I found buying the reactor to only be half the cost of the setup so I dont know how much you'll save with a DIY job. I went with a Precision Marine 422 (the old downdraft style) for around $430 because it was the only thing I could find for sale in Canada at the time. This was just before I was introduced to this forum and all of the Canadian sponsors... if you really want to save a buck find one for sale used.
With that I also have a DIY effluent chamber, CO2 regulator from aquariumplants.com, a 2' CO2 cylinder, and Milwaukee pH controller. Everything plus the media after tax amounted up to about $1000...
At the time I found a lot of support for the GEO reactors on Reefcentral as well. Calcium reactors are a lot like skimmers and by that I mean you should buy one rated for a larger system than what you have and save youself from having to upgrade in a year.
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