Thinking about calcium reactor.

[ChrisB]

I am thinking about getting a calcium reactor down the road . What are the differences between reactor and dosing if any?

 

[garys reef]

im thinking the same thing just worried things are going good right now dont want to screw things up

 

[ming]

Calcium reactor cost a lot more to startup, but its cheaper in maintenance when you have a lot of corals absorbing a lot of alk/ca. I was dosing close to 100ml of each part A and B of B-Ionic per day. I would buy B-Ionic by the 5g buckets.
When I setup my calcium reactor after, 1 container of ARM media and 1 fill up of 5# Co2 bottle would last me about almost a year with the same corals.
The other con of calcium reactor is, there's a higher learning curve to find the correct dosage.

 

[garys reef]

that is what im worried about everything is doing so good dont want to screw it up trying to dial in a reactor

 

[Jaftica]

im thinking the same thing just worried things are going good right now dont want to screw things up

Get the reactor...you wont regret it.

 

[ming]

You don't switch cold turkey. Just severely underdose with the calcium reactor at first, test your water daily. However much is underdosed, dose the rest with your current 2 part and increase the calcium reactor SLIGHTLY. Rinse and repeat over and over until you hit the sweet spot where no additional 2 part is needed.

You always keep some 2 part on hand just in case as backup in case you need to bump up your parameters, or if your co2 runs out. The calcium reactor shouldn't be used to increase the parameters, because if your parameters are going up each day, you'll eventually overshoot it and overdose, which is worse then underdosing. (Although its possible to use it to increase your parameters, but I don't recommend it due to the reason I just said) It should just be used to maintain your parameters steady.

You almost always see those "BIG" nice tanks with calcium reactors for a good reason. Although, when it gets to a very big tank size (densely packed few hundred gallons), I would use both just for redundancy.

 

[ChrisB]

If I do weekly water changes will that help? Just curiose on what brand of reactor is good?

 

[turbotone]

tagging along on this... looking to do the same upgrade as well.. still trying to figure where im going to incorporate it in my sump

 

[ming]

If I do weekly water changes will that help? Just curiose on what brand of reactor is good?

Based on your posts, you have a 36g tank. I do not suggest a calcium reactor on that small tank size. You also just started it, so water changes should be plenty. Even when your tank is fully stocked, a calcium reactor is still too much for it. I would suggest a calcium reactor for a 120g+, or an extremely stocked SPS 75g tank

 

[strgazr27]

that is what im worried about everything is doing so good dont want to screw it up trying to dial in a reactor

You don't have enough sticks to worry lol. 1-2 tsp Kalk/gal top off and you'll be good to go.....


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[garys reef]

bobby im dosing 50mls of cal 90 mils of alk and 30 mils of mag a day just to keep it at 460 8 dkh and 1440 mag and your pissing me off

 

[ChrisB]

I kinda figured I would just get some brs kalk and add to my topoff . I Know I will be going big in the future so was just curiouse, I have only just did fish only tanks and always went over kill on my filtration and stuff . Thanks guys I realy apreciate all the help over the last few weeks. I have aquestion on a dif topic . Chaeto i have mine tied with fishing string to lil pieces of rock . Am I not supposed to do that? I was instructed on miracle muds site to do so.