Is a calcium reactor a must for a 2 feet Full Sps tank

[transformer999]

any advise from u guys?

I already got 3 channel dosing pump..

Just wondering is a CR works better?

 

[bamf25]

Meaning a two foot long tank? My tank is by now means mature, but is heavily sps mid sized colonies and frags in a 120g 4 foot tank. Using kalkwater, and 2 part dosing, my water value are dead on, and I am getting good growth.

 

[theajes]

It depends on who you ask. I have heard using a good salt like red sea coral pro and weekly water changes is all you need to do.

 

[MammothReefer]

no, you can't just get away with water changes and I wouldn't use RSCP on an SPS system. I use 2 part my system is 3x2, and it's pretty packed. I used to use 2 part on my 500g system. Calcium reactor is just another way to skin a cat.

 

[Donkeykong]

Good calcium levels are a must, how you maintain those levels is up to you. No one way is better, it all comes down to what works best for you.

 

[sjfishguy]

It depends on who you ask. I have heard using a good salt like red sea coral pro and weekly water changes is all you need to do.

No way. My dKH falls from 8 to 5 in 24 hrs if my doser is off. Maybe if you do a water change every couple hours. Whoever said that doesn't have many SPS.

I have a 3' tank packed with SPS and dosing is fine.

 

[Alex T.]

any advise from u guys?

I already got 3 channel dosing pump..

Just wondering is a CR works better?

A calcium reactor isn't a must, but it may be cheaper in the long run. Two part dosing is great for small tanks, or even kalkwasser (limewater). The problem with either of these is that if you're very successful growing SPS, or decide you want a few clams, kalkwasser probably won't keep up and Two Part will get expensive quick.

Plus, if you choose to upgrade to a larger tank down the road, more corals, more rock with coralline algae and more water volume will mean more dosing, more often. Two part also has the tendency of salinity creeping up after a while. A calcium reactor, once dialed in will be set and forget until it's time to either replace the media or the CO2 tank needs filling.

Since I started my new tank, I'm using kalkwasser through a reactor I just traded for and my new frags and 7 inch Derasa clam are already creating a demand. When I can't keep up with kalk alone, I'll bring my calcium reactor online to take on the bulk of supplementation.

 

[scar79]

I waaaay prefer 2-part over a calcium reactor for simplicity and ease of setup. No bubble/drop counting, extra pH probes, or CO2 refills; just add or subtract minutes on the dosing timer. That said, the cost of 2-part will add up real quick when dosing say a few hundred mils a day on a large or demanding system. Then, a quality reactor is definitely recommended.

For your application, 2-part all the way. A Ca reactor won't "work" any better or worse.

 

[JT3069]

A calcium reactor isn't a must, but it may be cheaper in the long run. Two part dosing is great for small tanks, or even kalkwasser (limewater). The problem with either of these is that if you're very successful growing SPS, or decide you want a few clams, kalkwasser probably won't keep up and Two Part will get expensive quick.

Plus, if you choose to upgrade to a larger tank down the road, more corals, more rock with coralline algae and more water volume will mean more dosing, more often. Two part also has the tendency of salinity creeping up after a while. A calcium reactor, once dialed in will be set and forget until it's time to either replace the media or the CO2 tank needs filling.

Since I started my new tank, I'm using kalkwasser through a reactor I just traded for and my new frags and 7 inch Derasa clam are already creating a demand. When I can't keep up with kalk alone, I'll bring my calcium reactor online to take on the bulk of supplementation.

+1 plus a calcium reactor will also release cal,mag,and alk in a natural ratio
this includes trace elements