Calcium reactor

[Scouter Steve]

Help me spend my hard earned cash. Right now I have a 325 gallon system that I top off with saturated kalk water and have been dosing 150ml of Randy's two part type 1 daily. I am considering going to a reactor to help simplify things. I have a CO2 system from my freshwater days so I would need a reactor and ready to rip. What I don't know is which reactor to look at. Or am I jumping the gun and should stay with the two part and kalk top-off?

 

[Frankie]

I would get a reactor if your needs demand it. Two part solutions can get quite expensive over time. I would look for an up flow reactor. I like the Barr and am building one now to replace the one i have. Barr Aquatic Systems - Custom Sumps - Beckett Protein Skimmers - Kalk (Nilson) Reactors - Calcium Reactors - Waste Collectors - Reef Systems - Salt Water Systems

 

[Scouter Steve]

Thanks Frankie. Do you think I am consuming enough to go for a CA reactor or is it just another toy I want?
Again for anyone, what brands are recommended here.
Money is burning a hole as you can assume.

 

[Frankie]

It's also going to help stabilize your system. I say go for it if your over loaded with cash

 

[Scouter Steve]

I say go for it if your over loaded with cash

Now you make it sound like we waste money on our glass oceans!

 

[Scouter Steve]

Still trying to find out if a Coralife unit for 165.00 is as good as a Koralline, PM, GEO for like three times as much. Does anyone have a Coralife unit and happy with it?

 

[mps9506]

Still trying to find out if a Coralife unit for 165.00 is as good as a Koralline, PM, GEO for like three times as much. Does anyone have a Coralife unit and happy with it?

After looking at the Corallife unit a rep provided us with I wouldn't recommend it. build quality and size is no where near what you get with a Geo or PM reactor.
If you get a unit get a quality unit. In the end a Geo reactor wouldn't cost that much more than a Corallife once you factor in tank, regulator media etc.

 

[slakker]

I have the Coralife... wouldn't recommend it if you can afford more... it's friggin' noisy because the CO2 builds up so it'll gurgle... and without a air bleed valve, you have to open up the flow to drain it so screws with the effluent and pH. If you don't bleed the CO2 out, then the system stalls as the pumps not strong enough to keep the water flowing when the CO2 builds up...

I'm thinking of modding mine the next time I change media to add an bleed valve. It that doesn't work, I'm going to get another system.

Once again I got lured into the "it's so cheap, I can buy 3 before it costs the same as 1 PM or better product"!!!

 

[saltysupply]

I wouldn't recommend coralife either, korallin or aquac would be the way to go as they have very good reputations

 

[Scouter Steve]

Does the box shape of the AquaC cause channeling or is that not a factor in a Ca reactor?????

 

[saltysupply]

the box shape is just so It can hold more media, not sure what you mean by channeling?

 

[Scouter Steve]

What I mean is like what can happen in a phosban reactor where the media does not get fully involved with the flow.

 

[docjal]

I use a tunzee and love it also expandablefor larger tanks and very little power consumption

 

[saltysupply]

I don't think that will generally be a problem, they designed them to be highly efficient.

 

[mps9506]

What I mean is like what can happen in a phosban reactor where the media does not get fully involved with the flow.

That is more a result of the media size and shape than the shape of the chamber.