duncanpate1
New member
Fool proof until the pump breaks down! Agree that it's a great system but we all know there is always a fool to disproof!!!!
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Which do you prefer dosing or Calcium reactor?
- Thread starter Bulldog88
- Start date
Thanks for insight, I feel like a calcium reactor is the way to go. Even if a malfunction occurs it isn't something that could do serious damage in a short period of time. I had great success with my MRC on my last 120g. But I've read so many posts with people dosing kalk and having great results. But the fear of increasing the pH so quickly in a short period of time would be a worry. I know that controllers to help prevent this. The knowledge base in this forum is priceless.
bif24701
New member
Compared to all other methods, my system has the fewest potential failure points. Only system safer would be a dripper.
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Alfrareef
New member
Not safe enough.
I've read recently a post from a guy with a similar approach where the controller got stuck and consultor ashes the tank. Don't remember if it was a APEX.
bif24701
New member
Safer than other methods. I'm not implying that it's is 100% safe of course, I hope that goes without saying.
A pump getting stuck on could happen to any other method also, the difference here is that there are less components thus fewer points of potential failure.
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Bpb
New member
Guys nothing is 100% safe. Not even manual dosing. You could just as easily butter fingers the cup of liquid and drop it in or mess up the mixture. Kalk on a quality timer like an apex, with a decent pump is plenty safe enough. Safer than using a jebao doser that's for sure. On a long enough timeline, EVERYTHING will fail at some point.
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Apex is not a quality timer. Everybody has seen the posts about the outlets sticking on when failing. A light time is probably more safe than an apex.
However, an apex failure is still probably less than a tenth of a percent chance.
Kalk is dangerous and it comes with the territory and this is probably as good as it gets.
However, an apex failure is still probably less than a tenth of a percent chance.
Kalk is dangerous and it comes with the territory and this is probably as good as it gets.
Bpb
New member
I guess I've iust read of a lot fewer apex failures than cheap doser failures. Every single wall timer I've owned also doesn't keep time at all and drifts by several hours within a couple weeks of resetting. And this is now several dozen assorted brand wall timers
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lolgranny
The DQ King
Kalk CAN support a tank with 80% sps and high demand, but when that day comes and you have a kalk overdose say RIP to everything.
Ive said RIP 2xs sadly and im on the CaRx program now. Never will i ever go back. Nothing worse then a tank which looks like milk.
bif24701
New member
I'm still completely confounded how that you can assume a CalRx system is somehow safer than the system I have implemented.
With the APEX there are programmed safe guards. Also I have 300 total gallons and with a 50ml/min pump I don't think that it would ever be able to rise pH high enough to kill anything. It would have to be on continuous for days assuming APEX losses all control of the outlet relay.
I'm all for safety, efficiency, and dependability so please convince me seriously. With so many components that must work together what happens when it doesn't work?
I think it is far far more likely that a CalRx system would stop working before what you say would happen to my system and that would just as likely result in dead or ill corals.
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Anything can stop working. If a CaRx stops working, you have a while to catch it before much harm can be done to your tank.... and even if your alk gets too low, the sand and rock will buffer for you at minimum levels. If you dose a few minutes worth of extra kalk, your tank can crash hard and kill nearly all of the inhabitants...all that you need is a few things to die, ammonia rises, more dies, and the death spiral is in full tilt.
Besides, CaRx don't just stop working. They decrease their output as the CO2 bottle starts to get empty or the media is getting exhausted. Even if you just test for alk once a week, you can see this coming for months.
You will be really hard-pressed to find a tank crash that is actually due to CaRx failure - I know of none over the years. Kalk overdoses, either manual or mechanical/electrical, are quite common and nearly everybody who had one thought that their "system" was pretty good.
I used to drip saturated kalk 1/2 gallon at a time. I set it all up manually. The worst thing that could have ever happened is that my container tipped over and 1/2 gallon went into 300 gallons. I really liked what kalk has to offer, it is a nice balanced two part. I did not care for some of the heavy metals that built up from it, but water changes and poly took care of that. I also did not like that I still had to manage strontium, mag and other trace elements that CaRx now manages for me. Mrs Wages sure was cheap. I eventually got to where I could not evaporate enough water for kalk to keep the supply coming, so CaRx was the only way to go. This was over twenty years ago when I read about kalk dosing a TFH magazine (probably, I forget).
Here is what amazes me. Nobody would think to dose hydrochloric acid for ANY purpose, yet kalk is just as dangerous. I get that Muratic Acid has nothing to offer but hydrogen and kalk has ca and alk, but the danger is the same. I would dose again, but I would never let enough to crash a tank anywhere near it for a machine to run... I would just do it by hand again.
