Calcium Reactor vs. 2-part dosing

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Spurredon
, 06-17-2010 at 10:43 PM (4890 Views)
Hi Folks,

Just wondering what people think about internal vs. external return pumps (say, for a 200G system). Anyone have any advice? From what I gather, external pumps are more expensive to start with, but have a longer lifespan and don't add heat to the system. Does the sump have to be drilled in order to use an external sump or can u just use pvc pipes to go up and over the sump wall? I guess doing so would affect the pump pressure/performance, right?

Also, do most people use a calcium reactor or 2-part dosing? I'm edging towards going in the 2-part direction as a calcium reactor seems pretty complicated and contrary to belief is not really a "set up and forget-about-it system". It looks like you have to carefully monitor and adjust things. If that's the case, isn't it just as easy (and a lot cheaper) to simply manually/automatically dose 2-part? The Bulk Reef Supply 2-part system looks pretty simple and reasonably priced. Anyone have any experience with the BRS 2-part? What about their ROX carbon and GFO reactors too, as well as their reactor media?

Sorry for all the questions!

All advice greatly appreciated,

Graham

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‎ Plumbing

Comments

  1. melev's Avatar
    Hi Graham. For the return pump, what you want is low wattage, low heat, and long term reliance. For internal, I'd probably use the Maxijet Utility Pump. It uses less than 80w (that's their biggest pump) and has a three year warranty. It can even be used externally.

    There are a few external pumps people like. The Sequence Dart is probably one of the more popular choices. Yes, the sump should be drilled with a bulkhead. You can make a J-hook type over-the-wall-of-the-sump plumbing gizmo, but it does have to be primed from time to time. A bulkhead is best.

    I did two-part dosing of my 29g and my 55g for years and years. DAILY. It got old, but it had to be done. With a bigger tank, a calcium reactor made more sense to me. Lots of people are using 2-part with some dosing gizmos, but even so they do have the duty to mix up more solution and replenish the containers on a weekly or monthly basis. With a calcium reactor, you refill the reactor once every 5 - 6 months, and the CO2 tank every 3 months. Yes, there are more moving parts but it isn't a big deal if you have the right gear. A good regulator w/ solenoid and a pH controller and the job is hobbyist-friendly, if you ask me.
  2. upster's Avatar
    My decision to set up a dosing pump vs. calcium reactor came down to setup cost. Even buying used parts the calcium reactor was going to cost roughly 50% more. Not to mention all the extra plug slots the system would take up.

    I guess the general consensus is that calcium reactors are cheaper on large tanks in the long run given their relatively cheap media. For my little 58g DIY two part was going to cost next to nothing anyway. Maybe try adding up all the pros and cons on a paper, everyone has different goals in mind. Who knows, maybe a great deal on one or the other will come up locally.