Poll: Do you use Calcium Reactor or Dosing Pumps?

[Nitr8]

Calcium reactor for me. I like the idea of set and forget. Once dialed in I only test ALK about once a month but never really changes.

 

[tmg1286]

I'm using a Bubble Magus dosing pump for kalkwasser, magnesium and top-off water. Works like a charm!

 

[Latinreefer]

Geo calcium reactor with electronic aquarium plant regulator.set it and forget it #perfect

 

[gacolt]

i use kalk right now but its hard for me to keep per stable since i add it to my ato so im switching to a 3 part cal,alk,mag with a dosing pump.

 

[reefhappy]

I have done both but after biting the bullet for a Ca reactor, I would hate to go back to dosing. It is pretty much set it and forget it, with occasional checking lines to make sure they are not clogged a your Co2 has not run out

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Calcium reactor is the best.

 

[dknuckles]

I ran a CaRx for many many years w/o a single problem. This year I had a few issues to say the least and switched to ESV 2-part on a Vertex doser.
I can honestly say I do not know why I did not switch long ago! The control is unbelievable and would never be able to dial a reactor so precisely.


Yay! My 1000nth post

 

[JBNY]

I use a Calcium reactor now, but have had success with kalk and dosing. I think it eventually depends on how much time you want to invest in keeping your alk and Ca stable. When you are moving coral in and out and the needs vary, it can be frustrating to keep paramters in check with any method as the dosing can change. Once you have a stable amount of corals growing I found that a few days or a week to dial in a Ca reactor was more convent for me than dosing manually or with a doser. Other than changing out media once every 6-8 months with the Ca reactor there was little else to do for that part of the tank.

 

[Quinn123]

Calcium reactor for two yrs now.

 

[hatfielj]

I used to use a Ca reactor on previous set ups, but tried 2 part dosing on my current tank and I love it. SO much simpler to adjust and set up. Ca reactors can be finicky and are prone to problems. I see 2 part as much more dependable. Luckily my tank is relatively small (130 gallons total) so its not an issue to keep my dosers full. If I had a larger tank with a lot of big colonies, I could see needing add a Ca reactor.

 

[duke4130]

Calcium reactors are not difficult at all. Once you have it set, you do a couple a test for a couple of days then it is set it and forget it. It was one of the best investments I ever made for my system. I do not trust dosers... One malfunction and it can crash your tank

 

[Budman's Corals]

Peristaltic pump on a timer with a kalk reactor for me. Should I mark dosing pump?

What kind of Peristaltic pump do you use?
im running a avast marine reactor with extra chamber total 35lbs and my 1200 maxi works ok and im dripping 90ml a minute and reactor set at 6.50 to dissolve i would like a pump like yours but the one i use to use was kinda noisy that's y im wanting to know yours

 

[ReefPiracy]

With BRS two part I never could grow monti and sps only lasted for a while before turning over. The calcium reactor with apex/ph is set it and forget it. Keeping the drip rate from being too low will prevent clogging(i feed my reactor off the main header of plumbing). Adjust drip rate to 35 ml/min at the lowest and change the ph higher if it is too much alk. I will say the reactor took a while to figure it out but now for 5 bucks i can fill a CO2 bottle and still yet to buy media. I really only test alk now since the reactor adds equal parts. I had the best color at the last frag swap.

 

[-Logzor]

Calcium reactors are not difficult at all. Once you have it set, you do a couple a test for a couple of days then it is set it and forget it. It was one of the best investments I ever made for my system. I do not trust dosers... One malfunction and it can crash your tank

True but cannot also a calcium reactor fail? What if the pH probe fails?

It's funny because I see the calcium reactors as far more accident prone!

Dosing pumps rarely fail, I've been running my Litermeter pumps for over 6 years. They only fail in one of three ways:

The pump stops because it wasn't oiled (need to do this every 6 months)
The tube comes out of the solution
You run out of solution

I'm sure calcium reactors can be just as reliable but I'm downright terrified of them LOL

 

[buckroe07]

What kind of Peristaltic pump do you use?
im running a avast marine reactor with extra chamber total 35lbs and my 1200 maxi works ok and im dripping 90ml a minute and reactor set at 6.50 to dissolve i would like a pump like yours but the one i use to use was kinda noisy that's y im wanting to know yours

I'm using avast marine's. It is actually noisy but fortunately my tank is in it's own area so it doesn't bother me that much. I think avast marine now makes a quite one which I might buy and give it a try.

 

[Budman's Corals]

i'm using avast marine's. It is actually noisy but fortunately my tank is in it's own area so it doesn't bother me that much. I think avast marine now makes a quite one which i might buy and give it a try.

and yours runs 24/7 correct?

 

[dsmhero]

I am currently doing it manually, but I will be getting dosing pumps and a controller soon.

 

[SaltyTan]

I just recently purchased the Bubble Magnus 3 part doser and will be installing next Tuesday 11/18. I have been keeping an eye on my dosing regiment and found my system consumes 35ml mag, 40ml Alk, 10ml Ca - Daily. I'm hoping the dosing system can keep this stable and allow for a few extra days of vacation. I've never used a Ca reactor but will be following the thread. I try and keep my MG above 1500 to keep hair algae in check. My Nitrates are 0 and phos between .04 -.06 and run Phosban reactor. Lets see if the dosing pumps work.

 

[-Logzor]

I just recently purchased the Bubble Magnus 3 part doser and will be installing next Tuesday 11/18. I have been keeping an eye on my dosing regiment and found my system consumes 35ml mag, 40ml Alk, 10ml Ca - Daily. I'm hoping the dosing system can keep this stable and allow for a few extra days of vacation. I've never used a Ca reactor but will be following the thread. I try and keep my MG above 1500 to keep hair algae in check. My Nitrates are 0 and phos between .04 -.06 and run Phosban reactor. Lets see if the dosing pumps work.

You're going to love the dosing pumps, I can leave for a week and only have the tank sitter feed the aquarium and test. The dosing pumps do all the work but you cannot become complacent. Test your pumps regularly to ensure they work properly and to ensure you have plenty of two-part solution remaining. Also, every 6 months or so be sure to oil your pumps based on the manufacturers recommendations. Awesome reef, by the way!

 

[duke4130]

You're going to love the dosing pumps, I can leave for a week and only have the tank sitter feed the aquarium and test. The dosing pumps do all the work but you cannot become complacent. Test your pumps regularly to ensure they work properly and to ensure you have plenty of two-part solution remaining. Also, every 6 months or so be sure to oil your pumps based on the manufacturers recommendations. Awesome reef, by the way!

Funny that you say this because when I got home last night I noticed my regulator was turned on but it wasn't producing any bubbles so it wasn't dosing the tank as it should have. It must have been like that for a couple of days. The saving grace with having a reactor if anything does fail, is that it is a controlled drip so lets say your PH probe fails and your media turns to mush, you have a controlled drip and and you will have time to fix it. I have heard the horror stories about dosers going bad and dumping a full container of 2 part into the system and crashing the tank. If the ph probe or your regulator fails on a calcium reactor the chances are that you will not crash your tank because of the controlled drip going into your system. A doser does not have that type of fail safe.