Besides, CaRx don't just stop working. They decrease their output as the CO2 bottle starts to get empty or the media is getting exhausted. Even if you just test for alk once a week, you can see this coming for months.
You will be really hard-pressed to find a tank crash that is actually due to CaRx failure - I know of none over the years. Kalk overdoses, either manual or mechanical/electrical, are quite common and nearly everybody who had one thought that their "system" was pretty good.
I used to drip saturated kalk 1/2 gallon at a time. I set it all up manually. The worst thing that could have ever happened is that my container tipped over and 1/2 gallon went into 300 gallons. I really liked what kalk has to offer, it is a nice balanced two part. I did not care for some of the heavy metals that built up from it, but water changes and poly took care of that. I also did not like that I still had to manage strontium, mag and other trace elements that CaRx now manages for me. Mrs Wages sure was cheap. I eventually got to where I could not evaporate enough water for kalk to keep the supply coming, so CaRx was the only way to go. This was over twenty years ago when I read about kalk dosing a TFH magazine (probably, I forget).
Here is what amazes me. Nobody would think to dose hydrochloric acid for ANY purpose, yet kalk is just as dangerous. I get that Muratic Acid has nothing to offer but hydrogen and kalk has ca and alk, but the danger is the same. I would dose again, but I would never let enough to crash a tank anywhere near it for a machine to run... I would just do it by hand again.
bif24701
New member
I what if CaLRX pump/valve/needle valve/CO2 Doser gets stuck on/off. Or effluent line dumps into your sump, pH controller gets stuck/malfunctions lowers PH.
If Kalk fails to operate nothing happens except the pH/Buffering (ALK) droops naturally, that could take days or more.
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If Kalk fails to operate nothing happens except the pH/Buffering (ALK) droops naturally, that could take days or more.
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bif24701
New member
I dose 74ml of sodium bicarbonate twice daily via peristaltic pump, have my calcium reactor on as fast a drip rate as can be without it becoming a steady stream AND my evap make-up water is Kalkwasser....So I use all 3
Yea man, in addition to whatever you chose (2 part/CalRx) why not add Kalk to your top off, I think it's kind of foolish not to given all the super benefits and nil risk of crash.
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bif24701
New member
Which do you prefer dosing or Calcium reactor?
APEX relay outlets are 99x more likely to fail in the off position than the ON.
Nothing like a CRASH would occur for at least several days. My ALK (personally), with my volume would not drops below 7 for a week.
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APEX relay outlets are 99x more likely to fail in the off position than the ON.
Nothing like a CRASH would occur for at least several days. My ALK (personally), with my volume would not drops below 7 for a week.
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chgoblknazn
New member
I agree. When the power to my tank is disconnected, the Apex shuts the CO2 off. It also stops the aqualifter supplying water to my small reactor and the pump circulating the water through my reactor.
bshow24
Member
I've heard numerous horror stories of dosers overdosing and causing a problem. Even when I was shopping for one, I was scared to buy because the last thing I want is an overdose of alk in the tank. Not once have I heard anyone say their CaRx overdosed their tank plus it's using old coral skeleton and supplying the corals with what they need. My new build I'm switching over to a carx for this reason.
Electrobes
Montipora type guy
In the thirteen years of reefing, I don't believe I've once heard of a Calcium Reactor failure causing the demise of a tank, but on that same note I don't think I've heard of a programmable dosing system (Not just a peristaltic pump) causing one either. Usually when there is a failure, it shuts down instead of over dosing.
I have heard of numerous over dosing failure via float switch ATOs with All, bit that was mainly because if back in the day DIY relays for ATO pumps.
I have never used a Calcium Reactor, but I have used all other methods, including a DIY relays which worked just fine. If I had a larger tank (I have a 100G tank now, probably as big as I will go) I would probably try a calcium reactor but for now I love my Kamoer Doser on my Apex (If pH spikes, it's programmed to shut down, but otherwise it doses four times a day).
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I have heard of numerous over dosing failure via float switch ATOs with All, bit that was mainly because if back in the day DIY relays for ATO pumps.
I have never used a Calcium Reactor, but I have used all other methods, including a DIY relays which worked just fine. If I had a larger tank (I have a 100G tank now, probably as big as I will go) I would probably try a calcium reactor but for now I love my Kamoer Doser on my Apex (If pH spikes, it's programmed to shut down, but otherwise it doses four times a day).
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Bpb
New member
On this end they don't really work like that. My reactor is tuned to be always on. Co2 never turns off. Effluent never changes unless I want it to. Yes it was absurdly expensive to set up but the only points of failure would be something turning off or leaking. Which won't fail by putting too much into the water. That or something just really unlikely happening like co2 bottle valve failing and turning it into a rocket spontaneously, or the reactor forming a spontaneous leak. Which are so unlikely you can't really expect them or plan for them
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