CA dosing pump or CA reactor
- Thread starter Scott.h
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I'm pretty sure you could nuke a tank with both. If you don't pay attention and stop dosing a full tank (reservoir runs dry, co2 runs dry), then you will have an alk drop, which has always been the cause of the crashes I've had. Alternatively, turn your dose up too high and you can nuke too, like upping your co2 too much, or way upping your effluent rate.
I dose with pumps today because it's within my demand level, and it allows me to dose more alk than cal, which I assume I need to do as a result of target levels vs my new salt water levels and the use of a constant water change process.
I don't have any issue with running a reactor, my demand just doesn't warrant the outflow of cash yet. When I get there I plan to try to cover 80% or so of my demand with the reactor and the remainder will be covered by dosing pumps so I can continue to dose more alk than cal.
I don't have any issue with running a reactor, my demand just doesn't warrant the outflow of cash yet. When I get there I plan to try to cover 80% or so of my demand with the reactor and the remainder will be covered by dosing pumps so I can continue to dose more alk than cal.
OP
OP
Scott.h
Valuable Member
do you dose alk with a pump? Wouldn't that be the same?
I'm starting up an sps tank with all the latest and greatest gadgets. I plan on a reactor just because it only seems right not to go full blown, one more thing to mess with. You know. But honestly with my other tanks I kind of know what the demand is. I'm in tune and I can spike my water change water and maybe throw some extra CA in every two weeks and be good. I manually dose alk every morning and honestly it's a pain. So now I have a dos, which btw is so convenient I'm not sure why I waited as long as I have. I'll be buying another one for automatic water changes too. But I'm left with that second head unused. Do I really need a reactor? Which one do I need? And to be honest I'm a little scared to mess with a reactor. Hence the question.
To add further I'm thinking zeovit. Which I know they have their own media. But it's another mysterious thing I often ask, do I really need it. Or do I want to go there just so I can say I understand it.
billwill
Well-Known Member
I've used both. Actually all three. I started with kalkwasser in top off water. Way too much effort, and lots of mistakes. Went to two part with dosing pumps. Really simple, but had to refill gallon jugs every three weeks or so. Had a few issues with clogged lines, accidentally mixing wrong chemicals, and more importantly calcification on pump shafts. Three years now with calcium reactor. Pretty simple once you get it dialed. Was changing media every three months, but just upgraded to larger reactor so should go six months without touching it
mcarroll
10K Club member
I can only think of a handful of tanks that were not nuked by their calcium reactor – on one or more occasions.
The ones that were not nuked, I've only read about online....none in person.
If you get a doser that's simpler to program than an Apex (programming = bugs), it seems like they are pretty much fire and forget.
(...forget to refill my dosing containers once or twice a year, but that's me! Doh!
)@Scott.h I think most of the problems related to any form of dosing are from cheaping out on the equipment used.
Two-part is by far the safest to cheap out on.
An $80 4-head pump can be very reliable. Just don't expect something like that to last forever...the heads and probably motors too...are essentially disposable. So plan accordingly. Keep spares. Document your dosing program. Etc.
BUT...you've "only" got to spend a few $hundred on something like the GHL Doser to get a top-of-the-line doser.
Same goes for kalkwasser, really....the same dosing system can dose either.
But for a CO2-based calcium reactor, it seems like once you add it all up you're definitely over $1000 for a system that will be safe and reliable.
OP
OP
Scott.h
Valuable Member
i have a dos now. Adding another will give me 4 heads. One for alk, 2 for a water change, and one left for probably carbon dosing if I go reactor.
thats pretty much where I'm at. Started with Kalk, spiked alk but not enough calcium and hard on ato pumps. 2 part is way nicer imo. I don't have a problem refilling jugs as I'm manually dosing my other tanks 2x a day. Going to every few weeks would be awesome. But I hear what you are saying.
ive heard way more horror stories with reactors then 2 part for sure. But let's face it you can buy a lot of bulk 2 part for 1k. And how cheap of a reactor could you safely get away with?I can only think of a handful of tanks that were not nuked by their calcium reactor – on one or more occasions.
The ones that were not nuked, I've only read about online....none in person.
If you get a doser that's simpler to program than an Apex (programming = bugs), it seems like they are pretty much fire and forget.
(...forget to refill my dosing containers once or twice a year, but that's me! Doh!
@Scott.h I think most of the problems related to any form of dosing are from cheaping out on the equipment used.
Two-part is by far the safest to cheap out on.
An $80 4-head pump can be very reliable. Just don't expect something like that to last forever...the heads and probably motors too...are essentially disposable. So plan accordingly. Keep spares. Document your dosing program. Etc.
BUT...you've "only" got to spend a few $hundred on something like the GHL Doser to get a top-of-the-line doser.
Same goes for kalkwasser, really....the same dosing system can dose either.
But for a CO2-based calcium reactor, it seems like once you add it all up you're definitely over $1000 for a system that will be safe and reliable.
I looked at the ghl pumps before I bought my dos. The selling point aside from price was I wanted a system that was designed to work together. And I must say programming was super simple even for someone brand new to using a controler. .3ml every 20 minutes from midnight to 7 every day. Technology is amazing.
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