calcium reactor

[madmax7774]

I am having a hard time deciding if I want to invest in a calcium reactor. My coraline algae growth is really slow, and I am dsoing daily wityh b-ionic and purple-up. It's seems to help a little bit, but I am not sure if a calcium reactor would be better. I know nothing about them, other than the $800 or so necessary to get one going. Is it worth it? I could just keep spending $40 a month on additives. Finanically, it would take over 2 years of use before I see a financial benefit from one. Are they that much better than just simple daily dosing? I am looking for advice on this one from folks who already have one, and had to go through this thought process as well. What do you think?? I am in the hobby got tyhe long term, and am currently running a 75 gallon with a 30 gallon sump. I envision myself upgrading to a very large tank (280 or so) in 2 to 3 years.

[mutley29]

Hi Madmax

 

Try a kalk reactor and regular water changes, on my old tank i only ran a Ca reactor and didn't see that much growth, but since adding just a kalk reactor my monti growth is amazing, don't ask me why, i kept my Ca & Alk levels up when running the Ca reactor but never saw good growth, maybe it was due to the 20k's i was running at the time as opposed to the 10k's i'm running now.

 

Suffice to say i'm very happy with my Deltec Ca reactor from BRK and my Geo kalk reactor

 

And they are a lot cheaper than a Calcium reactor especially if you build your own

 

HTH

 

 

Anton

[mogurnda]

I designed and built my own. Very happy with being able to set it up, do some initial adjutments, and then let it do its job. The circulation pump on the unit died about 2 weeks ago, and it reminded me of what a hassle dosing by hand is. Now that it's back on line, I am happy again.

 

I am puzzled by what both of you said about growth. The goal of a Ca supplementation system, whatever the method, is to maintain Ca and alkalinity in the right ranges. If Ca and alk are in the right ranges and you're not getting growth, then there's something else that's limiting growth.

[Larry Grenier]

As stated

The goal of a Ca supplementation system, whatever the method, is to maintain Ca and alkalinity in the right ranges. If Ca and alk are in the right ranges and you're not getting growth, then there's something else that's limiting growth.

 

Seems to me that whatever method you use to maintain the proper levels that is most economical is the best way. Seems that folks with lots of SPS and clams are often using Ca Reactors and Kalk reactors combined. I only have a 65 with a 20 sump and small SPS frags along with some LPS and softies and I just drip Kalk and have good levels. I do weekly 2-3 gallon water changes as-well.

[madmax7774]

geez, I never even realized there was a difference between a kalk reactor, and a calcium reactor. I am going to have to go back and research this alot more I see. I do 10gallon water changes weekly. I measure water paramters at least once a week, and my paramters are fairly good:

All water comes from my RO/DI filter which my TDS mater tells me is less 2ppm TDS

80' F temp

1.025 salinity

8.4 dkh

8.2ph

0ppm ammonia

0ppm nitrite

0ppm nitrate

410ppm calcium

>.1 ppm phosphate

1245ppm mg ( if I remember correctly)

dual 175W MH 20,000K lights. on for 14 off for 10 hours.

[keeperofthefish]

What kind of salt mix are you using? Do you have a fuge? What are you feeding the tank? Do you have any chemical warfare going on between corals? Any leathers in the tank?

[madmax7774]

I have started with reef crystals, and have been sticking with them. I have a 30 gallon sump/fuge, with some sand and fiji mud in it with a few rocks, some algae, and some other stuff, with 24 hour fuge lighting. I feed the tank with danichi veggie pellets once per day and some marine flakes.. I feed DT phytoplankton 3 times a week. I dose purple-up and B-ionic once per day. No chemical warefare that I am aware of, no leathers. I have 2 small patches of Anthelia, 2 gorgonia's 1 see fan, and 2 rocks with polyps.

[flowerseller]

If you can easily maintain the existing #'s, I would stay with that program and revisit once you find yourself unable to.

[keeperofthefish]

I'm not a pro in the least, but everything sounds perfect to me. Outstanding husbandry, as far as I can tell. Do you have any algae problems, etc.? Are you running activated carbon or ozone to keep the water crystal clear? Any problems with micro-bubbles in the tank? What kinds of bulbs/ballasts are you running those 175s on (not that this should make much or any difference). You might want to consider feeding oyster eggs and cyclopeeze to the corals--better than phyto for most corals.