slow dose 2 part vs. Ca reactor

S

scottfarcuz

New member
It seems like the general consensus is that the best/easiest method to supplement ca/alk is with a calcium reactor. I've also seen some nice tanks using 2 part additives. What advantage does the reactor have over setting up a 2 channel dosing pump to slowly add 2 part ?

Without ever using either method hands on it seems both methods would do just as well for the tank, and dosing would be a lot cheaper than spending several hundred on a reactor. Wouldn't dosing also eliminate the low PH problems caused by reactor, and allow you to adjust the dosing to make the PH as stable as possible throughout the day?
 
IMO it can't get more simple then with a reactor. I't cheaper in the long run and probably wouldn't be all that much more to set up then a good two channel dosing pump. I'd say the reactor is more healthy for you're tank as well. PH is not nessicarilly a problem.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7404001#post7404001 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mike O'Brien
IMO it can't get more simple then with a reactor. I't cheaper in the long run and probably wouldn't be all that much more to set up then a good two channel dosing pump. I'd say the reactor is more healthy for you're tank as well. PH is not nessicarilly a problem.
Click to expand...
I second the comment
 
IMO it can't get more simple then with a reactor. I't cheaper in the long run and probably wouldn't be all that much more to set up then a good two channel dosing pump.

I disagree with this first part. The tirick is to make your own additives. These cost roughly $1 per gallon to make when you buy the materials in bulk form. Dose to your heart's content.

The 2-channel dosing pump is optional but IMO, the best way to go about this if you want to get serious about it. But you can get a good one for $150-$175. Compare that to a good Ca Reactor, Regulator, CO2 container. The doser is going to be a lot cheaper unless you DIY the reactor.

The rest of it's probably close to a wash - materials to make 2-part roughly equal to the price of filling CO2 tanks, adding new media to reactor??

I'd say the reactor is more healthy for you're tank as well. PH is not nessicarilly a problem.

Not much comment on this really. As far as I'm concerned, it remains to be seen. I have never heard much convincing evidence one way or another.
 
I can get a 2 channel pump to dose form 1 to 300ml a day for right around $100. I know the DIY 2 part is awful cheap.

Seems initial dial in effort would be the same for both setups.

I guess the only question that remains is if the 2 part does as well for the system as the reactor.
 
The DIY 2 part from Randy's fourm is about as cheap as it gets, and I don't like CA reactors much because they tend to lower your PH.

When I have the money I will be picking up a 2 channel doser for my DIY 2 part, but for now I will keep dosing by hand :rolleyes:

Whiskey
 
I can get a 2 channel pump to dose form 1 to 300ml a day for right around $100. I know the DIY 2 part is awful cheap.

Seems initial dial in effort would be the same for both setups.

I guess the only question that remains is if the 2 part does as well for the system as the reactor.

Personally, I dont see how the inital effort could be any easier than dosing 2-parts. The only thing to figure out is what volume you should start dosing. And you can bet with a tank full of SPS, I would be watching my pH like a hawk if I went with a reactor.

I have been doing this for a couple years on a 75G which is now 95% SPS and results seem quite good. Never had a reactor though, so I have nothing to compare to. I'm not knocking Ca Reactors though - I may get one eventually, depending on how things go. But I see no need right now. I plan to set up a larger tank relatively soon. I'll probably start the same way and see how it goes.
 
Seem's like only those without reactor's are worried about ph.

Ph is dependent on alkalinity, not just CO2. Reactor's keep the alk up so the ph stay's up. Degassing the effluent is a pretty simple thing to do. The lowering effect from the carbonate and bicarbonate is only temporary, dripped into a high flow area there is no problem.
 
Wiskey, do you have a ph monitor. I don't know how much you add at a time, but you probably wouldn't like the swing the ph goes through after adding the baking soda.
 
Once a good calcium reactor is set up properly it really is not that expensive or complicated in the long run. PH should really not be a problem if the reactor is being used correctly...
IMO it is easier than worrying about having appropriate levels of two part solutions available at all times. (even though I know that that is not a big deal either). For me it is just easier with a calcium reactor (especially with a bigger tank)... It does not mean it is better. Good luck either way.
 
I've thought about using the doser in the past, but one of the thing's I worried about was keeping it mixed up. The calcium part seems to stay in solution, but the alk part seem's to need some mixing. I alway's mixed the stuff first before adding it, and I'd guess most everyone else does too. The other problem I see is clogging of the alk channel from precipitation at the end of the tube.

I know the purity has been tested, but with the two part there is more a risk of adding other element's other then calcium and alkalinity. For example there is more chloride added then calcium with the calcium part. Without regular water changes there is around a 30% rise in salinity after a year. I just think with a reactor there is a more natural addition of ion's.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7405211#post7405211 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mike O'Brien
Wiskey, do you have a ph monitor. I don't know how much you add at a time, but you probably wouldn't like the swing the ph goes through after adding the baking soda.
Click to expand...

I use the low ph formula (baked baking soda) so if anything the swing would be up. My ph always runs a bit on the low side (8.0-8.1) so I don't want to push it down any more.

Whiskey
 
If you boil the water you are putting the baking soda in you won't have the problem with it going back to a solid form. I used to have the same issue before I started doing this.

HTH,
Whiskey
 
There is no need to mix either part when you use a doser. The alk part should go into solution, just like the Ca part, if you make it up in the right proportions. So that should be it. The alk part is a little more difficult to get into solution initially, but after that you should be good to go.

Without regular water changes there is around a 30% rise in salinity after a year.

I dont follow what you mean by this salinity thing. And chloride and other ions should easily remain in check with any sort of reasonable water changes.

The argument about trace elements? Perhaps... but again, someone show me a really conclusive evidence of what trace elements are really needed because I cant find any besides Ca, Carbonate and maybe Mg. And normal water changes go a long way in adding these mysterious trace elements as well anyway.
 
I only made two batches and I just heated it, not boiled. There was some precipitation, but I just adjusted the dose.

I know the ph goes up, I was surprised to see how much effect only 30 ml of the alk part has on the ph. And I used to add 90 ml at a time.

The salinity rises over time without water changes used to adjust the salinity when you're using two part, that's the whole ionically balanced part. That doesn't happen with a reactor. And I know most of us do water changes, but for the sake of this conversation. I don't know that two part is actually bad in the long run, but I would just assume that a reactor is better in the long run.
 
Been dosing Randy's 2 part for a long time. I use about 80ml per day of Alk Solution. I only use a dosing pump for the alk, as that is the most critical part to keep stable.
You can dose the Calcium part every day if you want or every 2 or 3 days to equal it all out.
I run my alk on the low end of the scale and it makes it even more stable.
 
I know the ph goes up, I was surprised to see how much effect only 30 ml of the alk part has on the ph. And I used to add 90 ml at a time.

That the nice part about using the dosing pumps. I dose 5 - 6 ml of each part every half hour. SO I can add 250-275 mls per day and I see little or no pH change each time the pump kicks on.

The salinity rises over time without water changes used to adjust the salinity when you're using two part, that's the whole ionically balanced part.

Still dont know what you are talking about. I'm not going to claim to be an expert, but I jut dont think this is true. How is the salinity going to go up? By the addition of Cl ions?
 
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