Calcium or Kalkwasser Reactor?

[Jolieve]

I'm in the market for some sort of automated dosing system for my 75. It has become clear to me that my corals will never grow unless I come up with a way to maintain a steady level of calcium in the system that does not require me to remember to mix kalkwasser up, let it sit overnight, pour into a container the next day, drip that evening... if I am not so dead tired that I just pass out on the sofa before I get anywhere close to starting a drip.

It seems like a reactor of some sort is the answer to my problem, but which way should I go? What are the pros and cons of calcium reactors vs. kalkwasser reactors?

Thanks!
J.

 

[Anonymous]

I would go with a kalk reactor first because they are way cheaper and easier to set up and maintain.

 

[ChrisRD]

I agree with Righty (affectionately known as "octo-locks" to the people of Tonga).

On the other side of the coin... ...although calcium reactors are more expensive to setup and harder to adjust IMO, they can deliver a lot more Ca/Alk. If you have a tank full of stonies and clams it might be the better way. They generally don't need to be refilled as often either. Also, you can put some dolomite in your calcium reactor and it can provide an automated means of adding Mg as well as Ca/Alk.

FWIW, according to Randy Holmes-Farley, limewater does not degradate as fast as many in the hobby assume and he just uses a big trashcan full of kalkwasser + dosing setup instead of a reactor. Same thing basically - just simplified a bit. I think he has to refill it every few weeks...

Personally I like running both types of reactors as they seem to compliment each other well. I prefer to run the kalk reactor at night to help offset the natural nightime pH drop.

HTH

 

[Jolieve]

Should have let you guys know my tank stats, sorry about that.

75g, 15 gallon sump. Euro-reef skimmer. 60 pounds (ish) of live rock.

Inhabitants:
Yellow tang, Lamarck's Angel, Firefish, 2 Ocellaris clowns, 1 Green Chromis.

1 T. Derasa Clam. 1 T. Crocea Clam.

2. Montipora Digita, 1. Bird's Nest Acro, 1. Blue Tip Stag Acro, 1 Encrusting Porites, 1 Colt Coral.

Various Feather dusters, snails and some zebra hermits.

I have plans to add more SPS to this tank over the course of the next year. I would like to add 2 more acros to this tank, and a monti cap, at minimum, depending on how well grow out starts going once dosing starts happening on a regular basis.

 

[Len]

Let me be the voice of dissentation I'd go with a Ca reactor first because 1) it is more automated (longer times between servicing) and 2) by melting aragonite, it provides a broader spectrum of elements then kalkwasser does. Ca reactors cost more, but IMO there is added value.

 

[m-fine]

I bought my Calc reactor about 4 years ago, and I would say it is by far the best reef purchase I ever made. Once you get it running, it requires the occaisional visual check, and a reload 3-4 times a year.

Since switching I no longer have any issues with calcium or alk levels, and no more calc deposits in the sump or on my pumps etc.

 

[fungia]

maybe get a ca reactor first and drip kalkwasser if you need it? you cant get a kalkreactor and drip aragonite

 

[Anonymous]

Len makes very good points.

I would say get both!

 

[Anonymous]

Len makes very good points.

I would say get both!

Don't they also complement each other, with the Ca reactor helping to maintain alkalinity and the Kalk reactor helping to maintain pH where the Ca reactor can tend to drive down pH and Kalk can tend to drive down alkalinity, or something to that effect.

 

[reefmongrel]

I have 90 display and 30 refugium. Several stonies, zoos, polyps etc... I thought of a reactor but expensive. I'm not recommending this method because everyones situation is different but it works fine - I put about 3-4 teaspoons of kalk in a 16 oz bottle and shake it up with reverse osmosis water - and dump it in the overflow box of the refugium. It travels a ways and mixes pretty well by the time it flows into the display etc... Calcium consistently at 430-480 measured by Salifert kit. I never get precipitate or have problems. Tank walls lined with pink/purple coralline. To keep the dKh around 8 I use plain baking soda - dosed the same way but in much smaller quantities. I don't do this often - mostly after a 20-25% water change monthly.

