MRC Calcium Reactors

bkv1997

New member
I know a couple of you use these and I have been thinking about adding one in the near future.

How do you guys like them and are they reverse flow? It doesn't look like they are from there website. If not do you know if this is an important feature or not? I have zero experience with calc reactors.

Other models I am considering. Geo and H&S. Any advice would be appreciated. I spoke to charles not to long ago and he recommended marine technologies, but thats a bit out of my price range.

Thanks in advance.
Brandon
 
I just bought an MRC CR1... I don't think its reverse flow, and don't know its importance... Dave and Mel run them too... I'm looking forward to the meeting to see how Dave has his set up... Don't know if this helps beyond the fact that I was confident enough to buy a MRC over other brands from the info I looked up and the feedback on them...
 
I LOVE LOVE LOVE mine, but I have no experience with any other one so ya know...maybe I am biased.

I also have no clue what reversed flow is. It has two pumps: one to pump water into it from the reef tank and one to recirculate the water within it. So that might describe to you about it enough so you can decide for yourself if it's reversed flow.
 
For the price, they can't be beat. With a 55 gallon tank, you really don't need a high-end calcium reactor. I had to upgrade my CR1 with a second chamber and a PhosGuard reactor to a) raise the pH before dripping the effluent and b) remove the phosphate from the effluent. If you really expect a high alkalinity load, buy the spraybar option (I almost had to 'til I figured out an alternative). I run the GenX media now, and really like it because I can run the pH lower in the chamber and dissolve more media. I also run the GroTech Mg media, so I don't have to supplement Mg. I went up to a Mag3 circulation pump to chop the CO2 up more also. HTH.

Dave
 
Mel does the pump pump water into the bottom or top of the unit.

Reverse flow is just suppose to pump the water into the bottom of the reactor and suck from the top...

I have a MRC Skimmer, and a MRC Kalk reactor both are very high quality. The Kalk reactor works very well but over time my parameters still drift downward. I was thinking of getting a smaller unit and running both together that way I wouldn't have to worry as much about my PH dropping.

Brandon
 
Thanks Dave.

I'll change my sig just to clear things up I'm now running a 95 corner with a 25 gallon sump. I currently am running a nilsen reactor powerd by my osmolator top off unit.. it has cut down on my supplementing greatly but i'm still experiencing downward alk and calc drifts.... was thinking of maybe just getting the dual nano MRC and using both as mentioned above.

Thanks
Brandon
 
Ok Dave, you're definately going to have to go over your modifications on your Calcium Reactor at the meeting... I bought ARM reactor media only because it was here at an LFS... But I figure if I'm going to set it up, I need to do it right the first time, and I can wait a week till the meeting... :)
 
ARM is fine, but mine always turned to mush before I depleted it all. When you see my tank, you'll see why. I have a BIG alkalinity and calcium load. The proverbial ten pounds of ka-ka in a 5 lb. bag, if you will. However, coral colors are not so great at the moment.

I don't run a lime reactor, but do occasionally dose it if Ca gets a bit low (rarely anymore). That stuff always seemed to precipitate on all my impellers, etc., forcing me to clean them more often. My pH seems to be OK, though, and esp. since changing to the SeaChem salt. The extra boron seems to be doing the trick! BTW, MRC Ca reactors are not reverse flow.

Dave
 
Brandon, I think it does do what you are talking about. I know the pump has a tube going from the top into the pump and then out and around into the bottom of the reactor (though I am not sure which way the water flows honestly).
 
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