2 Reactors, which is which?

[Reefrookie733]

Someone built these for me maybe 15 years ago, i have carried them around with me each move (military) and not sure which is which or if they are even worth putting time into. Can you tell by the pics if they are usable? Thanks!

 

[Vette67]

I remember making those. Back in the day, a toilet flange with knockout still installed and acrylic tube were the only way to make reactors. I still have one. Looks like it was a calcium reactor, best I can tell. The one with the power head inside looks like a secondary media chamber. Hard to see the input port on the bottom of the reactor with the PVC, but it looks like that has the air lines for CO2 injection.

But that’s just a guess on my part.... That is definitely a survivor.

 

[Reefrookie733]

I remember making those. Back in the day, a toilet flange with knockout still installed and acrylic tube were the only way to make reactors. I still have one. Looks like it was a calcium reactor, best I can tell. The one with the power head inside looks like a secondary media chamber. Hard to see the input port on the bottom of the reactor with the PVC, but it looks like that has the air lines for CO2 injection.

But that’s just a guess on my part.... That is definitely a survivor.

lol well its been moved several times but packed well and never used. Do you think they are usable??

 

[Water Dog]

The one on the left is a calcium reactor, the one on th3 righ5 is a Kalkwasser reactor.

 

[Vette67]

The one on the left is a calcium reactor, the one on th3 righ5 is a Kalkwasser reactor.

You’re probably right. I forgot about kalk reactor. That does look like a kalk reactor.

 

[Reefrookie733]

The one on the left is a calcium reactor, the one on th3 righ5 is a Kalkwasser reactor.

wow...what the heck is a kalkwasser reactor??? I had just graduated to learning about the media and calcium reactor...now theres another!??? lol glad i put three ports on my manifold

 

[Vette67]

Use both to balance your pH. Calcium reactor drives pH down (acidic) and the kalk drives it up. But that depends on the calcium demands of the corals you intend to keep.

If you got a couple new pumps, and maybe some fittings, you could probably get both going again. The calcium reactor will need a raised bottom, out of something like egg crate, and a fitted filter pad. Something to allow water to flow up through the media, but keep the calcium reactor media in place. This is what mine looks like:

 

[Reefrookie733]

Use both to balance your pH. Calcium reactor drives pH down (acidic) and the kalk drives it up. But that depends on the calcium demands of the corals you intend to keep.

If you got a couple new pumps, and maybe some fittings, you could probably get both going again. The calcium reactor will need a raised bottom, out of something like egg crate, and a fitted filter pad. Something to allow water to flow up through the media, but keep the calcium reactor media in place. This is what mine looks like:

Sweet! Did you make your own ???

 

[Vette67]

Sweet! Did you make your own ???

Yes I did. There’s nothing magic to a calcium reactor, that’s worth paying hundreds to have someone make it for you and slap their sticker on it. But it is my now defunct coil denitrator that I made with the toilet flange. I still have it but haven’t used it in quite a while.