Calcium reactor

[Seattleaquafarm]

Which calcium reactor is good for a 120 gallon setup? Mainly sps with a few lps and a couple zoos.

Thanks guys!

Also what are some really cool looking tabling sps corals

[Nanook]

[moved]

[eho72]

I like the Geo Calcium Reactor 612.

[Seattleaquafarm]

That's what I was thinking of getting, but wanted to hear others ideas. Also what the best media out there?

[Mr James]

GEO and MRC (My Reef Creations) are both units I have used in the past. Currently running a GEO 612 I think.

[RokleM]

Absolutely GEO 612 (http://geosreef.com/CR612.html) or GEO 618 (http://geosreef.com/CR618.html) in my opinion.

The media is somewhat dependent on the reactor. Most use larger grain (GenX, large grain ARM) in the GEO units.

[Mr James]

Rokle...What do you run your effluent pH at (assuming you run a controller)?? I am using the ARM large media.

[RokleM]

Kind of depends on your setup and requirements. That being said, I run 6.45/6.50.

[Nate R]

i have the GEO 624 on my 120gal display aprox 150ish total water volume and although it is a bit oversized with my load i think it will keep up with a very high demand in a 300gal system.

only problem with geo is if you have to slow drip effluent it they can get loaded with gas and seize up. this all depends on your regulator settings.

The Koralin i hear can release that gas so they dont sieze up but i also hear they are a PITA to service, clean, and refill.

[RokleM]

only problem with geo is if you have to slow drip effluent it they can get loaded with gas and seize up. this all depends on your regulator settings.


I'd say this is probably 90% regulator and fine tuning the co2 flow. I've been from anywhere of a pretty solid stream when I had large SPS colonies in about 450g, but more recently about a drip every one or two seconds. Same result on my GEO 618 and GEO Pico, as long as you're not flooding the chamber with too much co2 at once, there should be very little gas buildup. Even if there is minor buildup, it should not be enough to have any impact on the reactor itself, stability, or effluent rates.

One of the keys is getting all the air out before starting it back up after cleaning.
1) Fill the chamber and all tubes. Turn on the recirc for a brief period, then let all the gas build at the top.
2) Open the effluent wide to purge any air in the tubes.
3) Tap the side of the chamber to get any air within the media released
4) After all the air has collected at the top, tilt it slightly and loosen the pH probe to purge the air out that hole.
5) Tighten everything back up, turn on the recirc, fine tune your effluent flow, and turn on the co2 to the appropriate slow/calm bubble rate.

That should start you out clean with little to no air at all in the chamber. If you start to get buildup there and/or your co2 control is constantly cycling on/off, you're likely adding co2 too fast.

[KINGJIGGY]

I have been using a reef octopus 140 for about a year on a 210.

http://www.aquacave.com/reef-octopus-cr-140-reversebr-flow-calcium-reactorbr-by-coralvue-245.html