Larger Calcium Reactor Recommendations

[M.E.Milz]

I am running a Koralin 1501 reactor on my sps and lps dominated 200 gallon reef tank, and it just isn't keeping up with calcium and alkalinity demands. In addition, latter this year, I plan on moving my reef into a larger tank (probably about 350 gallons) that will be connected to a FOWLR tank (probably 150 gallons) by a pair of interconnected sumps/refugiums. The total system will be around 500 gallons.

I do NOT want to dose kalkwasser, calcium chloride, 2-part solutions, buffers, etc. ever again (except to buffer RO make-up water). So I am looking for a calcium reactor that will more than handle the demands of this system.

Any recommendations? Right now, I am looking at the $575 Knop HD (holds 16-17 pounds of media) or the $500 Koralin C-4002 (a new model that holds 13 kilograms of media).

Thanks in advance, Mike

 

[percula]

I like the bigger Korallin, or get a custom one made by precision marine or myreef, all three choices are good.

 

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Hi M.E.Milz! You might want to go to this site and fill out the form at the bottom of the page. This man is a hobbyist like you and me and he does awesome work from what I have read on other boards. Here is the site: http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/atl/a/d/adaiss/CR/calcium_reactor.html
Johnny

 

[Ritteri&Bubbles]

I would have to say the PM 622 Ca reactor is the best of the biggies! I like it alot better than the current Korrelin 3002 and 4002(i think thats right). Holds a ton of media, uses a great ehiem pump, all John Guest and spears fittings and the best ball valve on the market for adjusting your effluent, and its even built into the top! Mike does the best job in the industry at over building designs. You get what you pay for.

 

[DonK]

Mike,

I am very happy with my Marine Tech Pro-Cal. I use it on my 800G reef system and it does a very nice job. (Though I do occasionally dose kalk as well.)

Everything R&B said about PM (which I have no experience with), I would say about MTC (skimmers as well as their Calcium Reactor).

DonK

 

[JeremyR]

Mike will make you a dual chamber reactor too if you ask him... I have a dual 4" for my 150 gallons of SPS and it works great... a 6"x4" dual chamber would probably suit your needs.

 

[M.E.Milz]

Any more suggestions? Or comments comparing the suggested reactors? They also seem to be priced in the same ballpark.

 

[Carpentersreef]

I'm happy with my Aquamedic running my 240g system. Not sure how you compare different reactors, exactly.

Mitch

 

[KenH]

I'm running the PM CR622 on my 225 and seem to have plenty of headroom left with a moderately stocked mostly SPS setup.

--- Ken

 

[Greg Hiller]

At this scale it really is cost effective to just build your own. I have a 6 in. diameter reactor about 32 inches high that works quite well. It is a single pass system. The only real cost is in the recirc. pump, I use the smallest Eheim pump, but I think I may move to the next largest Eheim.

check out my system at www.angelfire.com/ma3/ghcorals

- Greg Hiller

 

[M.E.Milz]

Right now, I have quite a bit on my plate with the design of my new dual tank system underway. I am therefore inclined to just purchase a commercial model, although I would definitely consider a custom unit made by someone with experience making reactors. On the other hand, I might be willing to try and make my own reactor if I had good enough plans to follow.

As I originally said, I don't want to take any chances on an undersized reactor. Therefore, I am shooting for a reactor that is "rated" to handle at least 1000 gallons.

Mike

 

[davelin315]

Hey Mike, I've been looking into making one myself, and have found tons and tons of plans on the market and also some LFS owners in our area that are willing to help make one as they make their own. The guy I spoke to makes his own and he's got the most beautiful sps tank I've seen (some of the staghorn are actually growing onto the glass in his tank and forming flat surfaces that you can see!). He told me it'll cost around $40 in materials (all pvc pipes for his), and since you've already got the CO2 tank and valves etc., that's all it'll take. And if you want a fancier one that you can look inside, check out McMaster-Carr supply in Elmhurst (www.mcmaster.com). It's between Grand Avenue and North Avenue on County Line Road which is the West Frontage Road for 294. They sell all the way up to an 18" O.D. cast acrylic tube, or you can get squares, or anything else you need to do it yourself. And building it can be fun, too!

By the way, from the research I've done so far, I would think you could just add another chamber onto your system and increase the CO2 you dose into it and modify your single pass reactor into a double pass reactor. That would only require a minimal amount of plumbing and the addition of another chamber, size would be up to you (the experts out there, please correct me if this is inaccurate).

[ August 02, 2001: Message edited by: davelin315 ]