Dosing or Reactor?

[Mr.Mustang]

Ok so I am starting to think about dosing/or a calcium reactor. My current set up is a 108gal tank mixed reef only 2 pieces of sps at this time but I plan on adding much more. I run a 50gal sump and do 10gal water changes weekly. I also have an apex so dosing timers are not an issue and I was thinking about BRS 2 part dosing kits with their BRS 2 Part doser. I know that calcium reactors are said to be cheaper in the long run but I do not have the room in my sump for one and I have read that some gave up on them and switched to dosing. Any who just looking for some feedback on either situation.
PS I hope to upgrade in the next 5years to a 300gal DD

 

[Rploaded]

If you decide to get a reactor, spend the extra money on a proper regulator and feed pump.

I would recommend getting a Regulator from Aquariumplants.com

And a pump from Cole Parmer.

If you get these two pieces of equipment you will have no issues with a reactor!

Again the up front will be more.

I have both and use my dosing pumps to make minor adjustments to the main system as needed.

 

[karsseboom]

To all the people who gave up on cal rx didn't have the right setup. You need to buy a good regulator and feed pump and should have very few issue.

 

[ganjero]

I have never use a feed pump, and haven't had issues. I feed from a manifold connected to the return pump.
If you do not have the space, 2 part dosing works good too.

 

[tkeracer619]

I would go with a dosing setup for now.

Agreed, people who cheeped out on their calcium reactor and/or are not willing to dial it in more then the initial setup will almost certainly have had a bad experience.

My reactor is one of the most consistent pieces of equipment I have. I spend just a few minutes a year keeping my alk and ca stable.

 

[USC-fan]

Just started running dosing pump. Cal reactor are okay if you spend the money to get the right equipment.

In the end the cal reactor keep PH too low on my set up. I going to dose 2 part and carbon. Also plan to add a kalk reactor.

Like you I do not even have space for a good cal reactor.

 

[James77]

I've had several issues with calcium reactors, despite using Geo reactors and AquariumPlants regulators. Yes, they were far more trouble free than other combos, but I still had clogs despite my best efforts to stop them. The effluent stops and alk drops befroe you catch it, a PITA.

I have had not one single issue in the years of dosing. It is far cheaper than people think if you buy is 5 gallon group buy bulk from BulkReefSupply and take advantage of the free shipping. Independent control is nice. Easier to dial in....you just measure how much your alk/calc drops in a couple days and you have calculators that will calculate pretty much exactly what you used.

 

[coolkidtr]

Don't waste your time with a calcium reactor. A quality doser will serve you far better than a calcium reactor. A calcium reactor set up will require media, co2 bottle, regulator with bubble counter, a quality dual reactor and a ph controller. Big bucks for a finicky set up that u need to tinker with constantly. Not to mention the effects on ph.Buy a Quality doser, I use both a liter meter and a ghl doser. Both work well, easy to setup and maintain and far more cost effective. Just my experience.

T

 

[tkeracer619]

Each system is different. But a properly set up reactor is as stable as it gets. One way is not better then the other.

The PH on my reactor is a pretty good indication of how finicky they can be. Running without a controller, just monitoring. The controller could shut it down if it had to but afaik it hasn't happened a single time in years. I think I spend about 30 minutes a year maintaining my alk/ca on 450g worth of fully stocked tanks.

 

[jhoff]

I would go with dosing http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2147023

 

[sirreal63]

Don't waste your time with a calcium reactor. A quality doser will serve you far better than a calcium reactor. A calcium reactor set up will require media, [Maybe 10 bucks a year for me] co2 bottle [Mine was 100 bucks new in 2005, and 17 bucks a year in gas], regulator with bubble counter [250 bucks for a high end one], a quality dual reactor [Single reactor here, bought used in 2004 for 40 bucks] and a ph controller, [About 75 bucks]. Big bucks for a finicky set up that u need to tinker with constantly. [I never fiddle with mine, never clogs and every 6 months I clean it and refill it, it is a huge hassle. lol] Not to mention the effects on ph. [Mine is a fairly steady 8.2 these days. I have 465 bucks in equipment, spread out over 8 years is about 60 bucks a year so far, and each year the equipment cost will get lower, add in media and gas at another 27 (though I go beyond a year with mine, but let's call it a year to keep the math simple) a year and it is well worth it to never mix anything, never have to replace tubing stressed by pinch rollers, never have anything spill. Seems like a terrible waste of money to me. ]

Buy a Quality doser, I use both a liter meter 380 bucks for a single head, additional heads are 175 bucks, so one drive and two additional heads and you are already at 730 bucks, and you haven't even bought chemical or containers yet. and a ghl doser Adding this in would only be embarrassing at this point.. Both work well, easy to setup and maintain other than mixing chemicals on a very frequent basis and far more cost effective. Just my experience.

T

To each his own, but let's try and keep it in reality. My reactor doesn't clog, I get over a year on 5# of CO2, which for medical grade runs me 17 bucks, I usually get 14 months on avg for that 17 bucks. Media is cheap. Every couple of years I treat it to a new probe if it needs it, I am on my 3rd probe. My parameters stay rock solid and I have no worries about potency, salinity issues or mixing and the potential of spillage.

Both ways do work but unless you are running a smaller tank with lesser demands, the CaRx pays for itself over time. When you do get a larger tank or have higher than normal demands, trying to dose can be a nightmare and the chemical costs go way up. It boils down to a matter of preference, and what you are comfortable with.

 

[ErikS]

To all the people who gave up on cal rx didn't have the right setup. You need to buy a good regulator and feed pump and should have very few issue.

I've got $20 that says most give up because they way over complicate reactors. Monitor this, control that.........blah, blah, blah....yada, yada, yada.

It'd be easier if folks referred to them as alkalinity reactors. Start with parms in balance..........tank alk drops = add more bubbles. Tank alk goes up drop the bubbles.

Like every single piece of equipment it will at some point have an issue. Over 7 years I had maybe two or three = pretty reliable. It did clog, back pressure forced water into the solenoid.............that's what $10 - $15??? (didn't use a dosing pump = output throttling ).

The biggest issue is once dialed in they run so long you forget = more than once the only way I knew there was no CO2 in the tank was because the alk was dropping :lol:

On the other hand if you don't have the space? Dosing is fine. I had to sell mine for that every reason - a remodel meant I simply didn't have the space

 

[Rploaded]

I think the biggest issue is the feed pump for most. If you get a quality metering pump the effluent rate will be dead on at whatever ml per minute you set......

The rest is counting bubbles... If you can count and use a stopwatch; you can handle it with no issues...

Again quality equipment is key.

 

[sirreal63]

Mr Mustang, whichever you decide will work, but if you truly are going bigger, the CaRx will be a better long term investment. You also do not run them in the sump, so no need to find a spot there, just need enough room under the stand for one.

Here is a good read on the comparison.
http://reef.diesyst.com/crarticle/crarticle.htm