Calcium Reactors versus 2 part dosing

Im switching my two part chemicals over from ESV to BRS. This was one of my concerns with cost associated with two part like I stated in the thread peredhil linked....http://www.3reef.com/forums/water-chemistry/2-part-dosing-vs-reactors-74496.html

But after this thread I started I realized that Ca reactors arent necessary to keeping up with high demands. I now have my two part dialed in and prolly wont adjust it again for a few months to keep up with the growth.

I see more potential problems with a Ca Rx.Not to mention the costly investment. Yea I like to drop $$$ on my tank... but if its unnecessary than no need. Id just be a fool.

Jason Mckenzie here on 3reef uses 2 part on his 370 sps tank and has no plans on going back to a reactor. There are many others with large systems that use two part on their heavly dominated stony tanks. Food for thought.

 

i personally run a reactor and a dosing pump for kalkwasser at night prams steady as a rock but heres some reading for yahttp://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm about 3/4 down the page there is some charts on cost and other things

 

I was on the edge as I read all the posts. As a brand new beginner, I'll only be doing "simple corals". I am a ways from SPS. I decided to learn dosing first and get a good understand of chemistry and maintaining a tank and then when I upgrade to a larger tank, armed with a better understanding, I'll look into a reactor. Trying to go slow.

Mark

 

Randy Holmes-Farley. Get to know him. Read all his article. He has a crap ton. Everything you will ever want to know about marine chemistry. Much more than you probably want to.

Dosing is dosing. Get to know what your reef needs and how you can screw that up. Doing it store bought or bulk is only a matter of price. All those pretty packaged magic potions are all the same stuff. Make small changes and stay consistent. Understand what it takes to change your parameters.

Automating dosing is the next step. Very simple to do. Self contained dosers like Predhill uses, or dosing pumps ran by controllers. Get a controller from day one, and put it to work. If you already have a controller, then all you need are 2 $80 pumps from BRS.

I understand the benefits to reactors. To me though they just don't justify the price and added equipment. Just my opinion. They are not a bad deal. I'm not going to knock them, just don't see the need personally. My two part dosing is simple. A batch lasts me 3 months. Making a new batch in 15 minutes every 3 months is hardly what I call a PITA. BRS is cheap enough for me. Reactor media is cheaper, but it takes quite a while to make that money back with the higher capital investment.

Bottom line though is don't chase test results. Test at the same time. Start with a dose based on actuall water volume and manufacturer recomendations. Dose consistently and let it settle for two weeks and see where it lands. Make small changes and let that stableize and see where that lands. Being a rookie I chased results for a good part of 4 months. All over the place. Calcified my pumps. BRS said don't dose for two weeks and start at the begining. Made small changes every two weeks and dialed it right in. My stuff has been rock solid for 2 months now even with a lot of new additions. Go slow.

 

MM I havent ruled out a Ca reactor on my system in the future.... Myabe in a couple of years when my tank is jammed with SPS practically touching eachother and I have nothing else to play with.

But two simply say a Ca reactor is far better than two part dosing is ignorant.

They both have their advantages.... whether its ease, cost, maintenance, etc.

But for my system two part is the way at the moment. Each system is unique and you need to make the decision on your tank. Maybe when you get a bigger system. But on your 55 is un necessary.

 

Reef Chemistry Articles - Reef Central Online Community Archives

Here is over a 100 articles to get you started. Happy reading.

 

All those articles will keep me busy for a while, but I will read many of them. Eventually I plan to upgrade to a 250-300 gal DT. After a bunch of learning and experience, I could see a Ca Reactor making sense. As with many things in this hobby there is more than one way to skin a cat or keep a reef. For me, for now, automated 2-part made sense. Small tank, no SPS, beginner level. I didn't feel I needed a reactor after all the reading. It may be years before I would need one. By then, something "cooler" may be available. Peredhil is going to coach me some on dosing since I lives on the North side of Houston near me. There is so much to learn... lots of fun. I am very patient in setting up the tank, but very impatient in learning... I want to KNOW... Great feedback... the other thread debating this was great as well to see both sides.

Let me go read all the new articles. I sure more questions to come. The thing I am really struggling with is controllers. I think I need to run my tank for a while to understand better.

Merry Christmas,
Mark

 

My opinion Mark is that a controller is a must.... it just does not need to be right now. Play with your tank for a while.

Here is the run down on controllers. All they do is run relays that turn on and off. So absolutely anything that can be turned on or off is controlled. Most all the controllers have the same features.... lite ones and more sophisiticated heavy duty ones. The higher up the scale, the more acess you get and the more programing, probes, and outlets you can run. I run my 90g just fine on a AC Jr. No web or email, can only run two probes, 12 outlets, and 48 lines of programing. Plenty for me. The New Apex are just about infinte in probes outlets and programing.

So some of the tricks are elaborate lighting scemes, moon phases, wave making, reactor controls, PH controls and other probes ORP ect, ATOs and even running multiple tanks on the same controller. Here is the number one reason to own a controller of some sort. Temperature protection. All of them monitor temp. So I set my heaters up on full blast and turn the outlet on and off as needed. You program like "If temp < 78 then HTR ON". "If temp > 78.5 HTR OFF". But it does not end there... "If temp > 79 CHL ON". So heater off chiller on, yet if the temp rises much more, something is wrong. "IF temp > 80 MH OFF" So you can program in a ton of safety that says "if I ever get here, then do this", "if low water alarm is in, turn off return pump and ATO" and send me and alarm and an e-mail to alert me. Then you access you tank on line and look at whats going on and take care of it from work. The possibilities are as infinite as your imagination.

 

I am on the fence with dosing. Currently I have a Calcium Reactor, it does a great job. However, in the winter, I have a hard time keeping my ph stable and high. When the tank is evaporating 2 gallons a day, I can use my Kalk Reactor and keep my ph nice and high. The cooler months mean the doors and windows stay shut. It also means less evaporation. So I have been looking at the Profilux Standalone dosing unit. It's self contained, and can dose different solutions at different times, so you aren't dosing Ca or alk at the same time. The dosing is done very slowly, many times a day. This promotes stability, your levels don't spike or drop, it also keeps the ph at a great level, without having to rely on evaporation and kalk.

A Calcium Reactor does have its big pluses, the main one I feel is the fact that actual coral skeleton is being dissolved and returned to the water, this effluent contains more than just Ca and alk, it contains trace elements that corals skeleton is built by. Now you can dose trace elements, (Balling Method) along with your Ca/Alk/Mag.

 

More reading.

Calcium Reactor vs 2-Part in a 200g+ SPS tank - Reef Central Online Community