What kind of salt

[Eb0la11]

So how important is a Calcium reactor for a reef tank? Does the reactor actually dose in calcium like you described above?

Currently I wasnt planning on getting one in the initial setup of my tank. I'll have a 165G reef tank with 20G Sump/10G refugium (all in one 30 G partitioned aquarium).

I won't be getting corals until my tank is more established in 3-4 months or so. I am hoping to fill it in the next 2-4 weeks depending on when its finished being built, really....

[xtreme]

A reactor is only one method of delivering calcium and IMO wouldn't be necessary for a new tank. I have a tank with dozens of stony corals and have no problem with simple 2 part dosing. A reactor may be something to look into down the road but I wouldn't worry about one yet.

[Eb0la11]

Originally Posted by xtreme

A reactor is only one method of delivering calcium and IMO wouldn't be necessary for a new tank. I have a tank with dozens of stony corals and have no problem with simple 2 part dosing. A reactor may be something to look into down the road but I wouldn't worry about one yet.

Ok good. What is simple 2 part dosing? I assume calcium just comes in two parts and I put a portion into the sump?

[xtreme]

Here is a good article about how to make your own calcium and alkalinity supplements and will help you determine how much to start dosing.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by xtreme

A reactor is only one method of delivering calcium and IMO wouldn't be necessary for a new tank.

Agreed. There are lots of ways to dose Ca/Alk, and it's not something to worry about for some time. In the beginning, once you have corals that are growing, water changes will suffice. After that, several commercial or home made 2 part products are available.
Once you have a tank full of corals and you can't keep up, you can look at some of the automated methods of dosing.

[Doug]

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