Reefmongrel

 

[mark78]

ahhh but Kalk will [color]help[/color] rid of phosphates...Does a Ca reactor have this effect?

 

[Ben1]

I put about 3-4 teaspoons of kalk in a 16 oz bottle and shake it up with reverse osmosis water - and dump it in the overflow box of the refugium.

If the pH spikes you could have a nice collection of dead corals on your hands. I would be very careful about stating this as it makes it seem like adding kalk all at once is ok.

 

[Jolieve]

I'm leaning toward the CA reactor, but I have an issue that just occurred to me. The CO2 cyllinder. I have a child with ADHD, and a very rambunctious labrador retriever and as of right now, my sump is exposed. For the time being, he doesn't mess with things, but I have everything that he could possibly mess with contained inside the sump. I use the out of sight out of mind philosophy with him, and it works really well. As long as he can't see it, he won't mess with it. How hard is it to blow up a CO2 cyllinder, or how easy and could I hide this portion of the reactor inside my sump or not?

If it's something that my son could walk over and mess with the knobs on and have it explode in his face, it might actually be safer for me to get a kalk reactor. I could try talking to him about it, and tell him to leave it alone.. but he might get bored one day and try to see if he could make it explode. (Gifted Child with ADHD, often = accidents that involve "Well I just wanted to see how it worked.")

J.

 

[npaden]

I also vote for a calcium reactor.

It will maintain calcium levels higher than a kalkwasser reactor will and it is much easier to make a DIY kalkwasser reactor than it is to make a DIY calcium reactor.

I run both but my kalkwasser reactor (stirrer) is a very simple 32g trashcan that has a couple powerheads in it hooked up to a float switch and with a float valve hooked up to my RO unit. When the water level gets low, the float switch triggers both powerheads, 1 fills the sump back up and 1 stirs the kalkwasser. When the water level in the trashcan drops the RO refills it through the float valve. I have a styrofoam cut to fit on the top and the trashcan lid on to keep as little air from getting to the mixed kalkwasser as possible.

Not everyone needs a 32g trashcan for their kalkwasser stirrer though!

FWIW, Nathan

 

[Jolieve]

LOL! Too true dat! Still, I agree, I'm just worried about my son getting into trouble with a CA reactor. If it's easy for me to conceal the important bits, then I know what I'm spending my money on. I might build a kalk reactor to hold things over until I get the CA reactor though.

*hugs for everyone*

J.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't think you have to worry to much about an exploding tank, the pressure would most likely blow the feed tubing off before anything else. The Kalk/Neilsen reactors are easy to build. I have built a couple using PVC versus acrylic. They aren't as pretty, but they are inexpensive and function well.

 

[Anonymous]

Nathan wrote:

I run both but my kalkwasser reactor (stirrer) is a very simple 32g trashcan that has a couple powerheads in it hooked up to a float switch and with a float valve hooked up to my RO unit. When the water level gets low, the float switch triggers both powerheads, 1 fills the sump back up and 1 stirs the kalkwasser.

Nathan, wouldn't you want the stirring to happen at a different time so that the powder would settle back to the bottom of the 32G can before it get's pumped into your tank?

I was thinking about doing the same thing from my 300G tank. I have a 33G brute that I use now for WC's. I could make that into my kalk reactor. I was thinking of having timers so that the powerhead that pumps water into the sump is shut off several hours each day at the same time the powerhead that mixes the kalk is on. I would mount the powerhead that pumps to the sump half way down and the powerhead that does the mixing on the bottom.

Louey

 

[npaden]

Ideally you would have the mixing pump on a separate timer than the float switch. I just set it up that way because I didn't have an extra timer sitting around.

I don't think you would have to go so far as to make sure that the powerhead that mixes the kalk is off when the other pump is dosing though. Of course I'm adding my topoff to my 1,100g refugium so there isn't going to be much of a spike if some freshly mixed kalkwasser goes in there.