Anyone still use a Ca Reactor?

[Decadence]

I run a calcium reactor, kalk and dosing pumps. It's one of those things where each method has advantages and disadvantages and each of the methods can make up for another's shortcomings.

Calciume reactors drops your PH, kalkwasser raises PH but doesn't supplement mag and can only saturate top-off water so much, dosing pumps can do everything but on a heavily stocked SPS tank, chloride and sulfate can build up quickly unless you are doing large water changes. I have all of my top-off going though a kalk reactor and dosing pumps add the proportional magnesium but also vinegar and potassium. What the rest of my demands are met by a GEO calcium reactor. As demands increase, the only thing I have to adjust is the calcium reactor. I will probably add a second bank of dosing pumps to dose a few more things.

 

[jda]

I have been running reactors for years and if you tune your reactor appropriately, there is no effect on the tank PH. If you have some excess CO2, the effluent can drop your PH about .01, or so, IME.

Opening the windows in your home, if it is closed up, can move the pH more than reasonably tuned regulator effluent will.

 

[madkeenreefer]

They are just so damn cheap and easy to run.

Could not have said it better Nanook, 150gl here and I just love the simplicity of it.

 

[CarlosF]

Dosing seems to be the cheaper way especially on a smaller tank

 

[Dugless]

I'm weighing the options of dosing or a reactor for a 250gal SPS tank. How often do you guys typically refill your CO2 and/or media? It would seem these would be the only two points for cost after the reactor itself.

Also, any suggestions/favorites on a reactor brand?

 

[polywise]

large system- calcium reactor is super stable when using a controller to monitor PH ...

 

[jda]

I change my media about every 4-6 months and about 2 refills of CO2 a year at about 12 bucket each. I am heavily stocked with SPS and clams and grow a lot of coralline.

 

[dvanacker]

DIY dosing here on a large system. Also I only use Instant Ocean so its not an issue like implied earlier. This is a ca reactor thread so I may get bashed but I've tried both and my preference is dosing on good quality peri pumps. I think most would think I have had good results....been doing it for 6 or 7 years this way.

Good results can be had either way. My issue with ca reactors is that I like being able to calculate how much additive I need and use. With a ca reactor it seems you just fiddle with it till your tanks chemistry stabilizes.

For a smaller tank I think dosing does make more sense.....and for a larger tank you really can have your choice of ca reactor or dosing. Both have some pros and cons.

 

[Peter Eichler]

DIY dosing here on a large system. Also I only use Instant Ocean so its not an issue like implied earlier. This is a ca reactor thread so I may get bashed but I've tried both and my preference is dosing on good quality peri pumps. I think most would think I have had good results....been doing it for 6 or 7 years this way.

Good results can be had either way. My issue with ca reactors is that I like being able to calculate how much additive I need and use. With a ca reactor it seems you just fiddle with it till your tanks chemistry stabilizes.

For a smaller tank I think dosing does make more sense.....and for a larger tank you really can have your choice of ca reactor or dosing. Both have some pros and cons.

I can dial in a calcium reactor in 24-48 hours, about the same or less time that it takes anyone to dial in dosing needs. I've done both, I prefer a CA reactor, but there's no doubt good results can be obtained either way.

 

[Dugless]

Am I understanding correctly that you need to recalibrate the reactor after every media refill? Or am I missing something?

 

[Peter Eichler]

Am I understanding correctly that you need to recalibrate the reactor after every media refill? Or am I missing something?

As long as you don't let it get too low in media, I never let it go below half full. There shouldn't be much need to make adjustments. If for some reason you see your alkalinity drifting one way or another, it takes about 2 seconds to dial in more or less CO2.

 

[jda]

Yup.

As you watch this thing in action, you will get to where you can tell just by looking at it what is happening... like the green characters dripping down from the screens in The Matrix.

You will have to turn it up a bit as your load increases... this is about every 2-3 months for me (more or less).

 

[Moser]

DaStaCo Calcium reactor, here.
It keeps my 1000G SPS system VERY stable.

Mo

 

[bogg]

Aqua euro 400 here on my 130 display
Best thing I ever did for my tank it's soo easy almost set and forget ime

 

[Capt_Cully]

Any of you guys running a carbon doser electronic bubble counter?

http://www.carbondoser.com/product_p/co2-11.htm

 

[Decadence]

Any of you guys running a carbon doser electronic bubble counter?

http://www.carbondoser.com/product_p/co2-11.htm

Yes. It's the only way to safely be "set it and forget it" with a CA reactor.

 

[Capt_Cully]

I'm all over it. Excited to try it out. I know a couple of guys that rave about them.

 

[Stylaster]

hmm interesting i use my apex to control my calcium reactor by measuring the ph of the effluent and then having it turn the co2 on or off

 

[Stolireef]

Any of you guys running a carbon doser electronic bubble counter?

http://www.carbondoser.com/product_p/co2-11.htm

Yup. AquariumPlants.com unit.

 

[Peter Eichler]

hmm interesting i use my apex to control my calcium reactor by measuring the ph of the effluent and then having it turn the co2 on or off

That's a risky way to go about it IMO. You should dial in your calcium reactor properly and then use a controller as a failsafe in case something on the reactor doesn't work as it's supposed to.

I'm using the aquarium plants doser, but previously used an M3 regulator to dial in my CO2.