OK, well I read the user agreement very thourougly before placing the above post, and actually there is nothing in there about commercial posts. With that in mind though, I try to use my good judgement.
Theoretically, the kalk would be 'good' for an infinate amount of time depending upon the amount of dissolved CO2 in your RO/DI water. I do however,suggest that about monthy, the reactor is drained and refilled. Then again, using ESV brand kalk, I get almost totaly dissolution. So then that does not become a problem. I will tell you that I do put a john guest shut off valve on the input of the reactor so you can easily change out the check valve line and rinse the reactor out. Plus it is made even easier with the lid being CNC cut with key holes. So I do suggest if your not using a very high quality kalk like ESV that you turn off the valve, remove the feed line, insert a drain line and pour some water in to rinse out the bottom of the reactor. In summation, add kalk monthly if using a good kalk, or rinse and add kalk monthly if using pickling lime or such.
The combo reactor is essentially two separate reactors using the same base. They were designed for both beginning reef keepers and the experienced alike, and people who are on tighter budgets. The base is 17" long by 7" wide, which when set perpendicular in a decent size stand, it can sit next to a sump and take up relatively little space but still use the verticle space. It also maximizes some space, as the mixing pump for the kalk side, sits beneath the flanges of the two reactors. Once you start filling a stand you realize every couple inches help! We all know by the discussions held that the absolute best way to run a reef tank is by running a kalk and a calcium reactor together. Thus this is a great way to do it in a confined space. Additionally the reason it works for a person on a budget, is because you can run them separately. So initially they can just inexpensively set up the kalk side as their tank matures and grows and the kalk reactor cannot keep up by evaporative dosing you can then bring the calcium reactor online once they have saved enough to get the CO2 system. This makes the huge investment of a Calcium reactor able to be worked into a budget over time and thus more easily.
As for Geo's stuff, when I was a newbie, I was in awe of his stuff, I had seen it on several peoples tanks. It was awesome stuff!!!!!! I drooled over his stuff. Then came the time when I needed either a kalk or calcium reactor and I decided on kalk. Geo does not advertise that he makes one. No one made a commercial kalk reactor at the time except for the aquamedic one. And I was not about to spend that much money on a kalk reactor. So I made one. A few people saw it and wanted one. That was back in the PVC/acrylic hybrid days. I then aquired a small CNC mill that can do a flange at a time, and then people really loved them. So I had a shop do large runs, and as the business grew, so did my purchasing power. So finally with a large enough order, cast acrylic became a more reasonable price point, and several product revisions and design upgrades we ended up with an awesome kalk reactor. I use a bench jointer to joint and finish the ends of the tubes before solvent welding, and use weldon #4. Much better seams compared to weldon 3# which just works way too fast. I have just recently started using weldon #4052 for some of the acrylic to acrylic to CPVC joints. Such as pump mounts. Where the acrylic tube welds to the main body tube, but yet welds the cpvc elbow to the out side of the main tube as well for a double seal just in case.
Then one day a close friend wanted me to build them a calcium reactor. Several revisions later we had a decent calcium reactor. BTW, dual 6" tubes on a 3/8" base means it is going to leak from the flex in the bottom!!!! you need a thicker base!!! LOL! Anyhow, i remember the day I threw that beast into the dumpster.
The combo reactor was born one day by feminine inspiration. The girlfriend at the time took a look at my tank and went, "that looks like a science experiment gone wrong." So I sat there and stewed on doing a combo reactor. Then one day someone gave me a prod, and the combo was born.
Guarantee? Guaranteed not to leak and perform as designed. However, if you hook a reactor up to 40lbs of house hold pressure and you expect it to hold together for more than a few minutes, well then uh, that was a pretty cool little explosion! Believe me, it happened! That is why I mention on the site and so forth that you should feed them from a reservoir or with a dosing pump. If you HAVE to have your RO unit hooked up to your tank without 15 bazillion back ups on it, then make sure a solenoid is placed BEFORE the reactor so it does not have all that pressure on it!
As for discussions, perhaps you would like to see my 46bow front with dual 400watt radiums over it? Yeah, I am a little bit crazy!!!!
Or how about an awesome friend's sps tank that is a 58 oceanic with a CA return pump, single 250 watt ushio and a kalk reactor!!!! Now that is one awesome looking tank! And his clam takes up 1/3 of it, it is soo huge!
I have been around the block, and had tanks crash, and so forth, I tend to stay away from a lot of the reocurring questions like, help i have a brown film, or where can i get cheap live rock, as if I continually answered those questions I would become a cranky old man!
I additionally help out Dirk, of Dirks store here in Minnesota. he has dry goods stacked to the ceiling, and ships in live corals and clams, so I know that side of the business as well. I think I have a pretty well rounded outlook on it all. So you generally will not see me take too many wild leaps except until you ask me about my LFS! $25 for a one inch bulkhead is just plain old highway robbery. Also if you want to sit and chat about tanks, I do that way too much too! That is if you an catch me with a bit of time.
I do this part time, like most of us hobby businesses, so I do have a day job!
Dang, I just got done feeling like I did a product roll out in aquarium fish magazine!!!!!! I hope that gives you an idea of my philosophies, a little company history, personality, and answers some of your questions. If it was over the top, then mods, please edit as you see fit.
Regards,
Patrick
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