3 part or Ca Reactor

[apexifd]

with boxing day coming up, I am hoping these will go on sale @ J&L. but, which one should I get??

thinking of either 3 part Aquamedic doser or deltec reactor package.

any feed back will be great.

thanks

Peter

[Dez]

I have never used 2 part, but have been using a calcium reactor all along. A calcium reactor is expensive to start out, but after that it's pretty inexpensive. I find it maintenance free. I have lots of stony corals but it's still maintenance free. I know many of the hobbyists are on 2 part, I'm not sure how often you have to mix and refill etc... I basically fill my reactor about once every 4 months and I only have a 10lb C02 bottle but that lasts about 6 months. I picked a reactor that was super easy to refill to make filling easy, it has a screw top, so no thumb screws to deal with. HOpe this helps.

[Aquattro]

I'm with Dez on the reactor..

[TimT]

I would steer clear of Deltec. THey use a modified powerhead which is a pain to repair or get parts for when it wears out after a few years.

I switched from CA reactor to 3 part cause my 4' tall DIY reactor could not keep up. If you still want to go reactor I have one of Titus's CanReef reactors that you can have for $75. I have the Eheim 1060 pump that it uses too. Another $75 for the pump.

[Coleus]

Depend on your tank size and what you are housing. BRS has a very good video explaining what you should go for

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/

Select "Choosing a calcium ..." topic

[Dez]

Originally Posted by TimT

I would steer clear of Deltec. THey use a modified powerhead which is a pain to repair or get parts for when it wears out after a few years.

I switched from CA reactor to 3 part cause my 4' tall DIY reactor could not keep up. If you still want to go reactor I have one of Titus's CanReef reactors that you can have for $75. I have the Eheim 1060 pump that it uses too. Another $75 for the pump.

I'm not sure if it's the size of the reactor that counts, but how you adjust it. You could have a 4' tall reactor but if you aren't adjusting the effluent to flow enough, it won't keep up. I only have a 150 gallon, but it's literally jam packed with sps that's growing at an alarming rate and about 200 frags in my frag tank at any given time and I run a small calcium reactor (it's the reef octopus dual chamber one). I just adjust the effluent to flow more if my levels aren't keeping up. At first, it was just "drip drip drip", now with all of the corals growing so much it's more like a tiny stream. This is only from my experience and not to create any conflict. Hopefully it will aid the original thread apexifd in his decision.

[apexifd]

oh yeah.. I should have mentioned that this will be an SPS dominated 75gal tank.

[whatcaneyedo]

I've got the PM 622 Ca Reactor on my 220gal system and I'll never change. However you'll find that most people (2:1) on this site prefer 2-part dosing. Do your research and decide on what will work best for you. Also, have a look in the buy/sell section. I think there are three calcium reactors for sale used right now. If you're looking for a deal that would be the best way to go.

So it's 2010 now. Who still uses a calcium reactor and who's all on 2-part dosing?
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=66438

[TimT]

Originally Posted by Dez

I'm not sure if it's the size of the reactor that counts, but how you adjust it. You could have a 4' tall reactor but if you aren't adjusting the effluent to flow enough, it won't keep up.

Yes, I agree completely that proper adjustment is very important for reactors. My reactor had a Tunze pH controller which kept the reactor at 6.5. The effluent line was wide open and it still couldn't keep up. I even pressurized the reactor to 10 psi to get it to flow more but it still couldn't keep up. It was time for a new methodology. :-)

When I switched to dosing 3 part with a standalone GHL doser I used 2.5 - 3 litres per day of Calcium mix. 3 part Balling is much cleaner for me. Now I make a pail of each mix and dont worry about it for a bit.

[ScubaSteve]

To comment with my limited experience in dosing, what attracted me to 3 part is the the ability to really dial in how much you dose. Calc reactor are like dosing kalk in that alk and calc are going in at the same ratio. If your levels are off for whatever reason, you can up either calc or alk independently without needing another product. So far I've found 3-part to be just dandy. But then again, once a calc reactor is dialed in it's good...