Which would you buy first.... Calcium Reactor, Chiller

[dannieboiz]

Calcium Reactor or chiller?

Is calcium reactor a neccassity? Is it worth the $500 investment?

 

[SeanT]

I would buy the chiller first.
There are many alternatives to Ca and Alk additions.

As for "is it worth it?"
If you keep an SPS tank then I would say yes, it is worth it.

hth,
Sean

 

[dannieboiz]

I'll have a mix reef, a few SPS probably 25% only.

 

[john37]

the funny thing is that you probably say 25% now but eventually you'll have more and more sps. I thought i'd do some sps but ended up doing all.

 

[dannieboiz]

SPS are nice, but then I just don't like it when things are just sitting there.

My favorites are probably RTBA and Xenia (I know kinda weird). I just like the fact that they wiggle alot. LOLZ

 

[SeanT]

Then get a kalk reactor or just mix your top off water with kalk.
See if that will hold your levels.

Maintaining a proper temp is very important.

Sean

 

[dannieboiz]

I have an auto top off and a lot are recommending me to add Kalk to it....

My auto top of is a 38g rubber maid tank that resides outside of my house. I've never did the Kalk mixing thing b4. Maybe I'll do a search on it tonight when the server free up.

 

[roons]

neither , i use 6 dollar fans and a kent aquadose, low electric use, no pumps to fail, etc..........................i may have to do more work but i dont worry about my tank while im at work..........

 

[robsmith32]

Depends on how hot your tank runs. Personally, i have a $40 stanley blower fan hooked to a temp controller, Havet' had the temp go a single degree above where it comes on at over the last summer.
My calcium reactor, I'm not letting anyone pry it off the tank. Before putting it, i was doing ph dance with buffers or kalk nightly, and haven't touched since.
Ca reactor takes a lot of work out of the tank, but a chiller will keep things cool if you have a problem with temps and heat fluctuations will kill. ok, thread ressurrected

 

[Ti]

chiller

 

[Purple Haze]

chiller if you can't get away with fans.

 

[moonpod]

chiller, but that being said, first I'd try to reduce my heat in my system.