Large (150+ gal) SPS Reefs: Reactor or Doser?

[Kbra]

For those of you with large water volumes and heavy SPS loads.

What are you using to keep up with ALK and Calcium?

I've always used 2 part dosing to keep my levels up but with a larger tank it takes a lot of dosing so a reactor may be necessary now. However im kind of hesitant about the possibility of it failing and causing major damage.

 

[revsgirl]

:bump2:

 

[KoleTang]

Tagging along. I've been curious about this too.

 

[Acrokeeper3729]

I use a reactor all the way. I used to dose but as the sps grew in I bought a reactor. I absolutely love it. I keep it in a high visibility spot in my fish room and all I do is glance at it every day to make sure its still flowing correctly and the bubble count is about right. It literally only takes a glance as I walk by to know its running properly. I also peek at the reefkeeper that is reading the PH inside the reactor. It generally says 7 or so and I know its perfect. Only thing I do is clean it and refill the CO2 and media once every 4 to 6 months. Other than that its bulletproof. Once you get it dialed in and know how it should be running on your system, they are a breeze. I was nervous the first time I set it up but now I think its the best way to go. I have it on the Reefkeeper to control it in case anything happens but I have it so dialled in that the controller never needs to run the solenoid. People who rely on the controller to turn the CO2 on and off run the risk of problems. If you can dial it in properly, so the controller is only used as a failsafe instead of as the operator then they are rock solid.

 

[swannyson7]

+1 to everything Nick said. 2 part is great when you have frags, but once your sps grows in on a tank that size, you're going to want to look into a CaRx IMO.

 

[robby2782]

I love my ca reactor. I just check it every other day because every once in awhile the drip gets clogged or solenoid trips. I dose Kalk to keep the calcium and ph up also.

 

[fraggingfish]

I advise you to use a reactor, because I have 400g+ and dosing gets really expensive.
Once you tune in your reactor, you forget that you even have one.
Replenishment occurs once or twice a year, depending on the media sizes.
I would suggest larger ARM media than your usual granules.

 

[-Logzor]

Right now I have a 150g tank with a decent amount of SPS. I still use 2-part dosing with LMIII. I dose about 120 mL per day of Alk/Ca.

I dose from two 5 gallon buckets, which I replenish about every 3-5 months or so (can't remember exactly how long in between).

I spend about $110 every 1.5 years or so on two-part chemicals. I buy them in 5 gallon buckets.

Overall it has been effective for me and not too expensive.

I could see a CaRx making more sense if you are limited on space. At some point the dosing amount might get ridiculous if your tank is 200+ gallons with colonies.

 

[mc-cro]

220g system, I run a reactor, and wouldnt do it any other way..set and forget it.

initial set up is a bit pricey.

I buy about 2-3 media jugs a year ~$60
and I buy 1 cannister of Co2 ~$10

 

[WesF]

I still use a litermeter w/ 2 part on my 250g and my colonies are getting pretty big. My daily dosage is getting high but with Bulk DIY 2-part it's not very expensive.

Sometimes I get the urge to get a reactor but the thought of effluent valves clogging, solenoids malfunctioning, etc. scare me off. It's not uncommon to see a crash that is related to some type of calcium reactor related equipment malfunction.

The litermeter is rock solid and extremely reliable. The only maintenance is mixing 2-part occasionally and replacing the tubing on the pumps and recalibrating annually.

 

[-Logzor]

I still use a litermeter w/ 2 part on my 250g and my colonies are getting pretty big. My daily dosage is getting high but with Bulk DIY 2-part it's not very expensive.

Sometimes I get the urge to get a reactor but the thought of effluent valves clogging, solenoids malfunctioning, etc. scare me off. It's not uncommon to see a crash that is related to some type of calcium reactor related equipment malfunction.

The litermeter is rock solid and extremely reliable. The only maintenance is mixing 2-part occasionally and replacing the tubing on the pumps and recalibrating annually.

