Question about reborn calcium media and reactor

[Esquire805]

Ok so can you actually just use reborn in a media reactor or do you need the calcium with the co2. Because how it seems to work is drop ph down and then drop. But what if it just breaks down automatically when oh in tank is low. Does this work

 

[bubbaque]

Your tank or calcium reactor needs low enough ph to dissolve the media.Caclcium carbonate starts to dissolve at a ph of 7.7. You add co2 to get the ph down to the range needed to dissolve the media. If your ph is not low enough, the media will stay the same size.

 

[Esquire805]

Your tank or calcium reactor needs low enough ph to dissolve the media.Caclcium carbonate starts to dissolve at a ph of 7.7. You add co2 to get the ph down to the range needed to dissolve the media. If your ph is not low enough, the media will stay the same size.

So it can just sit in the reactor then without the help of extra co2

 

[Caravanshaka]

So it can just sit in the reactor then without the help of extra co2

It will sit in the reactor, but will essentially just be a rubble rock reactor then. Without the addition of cO2, the media will not dissolve and will not add any calcium/alkalanity/trace elements back into the tank.

 

[Esquire805]

It will sit in the reactor, but will essentially just be a rubble rock reactor then. Without the addition of cO2, the media will not dissolve and will not add any calcium/alkalanity/trace elements back into the tank.

Wow so I have to buy this 400 dollar calcium reactor

 

[Caravanshaka]

Wow so I have to buy this 400 dollar calcium reactor

If your goal is to be adding calcium and alkalinity into the tank using a calcium reactor, I would say $400 is relatively cheap. My setup is:

Vertex Reactor - $500
10 lb cO2 tank - $100 (can go for a 5lb tank for a little less, but worth the upgrade I think)
cO2 in the tank - $30
Carbon Doser cO2 regulator - $300 (can get a cheaper regulator at $125, but harder to dial in)
Masterflex Peristaltic feed pump - $250 (can feed off your return pump for $0, just harder to dial in)
44 lb box of TLF reborn - $100

If you are looking for cheaper alternatives to add Calcium/Alkalinity, there is always 2-part dosing or kalkwasser. Depending on your dosing requirements, they are much cheaper alternatives that work. Calcium reactors are a lot more $ up front, but add the benefit of being more set it and forget it, as well as adding back trace elements and not just the big 3.

 

[bubbaque]

Caravanshaka hit it right on the head. Even if you buy a calcium reactor to use the media, it will be useless unless you buy the rest of the stuff to make it all work. You can run a calcrx without a ph probe but you would even need to add ph probe and monitor into the cost. The $400 calcium reactor is just the beginning of getting a calcium reactor running. Plan to be close to $1000, if not more.

Unless you have a pretty large tank with lots of stoney corals, it will be much, much cheaper to dose two part by hand or even put kalkwasser in your auto top off.

I decided to go with a calcium reactor because I have a large tank with a lot of stoney corals and the amount of two part I would need starts to add up real quick. I also liked the idea of set it and forget it.

 

[Caravanshaka]

Forgot about the pH monitor as well...I use my Apex so it wasn’t part of my purchase list.

 

[Esquire805]

If your goal is to be adding calcium and alkalinity into the tank using a calcium reactor, I would say $400 is relatively cheap. My setup is:
Wow that adds up quick
Vertex Reactor - $500
10 lb cO2 tank - $100 (can go for a 5lb tank for a little less, but worth the upgrade I think)
cO2 in the tank - $30
Carbon Doser cO2 regulator - $300 (can get a cheaper regulator at $125, but harder to dial in)
Masterflex Peristaltic feed pump - $250 (can feed off your return pump for $0, just harder to dial in)
44 lb box of TLF reborn - $100

If you are looking for cheaper alternatives to add Calcium/Alkalinity, there is always 2-part dosing or kalkwasser. Depending on your dosing requirements, they are much cheaper alternatives that work. Calcium reactors are a lot more $ up front, but add the benefit of being more set it and forget it, as well as adding back trace elements and not just the big 3.

 

[jda]

You need the lower PH to keep the media from getting all kinds of bacteria, slime and other stuff on it and turning it into a refugium.

Used reactors are the way to go. You can usually get one from somebody getting out of the hobby for at least half price... just pay attention and be patient.

I do not not use a PH probe. You can tune a reactor without one.

If you need to cut costs, you can use a MaxiJet or T off of your return line instead of a masterflex (I prefer this, actually and I have constant dosing pumps on the shelf). You can also use a simple regulator - M3 and Tunze are reliable and while not as precise as a Carbondoser box, they get the job done just fine. Any of this can get you going and you can add more stuff later, if you want.

 

[Esquire805]

You need the lower PH to keep the media from getting all kinds of bacteria, slime and other stuff on it and turning it into a refugium.

Used reactors are the way to go. You can usually get one from somebody getting out of the hobby for at least half price... just pay attention and be patient.

I do not not use a PH probe. You can tune a reactor without one.

If you need to cut costs, you can use a MaxiJet or T off of your return line instead of a masterflex (I prefer this, actually and I have constant dosing pumps on the shelf). You can also use a simple regulator - M3 and Tunze are reliable and while not as precise as a Carbondoser box, they get the job done just fine. Any of this can get you going and you can add more stuff later, if you want.

I will look on here for a used one