Calcium Reactors ???

[brizzo]

A calcium reactor is also a good excuse to get a decent controller .... That's my "excuse"

You also don't have to purchase one, lots of info out there on DIY calcium reactors!

[Whatigot]

there is a diy job in the classifieds right now with co2 for 150.

How much 2 part additive would it take to cover that cost?

[Oxymoron]

Im not trying to thread hijack but what is the difference between a calcium reactor and a kalk drip? Do they serve the same purpose?

[Marlin65]

Same end result more or less but different process.

[NAS]

I just finished about two weeks ago installing my calcium reactor.

They way they work is by bubbling CO2 through the reaction chamber and mixing with water you create carbonic acid driving pH down below 6.9 This dissolved the substate (slowly) releasin perfect trace elements (except iodine). This is fantastic for all stonies, heavy fish loads, Clams, big tanks (where dosing can be expensive).

Then by dripping the effulant back into my sump (about 6" drop) the CO2 De-gasses from and your pH of the effluant pops instantly back up to around 8.3. Depending on your flow rate you can tweek the feed ammount of Ca, KH, and trace elements.

The only thing I found is that there was not an adiquate ammount of Magnesium coming in from the reactor so I still dose with a magnesium suppliment weekly, and Iodine.

Im running a Coralife reactor with a reefkeeper controler. The controler keeps the pH between 6.7 and 6.4. This limits the wastage of CO2 (using a 20lb beverage grade CO2).

Prior to the application of the reactor my clam tank would drop my Calcium from 480 to 230-255ppm in one night. The KH would go from 220-120 in about 9 hours. I was dosing 15ml of purple up twice a day (that's a 300 gallon tank dose) My clam tank is 40 gallons.

This led to a pH swing which my acros did not like.

Now, with the reactor balanced and running my KH is holding exactly at 200ppm (i run a little high), and Calcium at 500ppm (a little high).

I will pop some pictures and post them when I get home today.

Here is a pic of the clams






If you can afford it run with a power controler on a solenoid (co2 supply) it will be well worth it in the long run.

Any questions on sources just message me.

[martym]

very nice tank

[NAS]

I was just thinking about the Reactor/supliments thing.

I think the key is your needs.

Ie: if you tank has a High demand with a lot of fluctuations, costs, time ect.. then save up and get the reactor.

If you are tight on cash... and suppliments suffice stick with supliments.

If you can afford the inital cost go with the reactor they are easy and reliable (till your controler ph probe packs it in...)

I have 5 reef/salt tanks. 2-95's, 40, 2-nano's. Only the 40 has the reactor. I dose all the other tanks with supliments.

I am strggling in that tank with the blade algae.... Nothing is keeping it under control.

[NAS]

The Calcium reactor also dissolves the other elements locked up in the coral. This includes your strontium, mb, Carbonate, Calcium, and every thing else. EXCEPT Iodine.

the Kalkawaser is only Calcium hydroxide, so it's strictly calcium. It also jacks your ph wich in turn causes swings in pH. If not done correctly this can cause big trouble.

[fkshiu]

Waay back when before the two-part method and reliable calcium reactors pretty much all old school reefers had was kalkwasser. I found with my old 46 gallon that it does provide both Ca and Alk, but it can't keep up with much demand since it is evaporation limited.

I use kalk now simply to keep pH up at night.

[NAS]

The bottom line comes down to your needs. If you are cool running suppliments you have to add Kalkawaser and Carbonate buffer. At different times.

One for Calcium (kalk) one for KH (carbonate buffer). There is no way around it. Best to do it at different times to avoid precipitaion of Calcium Carbonate.

The calcium reactor is like a constant feed of both. Keep in mind if you don't de-gas enough you can have pH issues with a reactor as well. An answer to an earlier query, you really don't want or need to direct feed to your return pump. It won't de-gas the reactor effluant and probably have too high of feed rate. Resulting in an over dose of KH and Ca2+