This is exactly my logic, also. LMIII are bullet proof. With a CaRx you rely on a lot of various parts working together. Scares me that it depends on pH meters and what not.

 

[MBSL55]

I am sticking with BRS two part and have custom 5g dosing containers and 250g actual TWV.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

 

[Acrokeeper3729]

This is exactly my logic, also. LMIII are bullet proof. With a CaRx you rely on a lot of various parts working together. Scares me that it depends on pH meters and what not.

This is not entirely true. Many people believe that Calcium reactors rely on PH meters, If dialed in correctly, they don't. My reactor works by Co2 going at about 1 bubble a second and a slow steady stream of water going through it controlled by a small ball valve so its just barely peeing for lack of a better word. Set like this, it works perfectly and relies on nothing. I can go 6 months like this without a single problem or even touching the reactor. The PH probe is just there so I can tell at a glance everything is working properly, if its not, nothing catastrophic happens, it just means maybe the flow output tubing is clogged and needs to be cleaned, this is very rare as I just replace my reactor tubing about once a year. The newer upflow reactors that use the large media do not clog up like the older models did. There are people who just crank up the bubbles and rely on the PH controller to turn the solenoid on and off to stay in the proper PH range in the reactor instead of dialling it in slowly to work steady. These are the guys relying on a PH meter. Automatic dosing relys on pumps and timers and tubing just the same as a properly set up reactor does.

My reactor only relies on a maxi jet with a ball valve, and a CO2 bottle set at 1 bubble a second. If I dial the ball valve to a slow steady stream, and the bubble count to 1 bubble per second I know the reactor is working properly. Thats it. I really don't even need the controller but its nice to have. They are not for everyone, but large sps tank owners who try one will find it is better than dosing IMO.

I also dose Kalk with my top off, but I have a large sps tank with high demand.

 

[mc-cro]

^ true, not many people set up a reactor this way. It is the safest and best way

 

[-Logzor]

This is not entirely true. Many people believe that Calcium reactors rely on PH meters, If dialed in correctly, they don't. My reactor works by Co2 going at about 1 bubble a second and a slow steady stream of water going through it controlled by a small ball valve so its just barely peeing for lack of a better word. Set like this, it works perfectly and relies on nothing. I can go 6 months like this without a single problem or even touching the reactor. The PH probe is just there so I can tell at a glance everything is working properly, if its not, nothing catastrophic happens, it just means maybe the flow output tubing is clogged and needs to be cleaned, this is very rare as I just replace my reactor tubing about once a year. The newer upflow reactors that use the large media do not clog up like the older models did. There are people who just crank up the bubbles and rely on the PH controller to turn the solenoid on and off to stay in the proper PH range in the reactor instead of dialling it in slowly to work steady. These are the guys relying on a PH meter. Automatic dosing relys on pumps and timers and tubing just the same as a properly set up reactor does.

My reactor only relies on a maxi jet with a ball valve, and a CO2 bottle set at 1 bubble a second. If I dial the ball valve to a slow steady stream, and the bubble count to 1 bubble per second I know the reactor is working properly. Thats it. I really don't even need the controller but its nice to have. They are not for everyone, but large sps tank owners who try one will find it is better than dosing IMO.

I also dose Kalk with my top off, but I have a large sps tank with high demand.

That's good to know I didn't realize you can set it up that way, thanks for the information.

 

[Kbra]

What's your suggestion on a reactor for a 400gal sps system?

 

[mc-cro]

A big one

 

[Kbra]

A big one

Word

 

[Kbra]

I'm sure Nick has some good insight :beer:

 

[Acrokeeper3729]

I would suggest a Vertex Rx6Duo, which is what I use, or a Geo would work well, like maybe a 618 or a 624, The 618 would work just as well as a 624, the 624 just holds more media so you would have to fill it more often. I love my Vertex but hear great things about Geo as well. Octopus Super reef octopus 1000 looks like a good lower priced alternative as well.