Calcium Reactors

[saltjunkie]

What is the true main purpose.. and do they eliminate the need completely to use other supliments?
What all do they do for a tank?
What all do i need to set one up, for my reef tank?

[golfish]

What is the true main purpose.. ?

Main purpose would be alk and Ca

. and do they eliminate the need completely to use other supliments?

I'd have to say yes.

What all do they do for a tank?

see top two replies

What all do i need to set one up, for my reef tank?

The reactor will probably come with a bubble counter and circulating pump so you'll need a supply\feed pump (I use a MJ1200 PH) you could tee off from another pump, but, IME, Its best to use a dedicated pump. You'll need some Media, a CO2 tank, a regulator, solinoid and needle valve(last three will probably come as a package) and if you don't have one you'll need a pH meter.

[saltjunkie]

the tank regulator soleniod and needle valve.. thats all common welding/ therapy stuff isnt it? as is the tank?

[Zephrant]

To a point, yeah- But you need a regulator that mates to a CO2 tank (different threads than some other gasses), and it needs to accurately regulate down to 10psi or so. A welding regulator will not work well at that level.

As mentioned- a good regulator kit also has a solenoid, needle valve and bubble counter built in to it. Most online vendors carry the Milwaukee, which is a low cost item, but seams to work fine for me. There are several other ones that claim to have a better needle valve on them, but they run a little more.

A 10 pound CO2 tank lasted me six months, on a 200+ gallon system, so I would not get a tank smaller than that. I'm considering getting a full size tank and putting it in the garage, and running a line down to the tank. With another needle valve and bubble counter by the reactor, I could adjust it from the basement without issue, and only have to refill the tank every 18-24 months.

I don't supplement with any buffer or calcium anymore.

Zeph

[barrettrhoades]

what type of calcium reactor do you use. Any suggestions from anyone about the best calcium reactor?
barrett

[scubadude]

do they eliminate the need completely to use other supliments?

I'd have to say yes.

Allright Mark, being the trouble maker that I am you know I have to question this ....now I agree for the most part with your response, but I have heard others say that they have a hard time keeping their levels (ca and alk) because the reactor wasnt adding enough magnesium Of course this all varies with different setups and the demands. The one tank that I was thinking of this person had an SPS dominant tank with a kalk stirrer, CA reac and very heavy demands on CA and he was also adding 2part and could never get his CA levels up to 400 until he added some boost on the magnesium. With this being said his growth levels were great maintaining under 400 ca w/matching alk levels but he had even more growth once he got into the 400 range. Also I have heard that adding a trace of dolomite to your reactor media can help to increase your magnesium levels

[Ninong]

Scubadude,

You might be interested in knowing that Wayne Shang agrees completely with Mark's comment about calcium reactors.

You have probably heard of Wayne Shang, since his previous 300-gal reef aquarium was pictured in virtually every hobby book ever published in the past decade and his new 718-gal reef aquarium is featured in all the newer books, including one that he published himself. It's also featured in the current issue of Coral magazine.

Wayne's tanks have always had exceptional SPS growth. He employs two 42" tall Korallin calcium reactors on his new 718-gal reef tank and he says that they provide all the trace elements necessary without dosing. His magnesium is at 1300 ppm, same as NSW, but this may be a reflection of his salt mix, so I should mention the brand he uses: Tropic Marin. He never adds strontium because it is maintained by his calcium reactors.

In addition to his two large calcium reactors, Wayne uses limewater (Kalkwasser) for all evaporation replacement and he does use a two-part additive (B-ionic, etc.) every now and then when he finds it necessary to give a boost to his calcium and alkalinity levels, which he maintains well above NSW levels. He maintains alk at 10-12 dKH and calcium at 450 ppm.

He performs a 10% water change on his reef tank every six weeks using water that he removes from his 300-gal FOWLR tank. The reason he uses "used" water for his water changes is because his reef tank constantly measures undetectable levels of nitrate and he likes to use the water from the FOWLR tank to give extra nutrients (nitrate) to his large assortment of Tridacna clams. That gives him a measurable reading on nitrate for a few days before the clams soak it all up.

P.S. -- I can't seem to maintain magnesium levels in my own little 120-gal tank without occasionally adding some MgCl but I don't have a calcium reactor and I don't use the same brand of salt mix that Wayne uses. I think calcium reactors go a long way in making up for any deficiencies in your salt mix. I'm not implying that my salt mix has any deficiencies, I'm just saying that calcium reactors are a good thing.