Calcium Reactor users... At what point did start reacting??

[RandoReefer]

Out of you Calcium reactor users out there, I'm wondering what your progression of dosing/maintaining levels, until you made the decision to implement your reactor???

My 2-part dosing is quickly reaching the 100mL/day for alkalinity. I'd like to hear about your prior dosing before you took the plunge into Calcium Reactors.

Thanks!

 

[Quinn123]

set and forget- the only thing you have to make sure daily is it still dripping.

 

[RandoReefer]

Or maybe you ditched the Calcium Reactor and went to 2-part......

Either way, impart some wisdom please!

 

[Eric B]

It didn't take me long to eliminate daily dosing of 2-part solution as I don't want to have to work on a tank that much. I have set up a CA reactor about 6 months after keeping corals and started off with smaller reactors and now I have a large 2 chamber MRC reactor. It keeps up with CA and Mag. demand on my system but still noticed Alk would drop over time so I have a separate dosing pump and Kalk setup which I dose for a set time separate from my top off. It is a 10 gallon tank and I dose out of it at the top and bottom of the hour for a set duration and it is refilled with a solenoid 3 times a day with RODI water along with my top off water container. There is also an external pump on it which stirs it a few times a day just after a dose is completed so that no straight Kalk can be pumped into the tank. I also have a PH probe which is hooked into my apex so that I can monitor the PH levels and know when the Kalk tank needs to be cleaned or new Kalk powder added to the system. I am now able to keep all my numbers really close to where I want and I barely ever mess with either the Kalk tank or CA reactor except to clean and refill a couple of times a year.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, I've never routinely used either as I have used only limewater for the past 19 years.

 

[RandoReefer]

set and forget- the only thing you have to make sure daily is it still dripping.

I'm guessing this is a +1 for Calcium Reactors?

It didn't take me long to eliminate daily dosing of 2-part solution as I don't want to have to work on a tank that much. I have set up a CA reactor about 6 months after keeping corals and started off with smaller reactors and now I have a large 2 chamber MRC reactor. It keeps up with CA and Mag. demand on my system but still noticed Alk would drop over time so I have a separate dosing pump and Kalk setup which I dose for a set time separate from my top off. It is a 10 gallon tank and I dose out of it at the top and bottom of the hour for a set duration and it is refilled with a solenoid 3 times a day with RODI water along with my top off water container. There is also an external pump on it which stirs it a few times a day just after a dose is completed so that no straight Kalk can be pumped into the tank. I also have a PH probe which is hooked into my apex so that I can monitor the PH levels and know when the Kalk tank needs to be cleaned or new Kalk powder added to the system. I am now able to keep all my numbers really close to where I want and I barely ever mess with either the Kalk tank or CA reactor except to clean and refill a couple of times a year.

Sounds elaborate, and right up my alley with a future fish room! I have fellow reefer friends who use both reactor and Kalk as well. Thanks for your response!

FWIW, I've never routinely used either as I have used only limewater for the past 19 years.

Quite the elaborate setup as well. Tried and true methods for many. Do you mix vinegar with your limewater solution and if so, at what ratio?

 

[Pimentinha1987]

It took me months to decide whether I wanted a calcium reactor or dosing 2part.
A few months down the road I chose dosing 2 part.
It only lasted 3 weeks. I figured I was going to try dosing manually before I bought a pump and thank god I did.

The amount I was dosing it was going to cost me a small fortune a year, so I picked up a used CA reactor, from MTC (best reactor if you ask me) and started using it.
It's a much nicer process for me. The coral growth has been great and it's much much much cheaper to run long term.

I do recommend you get a Carbon doser regulator tho. It's expensive as heck ($269) but it will be the last regulator you will ever buy.