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#1
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![]() Cost of a Reactor:
Fixed Cost (initial equipment): $400 for the reactor + $150 for CO2 regulator (I use a beverage supplier to get the CO2 + tank). Variable Cost: ~$50/year for the CO2 and $40 per year for the media. Advantages of CO2 reactor: 1) After initial set-up, it's very low maintenance... Every 3 months I put in new media. Every 8 months, I call up the beverage supplier and swap out the 20 lb CO2 container. 2) Keeps alk and calcium levels balanced and stable. 3) Aragonite media contains trace elements, strontium, magnesium etc. that your corals need and at the right ratios. 4) Fancy looking set-up that you can use to impress your friends/chicks etc.. Disadvantages: 1) Initial setup can be tricky. Getting the water drip and CO2 injection rates right does require some trial and error (but so does 2 part dosing). That been said, CO2 reactors tend to give you a balanced/stable water chemistry, once set up and in steady state. 1) Media may be a source of phosphates. This is nothing GFO couldn't clean up. 2) Overdosing CO2 can cause algal bloom and pH to drop. I don't control CO2 dosing with a pH meter on the outlet of the reactor, but use a timer (9 minutes of CO2 dosing every hour). This prevents CO2 overdosing because of pH meter failure. The pH in my tank is very stable and swings between 8.1 and 8.3. I've personally never had any pH issues because of the CO2 reactor. Good lighting and a kick-rear skimmer with compensate for any pH reduction due to a properly set up skimmer. 3) Low drip rate of water through the reactor can be difficult to control. The biggest success I've had with this is using a slip stream from the outlet of my circulation pump (i.e. the pump that pumps water back to the display tank from the sump). Plugging of this flow leads to overdosing CO2 into the reactor and the media can turn to mush if this is allowed to continue for a lengthy period. I've used powerhead type pumps and have had problems with them eventually leaking current (although they're just as effective as using a slip stream). I've used Aqua Medic dosing pump and the Oscar aqua lifter pump and found neither have enough oomph and often plugged. The slip stream method worked best and I eliminated another source of current leakage in my tank.
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180 gal tank, 50 gal sump, PM RFCa6 Ca Reactor, SWC Extreme 250 1A Cone Skimmer, Tunz Osmolator ATOF, Aquacontroller Apex, Aquaillumination Sol Super Blue 6 x 75w Units, Acros/Softies/LPS/Mushrooms/Zoos, Purple/Powder Blue/Yellow Tang/3xBlue Chromis/2xTomato Clown/Lawnmower Blenny Last edited by amoreira; 02-13-2011 at 03:45 PM. |
#2
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![]() Like every one so far has said. if you already have the Ca reactor setup there is realy no advantage to switching.
the reactor was explained but also a few other advantages. the main one being it takes up less room than a dosing system. so a dosing system also has advantages, one being the cool factor, two bwing the ability to meter the exact amount of suplememnts you need (this can also be a disadvantage as the more stuff you want to control the more pumps you need and the more containers you need) and three could do a neater install setup with everything remote mounted. as for weather you should switch.. I think it would be a waist of money as you wouldn't realy gain anything out fo the switch except more work, and a tech fix. Steve
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![]() Some strive to be perfect.... I just strive. |
#3
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![]() Yes I find it's iffy to dial in te drip rate and bubble count, as it doesn't stay consistent. After a while the tubing would get hard and clogged so than affect drip rate.
The reactor and Co2 cylinder are big and bulky. Whereas there are triple pump dosers with buIlt in timers, so I could mount that on the wall and have 3 jugs on the floor. As far as cost, I could sell the reactor setup and invest in dosing equipment. Hmmmmmmm....
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Gary Tank was up for 7yrs and 10months. Thanks Everyone! 2016/2017 180Gallon Build Coming Soon... |
#4
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![]() Quote:
Add a peristaltic pump to control flow to eliminate drip rate problems. Cheaper than adding three peristaltic pumps for dosing.
