Poll: reactors, dosers, neither...

[mkengr45]

Trying to do a poll to see what method everyone uses to maintain alk, Ca, ph, mg etc...

Two-part users, are you using dosing pumps? (I use dosing pumps for two-part).

Calcium Reactor users how often do you have to tinker with your reactor, and what advantage do you think this method has when compared to dosers.

[Big_Pun]

im about to put a kalk reactor online.... the reason is to help battle ph(low in my tank) and also help keep calcium up. also i like kalk+ 2 because it has strotium and mag in it. two part wrks great but when i have to use 150 ml a day it goes fast.

[Mr Cob]

neither: I'm using Sea Lab blocks, keeps calcium up super high...a bit higher than I like.. 500-600 and keeps PH at around 8.4 on my system.

[LuckySingh]

Ur preference .... Reactor do ease out the work little bit if they r used right.... But when they malfunction they r pure disaster

[mkengr45]

How constant is that ph Mr. Cob? How is alk? I imagine with your calcium and ph that high that your alk has to be in a good range. The blocks dissolve at a rate dependent on flow around them, correct? Not really based on tank demand? Correct me if I'm wrong. How is your magnesium level with the blocks?

[mkengr45]

Ur preference .... Reactor do ease out the work little bit if they r used right.... But when they malfunction they r pure disaster
What makes them a disaster? Crazy ph? Are we talking frying a tank? Interested in your advice Lucky....also interested in your advice on GHL Profilux 3 controller I have.

[ErikH]

You can easily fry your tank with a single stage CA reactor. I owned a meltdown-free dual stage that Ace had made awhile back. I LOVED it. It's the one component I feel that I should have never sold. My boss (TexasTodd) was telling me that corals get used to CA reactors though, and if it were to clog, it would be a near instant disaster. It has happened to others in the past, and I'm talking big time tanks.

I am only dosing kalk now. It's simple, cheap, and brainless; Just like me! :P

[ErikH]

Oh, and you should see the progress on that bedroom set. It's all satin black now with some sweet, modern, pulls and knobs on it! It looks 100% different.

Two part is freaking expensive.

[mkengr45]

Oh, and you should see the progress on that bedroom set. It's all satin black now with some sweet, modern, pulls and knobs on it! It looks 100% different.

Two part is freaking expensive.
Glad to hear it works out well. The Ca reactor I have has a ph controller, so I am thinking maybe that makes it a bit safer...but I don't really know from experience.

[mkengr45]

Oh, and you should see the progress on that bedroom set. It's all satin black now with some sweet, modern, pulls and knobs on it! It looks 100% different.

Two part is freaking expensive.
Glad to hear it works out well. The Ca reactor I have has a ph controller, so I am thinking maybe that makes it a bit safer...but I don't really know from experience.

[Mr Cob]

How constant is that ph Mr. Cob? How is alk? I imagine with your calcium and ph that high that your alk has to be in a good range. The blocks dissolve at a rate dependent on flow around them, correct? Not really based on tank demand? Correct me if I'm wrong. How is your magnesium level with the blocks?

Here is my review thread on the block...
http://www.maast.org/showthread.php?69530-Sea-Lab-no-28-blocks-kilo&highlight=sea+lab+block

PH stayed pretty constant... I never tested alk, magnesium was off the charts. Correct on the block dissolving based on flow around it. Not sure how they can claim it dissolves based on tank demand. For large 100g plus systems I would use the block...for smaller systems such as my nano... I will use the small mini blocks. I like it and will continue to use the block. Prior to the block I used to use fiji gold powder. I like things that I cannot overdose. I'm so scared to crash my systems from my own error, this hobby is challenging enough without all my mistakes.

[mkengr45]

Agreed on that Mr. Cob....I'm afraid of crashing a tank and I like things even better when there is less room for me to screw up and over-dose it.

[mkengr45]

Kinda surprised not a single person has voted calcium reactor. Over on reef central there are a bunch of people that swear by them. What gives?

[Mr Cob]

had you posted this a couple of years ago I think you would have seen more calcium reactor votes...

[mkengr45]

had you posted this a couple of years ago I think you would have seen more calcium reactor votes...

I wonder why that is. Safety? Simplicity? Cost? Adjustability?

[Mr Cob]

then again, only a few people have posted and only two votes...lol, we hardly make up the majority of reef keepers.

[mkengr45]

Yeah, I guess our sample size kinda sucks...lol.

[FireWater]

I would vote, but I have no actual experience with calcium or kalk reactors on my tanks.

In the research I have done on them in the past it always seems to focus on the horror stories. Most revolve around clogged ports, system over runs, and the tedious process of getting them dialed in. There are success stories out there though and I am sure they are plenty.

I do know that I have seen 2 tank disasters personally with one being a calcium reactor and the other a kalk reactor that fried the tanks.

As far as the questions you posed of
Safety? Simplicity? Cost? Adjustability? . I can say that the complexity of setting up a calcium reactor and the need for constant checking of the kalk reactor were what chased me away at the beginning. Not to mention the upfront cost. I understand I may be better off in the long run cost wise, but it hurt too much in the beginning to justify it at the time.

I wish you luck in whichever route you decide.

[mkengr45]

Beating my head against the wall here...why cant these darn decisions be easy "cut and dry". I think I will run the Ca reactor on the tank for a while before I stock it up, just to see if it malfunctions or see how much I have to jack with it. By the way John, the flowerpetal cap I got from you has gotten big, and I have "payed it forward" with several free frags of it to our fellow reefers.

[Troy Valentine]

I have run a Kalk reactor, CA reactor, and dosing pumps, each for years at a time...... I loved my CA reactor, it was an amazing piece of hardware, and very easy to deal with when my system was young and had a limited calcium demand. However when the system matured and my clams became sizable and started to suck calcium. My effluent went from a slow drip to a heavy stream of 6.7 PH..... I basically lost my nerve, the reactor never let me down... I tried supplimenting with calcium chloride to lower the effluent but it became to much of a pain, so I switched to 2 part with dosing pumps..... I think it is cheaper and far less risky for my system. I would reccommend going with a Kalk and CA reactor at the same time like I did, it will help balance the PH, also go with a large reactor. There is nothing worse than having to break it down to add media once you finally get it calibrated correctly. Also invest in a secondary media chamber, and IMHO use mechanical valves to control flow in and out.... This was my experience and I never had a problem.

[FireWater]

Beating my head against the wall here...why cant these darn decisions be easy "cut and dry". I think I will run the Ca reactor on the tank for a while before I stock it up, just to see if it malfunctions or see how much I have to jack with it. By the way John, the flowerpetal cap I got from you has gotten big, and I have "payed it forward" with several free frags of it to our fellow reefers.

Glad to hear it. Paying forward is what it is all about.

[Dominican]

Think I'm gonna try the block... O_o

Guess that means I have a full Ca reactor setup for sale.. I was always too much of a ***** to finish setting it up!

[Scutterborn]

I use the little blocks in my nanocube. They seem to be doing a good job. I've had great growth in all of my SPS.


- Ben -

[Sherita]

Neither here. I haven't found that I need either one, even in my sps heavy reef in the bedroom. Kalk in my ato takes care of everything except the mg, and with my routine on water changes, it stays just fine without my adding any.