So it's 2010 now. Who still uses a calcium reactor and who's all on 2-part dosing?

[Zoaelite]

I'm very happy with my 3 part doser as have never had such amazing growth, mind you I have never used a Calcium reactor so I'm slightly bias. My draw rates aren't that large only 20ml per day of CA/ALK and 4ml of Mg which I will be doubling to compensate for all my livestock.

My fear with a Calcium reactor is a pressurized cylinder around corrosive salt water, panes of glass and $1000's of dollars with of livestock (My doser is much less explosion prone... at least I hope).
Levi

[Doug]

Originally Posted by zoaElite

I'm very happy with my 3 part doser as have never had such amazing growth, mind you I have never used a Calcium reactor so I'm slightly bias. My draw rates aren't that large only 20ml per day of CA/ALK and 4ml of Mg which I will be doubling to compensate for all my livestock.

Thats not much for your system Levi. With my 70g cube back in the mid '90,s I used to dose 30ml/day of 2 part. Unless it was more diluted or something.

My fear with a Calcium reactor is a pressurized cylinder around corrosive salt water, panes of glass and $1000's of dollars with of livestock (My doser is much less explosion prone... at least I hope).
Levi

I dont recall ever hearing of that, but I suppose any pressurized cylinder is a concern.

Anywho, my answer to Tony,s question is, a 2-part also and kalk. Thats all I have used since shutting down my large tanks, which did run co2 reactors. I still use Seachem 2-parts and most of Bens, 3-part additives.

[Lance]

2-part for me via auto doser

[lastlight]

I've got a low-tech doser. My phone has 4 alarms set and I dose alk and calcium an hour apart in the morning and same thing in the evening. Currently using 6mL of each. Only use Mg right now to bring my new water up to 1400.

[marie]

I use both....a calcium reactor on my large tank and 2 part on my smaller tanks.
I doubt I could ever be talked into using 2 part on my large tank, I hate the mess involved, mind you I'm dosing manually.
The reactor is soooo much easier it literally is set and forget especially now that I have a bigger reactor that holds more media and I only have to fill it every 4 or 5 months

[Zoaelite]

Originally Posted by Doug

Thats not much for your system Levi. With my 70g cube back in the mid '90,s I used to dose 30ml/day of 2 part. Unless it was more diluted or something.

Still kind of finding the sweet spot with the doser, I think I will be uping it to 40 40 and 8 right away here and then if I see a drop I will increase it to compensate.

Originally Posted by Doug

I dont recall ever hearing of that, but I suppose any pressurized cylinder is a concern.

To maintain calcium and alkalinity levels I formerly used a calcium reactor. One night I woke up due to some deafening noise. It was like the sound of glass being smashed into tiny pieces. The aquarium crashed – it was my first thought. With a heart beating fast, I jumped to my feet to see what had really happened. It turned out that the valve on the CO2 cylinder had failed. Fortunately, it was only the door of the cabinet where the CO2 cylinder was stored that was damaged – it was torn from its hinges. I felt both relief and anger; I made an irrevocable decision at that moment – no calcium reactor ever again.

- Krzysztof Tryc Reef keeping mag Volume 8, Issue 14

[MitchM]

I have parked my 2 calcium reactors in the barn. I got really tired of the salt water getting past the "one way valves" and ruining the solenoid, C02 leaks, clogged intake hoses, sticking regulator gauges.
It started to feel like a Rube Goldberg way to dose calcium.

I'm now dosing calcium and magnesium from ChemMaster with a Profilux doser set up.

Mitch

[globaldesigns]

I personally do everything manually. I use to premix all my calcium, DKH, MG, Str and so forth, but stopped even doing that about 4 months or so ago.

Now I have a chamber in my sump, located near the starting phase of the sump. this chamber sits in the water about 3/4 in, and the bottom is slatted. In the bottom of this container, I put about 1/2 inch of course foam (like what is used in reactors) to cover the slats and provide a simple barrier.

On a daily basis, I measure out my recipe of dry goods (All now Seachem) and then dump the goods in the chamber. What happens is that the water flow around the chamber (especially underneath) draw out the dosing's, and as it leaches out, fresh water also goes in to replace the saturated water and the process keeps happening. Eventually the dry goods are gone.

What is nice about this, is that I don't have to fuss with premixing, and I find my parameters to be perfect with very minimal swings.

Just another way of doing things, I find this solution to work well for me.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by zoaElite

- Krzysztof Tryc Reef keeping mag Volume 8, Issue 14

Guess always a first. One wonders how many more incidents we never hear about.

[Delphinus]

It's not the dosing part that has me nostalgic. I use some peri pumps and it works well enough. It's not like it's not keeping up the levels or anything like that ... I just hate mixing the stuff up. Hate it. Did I mention that it's messy, and I hate it? Because I hate it. I'd probably do it more often if I didn't hate it but .. I hate it. I'm not sure if I can make myself clear here: I hate mixing that stuff up!!!!!!!

Whereas a reactor ... bubbles counting? Check. (There's the daily investment of time). About every 6 months or so .. top up some gravel. About every year or so .. refill the CO2 cylinder.

How is that worse?? It's not. Guess the only thing is the CO2 part of the equation...