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400 gal reef. Established April, 2007. 3 Sequence Dart, RM12-4 skimmer, 2 x OM4Ways, Yellow Tang, Maroon Clown (pair), Blonde Naso Tang, Vlamingi Tang, Foxface Rabbit, Unicorn Tang, 2 Pakistani Butterflies and a few coral gobies My Tank: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=28436 |
#5
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![]() My setup is really easy. I have a stream coming out of the reactor, no drip rate. I run CO2 full time at a bubble per second, and control output via flow. More flow = less contact with CO2. I tweak it about every 3 months as growth rate expands, and fill it every 8 or 9 months.
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Brad |
#6
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![]() If the water is just streaming out of the reactor, then the pH in the reactor would not be low enough to break down the aragonite. Doesn't the pH have to be around 6.5 in the reactor?
If it's just streaming through the reactor, it would be closer to the level of ur tank, which is around 8.2. Quote:
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Gary Tank was up for 7yrs and 10months. Thanks Everyone! 2016/2017 180Gallon Build Coming Soon... |
#7
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![]() I don't steadily bubble in the CO2, but let it bubble in at a good rate for 9 minutes every hour. The amount of CO2 in the water becomes saturated in the column. Some excess CO2 gets blown off, but the amount of CO2 in the water is the same every time as it's saturated. The pressure in the column rises to the point were the flow of water through it stops. Eventually, enough CO2 gets blown off or dissolves in the water that the pressure drops and the flow through it resumes. The pH drops and a good amount of aragonite gets dissolved. This method gives me stable Ca/alk parameters. Maybe I'm using too much CO2, but it's not a big waste in my opinion.
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180 gal tank, 50 gal sump, PM RFCa6 Ca Reactor, SWC Extreme 250 1A Cone Skimmer, Tunz Osmolator ATOF, Aquacontroller Apex, Aquaillumination Sol Super Blue 6 x 75w Units, Acros/Softies/LPS/Mushrooms/Zoos, Purple/Powder Blue/Yellow Tang/3xBlue Chromis/2xTomato Clown/Lawnmower Blenny Last edited by amoreira; 02-14-2011 at 01:24 AM. |
#8
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![]() Quote:
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Brad |
#9
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![]() Well I can get a triple pump doser with individual built in timers/displays for $170.
The controller turns off the CO2if the pH in the reactor gets too low.
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Gary Tank was up for 7yrs and 10months. Thanks Everyone! 2016/2017 180Gallon Build Coming Soon... |
#10
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![]() i bought a double dosing pump for about $310 bux after taxes
http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/s..._ID=am-d370105 I never ran a reactor but i was stuck in the middle i had 30 pounds of dry dosing products and a full co2 set up front an old planted tank. the decision was made based on my already full stand with a 3 footsump and closed loop pump in a stand with an inside total length of 40 " so i was going to have something sitting outside the stand..........2-1G jugs or a co2 tank/regulator and a calcium reactor pump ect.......... i hung the pump unit in the stand and have 2-1G jugs that are between a chair and the stand so you barely notice them I always found it was a severe pain in the ass for me to get my co2 tank filled as i work close to home and the closest/decent priced fill was 45 min in rush hour. so i figured from my situation the reactor was uglyier noiser and more expensive to set up some people say set and forget some have to tinker none stop dosing I throw some baking soda on a baking sheet bake for an hour fill a 1 g jug with the baking soda and water shake and im done calcium is measure and pour into jug and shake done. im lazy so i throw it in a 5 G pail with a powerhead for a couple min to mix but shaking works as well. I go through just over a pound of Ca and a pound of baking soda a month so costs for chemicals are under $5 a month and maybe 4 pounds Mag a year i ordered dry chemicals 20 lbs at a time and shipping isnt too bad
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250G DD LED SPS R.I.P. 180G LED SPS 80"x36". 300G custom build Owner of Mountain Ridge Heating and Gas Class A gas fitter, HVAC |
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