250 Gallon Starphire SPS tank

LittleBlueGT said:
A pic of the kalk reactor from BARR's site.

46161kr1220_3.jpg
Click to expand...

Sorry to interupt..but OMG!
I've never really looked into kalk/Ca reators before cuase I didn't need them...but I've used hundereds of those before.

Found a link:
W100-1900_product.jpg

http://www.professionalequipment.co.../id.16/subid.38/qx/default.htm?CMP=KNC-Google

So they take a peice of cheap standard laboratory equipment, put an acrylic pipe on top and sell it for several hundered?

How come everybody doesn't DIY these things?

Not to hijack the thread or trash your purchase...I'm sure this has been addressed other places here, like I said, I just looked into them.

Cheers,

grimmjohn
 
grimmjohn said:
So they take a peice of cheap standard laboratory equipment, put an acrylic pipe on top and sell it for several hundered?

How come everybody doesn't DIY these things?
[/B]
Click to expand...

Maybe Melev can chime in, but 8 inch acrylic is not cheap, neither are the gancy acrylic tops that screw together easily. I am sure BARR is making good money on his products, but I am not sure he is making as much as you might think.

It would be interesting to see how much it would cost to DIY, assuming one had acrylic skills.
 
Also, the pic that you have shown is a small version of the stirrer. I wonder how much the larger one that comes on my reactor is worth?
 
LittleBlueGT said:
Also, the pic that you have shown is a small version of the stirrer. I wonder how much the larger one that comes on my reactor is worth?
Click to expand...

I don't know..what is the Hanna Instruments Model #?
 
LittleBlueGT said:
but 8 inch acrylic is not cheap, neither are the gancy acrylic tops that screw together easily.

assuming one had acrylic skills.
Click to expand...

You wouldn't need anything..you could just put a gallon water jug on top...poke some holes in it..get some airline tubing and a small airpump and you have a kalk reactor/doser
 
And that has to be the 190 or the 310...but I can see that the first # is a 1..so that's the $70-100 one depending one where you get it..a stir bar comes with them or you can get 10 for around $30 I think.
 
There are a lot of things that can be DIYed by the average reefer if they have the proper tools, experience, and free time...

I was going to DIY a skimmer initially. However, I don't have a table saw, router, or jointer. Plus I've never made anything like that before so even if I had the tools I don't have a lot of the requisite skills to really do it right. Acrylic materials are pretty expensive, and making mistakes with them is not an option if you want to save money in a build.

So IMHO it's not always cheaper to build versus buy. :)

Tyler
 
grimmjohn said:
You wouldn't need anything..you could just put a gallon water jug on top...poke some holes in it..get some airline tubing and a small airpump and you have a kalk reactor/doser
Click to expand...

You could do that, it depends on your budget. I am by no means rich but I do like to have nice equipment that looks neat, is easy to use and lasts a long time.

I really like the easy fill mechanism on the BARR unit, and the fact that I can see what is happening inside. I have run for almost 8 months with a 25 gallon DIY kalk doser before I decided to buy the BARR unit. I hope to use the unit for a decade if not more. SO if all goes well I think it will be a good investment.

If I had Melev's DIY skills w/ acrylic I would consider making one, but since I don't, and I want something that is nice and neat I went with the BARR unit.

FWIW I would gladly spend almost double for a well made 8 inch wide 4 foot high double beckett, but I got mine used from the LFS (SaltWaterConnection) for half that.

Don't let me discourage you though, if you can DIY please do, and post pics as well. That way many can benefit.
 
tgunn said:
There are a lot of things that can be DIYed by the average reefer if they have the proper tools, experience, and free time...

I was going to DIY a skimmer initially. However, I don't have a table saw, router, or jointer. Plus I've never made anything like that before so even if I had the tools I don't have a lot of the requisite skills to really do it right. Acrylic materials are pretty expensive, and making mistakes with them is not an option if you want to save money in a build.

So IMHO it's not always cheaper to build versus buy. :)

Tyler
Click to expand...

I agree with you Tyler, besides the skimmers that we get from SaltWaterConnection are really very inexpensive and well made compared with many out there. I am sure there is much more mark-up on the BARR unit, but not that many people make a quality Kalk reactor.
 
LittleBlueGT said:

Don't let me discourage you though, if you can DIY please do, and post pics as well. That way many can benefit.
Click to expand...

I certainly have few DIY skills, and have no need for a kalk reactor really, right now anyway, so I'll leave it for others..I just had to throw it out there.

I'm sure that the BARR is an awesome reactor and looks really cool and like you'll get many years of service from it..I never was trying to belittle you or your purchase. We all buy stuff that other people could make..I paid $100 for 5 panes of glass and some trim...$150 for some acrylic and a mag 3..even with the instructions on how to make one for $15 right in front of me () : )

cheers,

grimmjohn
 
From the acrylic fabricators I have spoken with, I don't think they are really making all that much money. Most of them are only doing it as a second job to supplement their full time job. The cost of acrylic is the worst part, then comes the cost of getting all of the equipment to work with it, put in the amount of time they put into each job and the experience required and I think they all are charging pretty fair prices. Now if we got on the subject of some of the foreign acrylic fabricators, that would be a different story. I mean, when they are driving around in their turbo Bentleys you have to ask yourself how much they are profiting.
 
DerekW said:
I think he WAS trying to belittle you...now go fight him!
Click to expand...

I ain't fight'n no Canada boys..anybody that can take those crazy cold winters up there is tougher than me..I had to break out The North Face this morning and it was only 32 () : )

Cheers,

grimmjohn
 
Travis said:
From the acrylic fabricators I have spoken with, I don't think they are really making all that much money. Most of them are only doing it as a second job to supplement their full time job. The cost of acrylic is the worst part, then comes the cost of getting all of the equipment to work with it, put in the amount of time they put into each job and the experience required and I think they all are charging pretty fair prices. Now if we got on the subject of some of the foreign acrylic fabricators, that would be a different story. I mean, when they are driving around in their turbo Bentleys you have to ask yourself how much they are profiting.
Click to expand...

I think you are right.

BARR seems to have a very good rep and make a very good product. He has enought demand that I had to wait 4 months before I could even order it. He only makes a run of a certain product to keep things efficient. I would imagine he makes decent money on each transaction, but not a huge amount.

I would guess gross profit is 50% and net profit is 25%, fair I would say. Much better then buying one for $200 and then trying to sell it because I need to upgrade. Of course we have all been there done that.
 
grimmjohn said:
I ain't fight'n no Canada boys..anybody that can take those crazy cold winters up there is tougher than me..I had to break out The North Face this morning and it was only 32 () : )

Cheers,

grimmjohn
Click to expand...

Well, then .....Bring-it-on!:uzi:

Nice thing about cold winters is all the heat the tank's equipment gives off.

Freezing for the past week or two and still haven't turned on the house heating!;)
 
Well, now you have me wanting to make one. :lol:

That one can only stir one liter, according to the information on the page.
 
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