Calcium Reactor or multi-part dosing for a 1600 gallon system?

[AlexG]

Throughout my 1600 gallon system build I have been stuck on the idea of going with multi-part dosing system with dosing pumps but after talking to some friends and doing some research I am starting to lean more towards a calcium reactor with the possibility of using kalkwasser to maintain my pH. I will admit the first few months the tanks are running I will be using 2 part without dosing pumps as there will not be a lot of corals in the system to start. I know that as I add corals the demand for calcium and alkalinity will exponentially increase and manual dosing will no longer be viable to maintain stable levels. At that point I will need to choose a method. I know the knowledge and experience of this forum can help me make a decision.

Tank stocking: 480 gallon display will be the primary reef tank with 50% SPS & 50% LPS/Softies. The 720 gallon display will eventually get corals but the main focus of the display will be non-reef safe fish. The remaining system volume is for the filtration system and an eventual frag tank.

Would you choose a multi-part dosing system with dosing pumps or a calcium reactor + kalkwasser system?

Why would you use that system over the other?

What product/products would you use?

 

[Sm51498]

I would definitely go with a calcium reactor. It will be much much cheaper over the long run at that kind of system volume.

Arguably the best hobby grade unit out there is the DaStaCo but I don't believe they make one rated to your system size.

 

[Breadman03]

I'd do a big 'ol calcium reactor and just dose by hand if you ever need to correct a given parameter.

 

[nervousmonkey]

I agree with sm51 that a calcium reactor will be cheaper over the long run, but I would check into a system like Fauna Marin's Balling Light Method, it is quality over quantity at some point. You could run kalkwasser as well to keep costs down and alk and calcium levels at a good range, then let the balling system take over. what i like about it are the trace elements that get added. It's up to you to decide if strontium dosing is important, but there are some studies that show it to be good when given in the correct form (not in a preserved form that shows up on tests but is unavailable to corals.
Or calcium reactor for the heavy lifting, and manually/auto dose the trace elements of a good multi-part system. Best of both worlds. Either way, sounds like you know what you're doing and that is the most important thing here.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It's up to you to decide if strontium dosing is important, but there are some studies that show it to be good when given in the correct form (not in a preserved form that shows up on tests but is unavailable to corals..

Without arguing over utility of strontium, what form of strontium ever gets dosed to aquaria that is a "preserved form" that is unavailable to corals but shows up on tests?

 

[nervousmonkey]

Without arguing over utility of strontium, what form of strontium ever gets dosed to aquaria that is a "preserved form" that is unavailable to corals but shows up on tests?

Great question and I do not know the answer to that; it is rather suspect information but I have heard that from talking to salt manufacturers about why their salts are better. So take that for what it's worth, have heard from salt vendors on many elements that are in a "state that keeps them from being utilized" It wasn't EDTA, it was another substance that was referenced as a preservative in salts that "binds" the trace elements. So take it for what it's worth. I don't know the validity of the statement, I'm not a chemist.
I know your opinion on strontium. Why is strontium not necessary? I know that just because it's in the ocean doesn't make it important, but why do salt manufacturers either include it as trace element dosing; Fauna Marin Balling Light, which I use, so I wonder the necessity after hearing your opinion. There is no scientific evidence that supports it and it doesn't have any presence in coral skeletons or tissues? Just wondering.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm not aware of any modern salt mix or additive that has strontium in an "unusable" form.

Strontium is present in coral skeletons. It is also present in exactly the same concentration in abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate. That is because the strontium ion looks chemically like calcium, and slips into a growing calcium carbonate crystal in place of a calcium ion. There is no evidence in the scientific literature that it is "needed" for ordinary corals, and many, many reefers who dosed it when it was trendy in the past, and then stopped maintaining it, saw no change in their aquaria.

There are some organisms that are reported use strontium for structures made of strontium sulfate (one-celled organisms such as acantharia and radiolaria) and certain gastropods and cephelopods also use it, at least when babies:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/11/chemistry

 

[nervousmonkey]

Thank you for the clarification. I'll edit my previous post to reflect your knowledge of the matter.

So in essence, strontium presence in a coral skeleton has nothing to do with actual uptake of strontium, it's more of an *accidental* uptake of it. Do you think that salt manufacturers and others who add strontium (once again, FM Balling light, since I use that method), are doing so for marketing reasons and not really because they have proof? Assumption being that they have chemists, like you, that understand strontium is not necessary for coral growth. Under that assumption, it makes sense to purchase salt mixes that do not contain trace elements that are unnecessary, as it would increase cost with no benefits to speak of.

Thank you for the link as well Randy!

Cheers,

Lloyd

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So in essence, strontium presence in a coral skeleton has nothing to do with actual uptake of strontium, it's more of an *accidental* uptake of it.

That is my contention, yes.

Do you think that salt manufacturers and others who add strontium (once again, FM Balling light, since I use that method), are doing so for marketing reasons and not really because they have proof?

Most salt manufacturers strive to replicate nature as best they can, whether all of the components are necessary or not. IMO, that is appropriate. They need not know anything about what is used or not. Some specifically boost calcium, magnesium, and/or alkalinity, at least in part because some customers want that. I've seen few that intentionally alter much else in the way of inorganic ions for reasons of utility. I've not seen any say they boost strontium to above NSW levels because it is useful. So I do not think anything I've said about strontium is disputed by the components of salt mixes.

As to additives, there are all sorts of additives, some of which make sense and others which do not. Whether the manufacturers think the components are useful is likely less important than that their customers ask for them. But I have no doubt some think strontium is useful.

In general, it is hard to go wrong suggesting folks maintain NSW levels of everything, and for strontium, it may take supplements to do that. Whether it is useful for the aquarium beyond the goal of maintaining natural levels is an entirely different, and more complicated, question.

 

[nervousmonkey]

Great answers, thank you for your clarification on the matter!

 

[Maacc]

I'd do a big 'ol calcium reactor and just dose by hand if you ever need to correct a given parameter.

+1 no doubt, 2/3 part would be pricey even with Randy' s recipes.

 

[lill]

I have a 400 gallon tank and I use a deltec 1000 for my tank.And then add brs to top it off to what you want.

 

[mtraylor]

I would go with the Calcium reactor. The calcium reactor will be the heart of the system. You will still have to supplement calcium, magnesium, etc. It will just keep your aquarium more stable.
I recommended a GEO calc reactor. That is what I use and I love it. The only advice I can give is to buy a needle valve adjuster for your effluent. A must have.

I have never used a doser so I cant speak about them. I do know the calc reactor is cheap to run and rock solid. There is no moving parts to worry about breaking. Good luck in your decision.

 

[Liquid360]

I agree with the Geo recommendation above. They make awesome hardware.

 

[d2mini]

With that system, CaRx for sure and I'd be on the phone with Bill Wann.
No one beats the quality of his equipment, and we are all familiar with his home tank.