Aquarium Engineering Calcium Reactor Review

[dadnjesse]

I just received my 8 inch stacked today. It looks to be well built. When I opened it the smell of I assume was glue was very strong. I went outside and rinsed it out the best I could. While rinsing I got a lot of plastic shavings that came out the bottom section of the reactor. So far I filled the bottom section with Remag.

 

[dadnjesse]

I could of used a little more Remag. It took 32 pounds of Reborn to fill it just below the pump inlet

 

[dadnjesse]

It seems Bill keeps changing these, from the ones I have seen on this forum the feed is at the recirculating pump. Mine has a line on the bottom does anyone know if that line is the feed. It would be too easy if he included directions.

 

[dadnjesse]

I got the reactor set up and running today. Way too noisy. My tank is in my bedroom- man cave. There is no way I could sleep with the relay's. They make a loud clank when they turn on and off and the co2 recirculates which makes noise. For now I put my GEO back online until I get it moved to the other side of my basement.

 

[gcarroll]

So far not the best review for what many say is a premium product, I have never purchased an acrylic product that had leftover acrylic shavings. Kind of screams the level of pride the manufacturer has in the products.

 

[ca1ore]

Use of the sicce pump externally would make me nervous as i have found them to leak easily. AE used to use panworld/blueline which I would much prefer. Their SuRx, that I bought second hand, uses the PW/blueline. PW may be out of the aquarium pump business (not 100% sure) so perhaps that's the reason for the switch. CaRx requires a pump that can handle pressure. i have found smaller pumps to not be all that long lasting.

 

[dadnjesse]

Use of the sicce pump externally would make me nervous as i have found them to leak easily. AE used to use panworld/blueline which I would much prefer. Their SuRx, that I bought second hand, uses the PW/blueline. PW may be out of the aquarium pump business (not 100% sure) so perhaps that's the reason for the switch. CaRx requires a pump that can handle pressure. i have found smaller pumps to not be all that long lasting.

My GEO calcium Reactor also uses a Sicce pump to circulate. Probably cheaper.

 

[dadnjesse]

I moved the Reactor over to my work shop and have it running now. Going to wait a few day and see how it goes.

 

[ca1ore]

My GEO calcium Reactor also uses a Sicce pump to circulate. Probably cheaper.

Perhaps so ..... wouldn't have thought AE would go the cheap route though LOL.

 

[ksed]

So far not the best review for what many say is a premium product, I have never purchased an acrylic product that had leftover acrylic shavings. Kind of screams the level of pride the manufacturer has in the products.

 

[dadnjesse]

I was having a problem with the feed that runs from the bottom of the reactor and back flowing into my sump when I shut off the return. I got that fixed, I was running the line on the floor over to my sump. I moved it to travel up to the ceiling and across the wall then back down to my sump. It is way more powerful than the 6 inch GEO I was running. I had to turn it way down to 1/200 on the control panel.

 

[dadnjesse]

My tank is a 120 with mostly SPS

 

[dadnjesse]

I have been trying for day's to get this thing working right, now it keeps filling with air and won't take water I'm guessing because it gets too much back pressure. I sent bill an email and he says to purge it. Well I have to purge it every couple hours. I thinking of converting it to a regular reactor instead of his auto reactor that I can't seem to get to work. So rather than a $1,600.00 dollar paper weight maybe that will work.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Is that Co2 or is it sucking air from somewhere?

 

[dadnjesse]

Is that Co2 or is it sucking air from somewhere?

I can run it with the Co2 off and it's fine. I am using the cheap gauges that came with it and have it set to 10 PSI

 

[fftfk]

Did you ever get this reactor sorted? I’m considering this, deltech, and Dastaco.

 

[dadnjesse]

Yes I did get it working. It does need to have the air bled every once in a while. And even though it claims to have a lifetime Warranty, good luck getting Bill the owner to answer your phone call or email.