Calcium Reactor Necessary?

[casademurphy]

Any people out there not using a calcium reactor in a reef tank? If so, how much success have you had with coral growth? What are you using instead of a reactor?

Anyone out there that swear by their calcium reactor?

Any info would be very helpful!

[HighlandReefer]

The use of a calcium reactor is not necessary in many systems for maintaining the alkalinity and calcium. I am able to maintain mine by use of kalk in my top-off system. Many are able to maintain the levels with two part dosing. I would think it would be an economical decision based on your tanks comsumption.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The big three methods are limewater, two part additives, and CaCO3/CO2 reactors. All are quite successful. I compare them here:

How to Select a Calcium and Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

[duke1231]

What about someone like me, who has a nano? I just ordered the two part. I would think for small aquariums it wouldnt take much.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

For a nano, I'd usually recommend a two part as the easiest to use.

[duke1231]

Ok, that is what I thought.

[redfishsc]

Don't be afraid of dosing Kalk in a nano as well. I do it.

The big problem you'll have in dosing kalk in a nano is over-dosing by accident. I haven't done this myself, but if you dose too much of the "cloudy" part of your kalk mix, you may cause a dangerous pH spike.

I have a 1-liter bottle (from some Seachem Matrix I bought, but even a soda bottle will work). I tapped a small hole in it, epoxied in a piece of rigid tubing, attached an airline valve, and use this to drip one drop per second. The only downside to this is having an ugly bottle sitting around.

The upside is that it helps with alk, calcium, and also precipitates some phosphate out of solution.

If I did not dose kalk, I suppose my phosphates would be higher. I have a LOT of chaeto in the fuge attached to my 10g nano, and I have nearly 0 nitrates (shows up 0 on the API kit), and my phosphates show up a "barely detectable" color on the API kit.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, limewater can be OK in a nano, but you need to be extra careful to dose it slowly. Many auto top off systems will be too fast with each pulse of limewater added.

[gkyle]

After using a calcium reactor for 7-8 months, I recently started dosing Kalk from a reactor using a dosing pump and was really surprised how much Ca and Alk were supplied by the Kalk. My reactor is now on a very slow drip since the Kalk is doing at least half the job.

[oscarsdad608]

I have just used 2 part for my 120 sps tank. It is way cheaper and it is very easy to make. Thanks for the recipe Randy.

[tmz]

I use a calcium reactor and a still resevoir with a dosing pump for limewater(kalk) dosing as top off. they balance each other off very nicely. The effluent from the reactor is 6.7ph and the limewater is about 12.4. The reactor injects some CO2 and the kalk uses it.

[2thdeekay]

I really like using a calcium reactor. I use it alongside a kalk reactor, which all evap makeup water goes thru. Don't have to mess with chems as much. I monitor pH, but test Alk only once a week or so.

My second choice would be 2 part--I'd add the alk supplement via auto topoff, and dose Ca & Mg separately.