Calcium reactor equipment recommendation for Reefer 170

[SFREEF3R]

I have an SPS dominant Reefer 170 and my alk consumption with 2 part is getting out of control. My salinity gain from 2-part dosing is up to ~1 ppt a week which is becoming a pain to maintain.

From what I've read, a calcium reactor should help me keep my Alk and Ca dialed in without having to constantly remove water and rebalance my alk/ca/mag.

This is however, totally uncharted territory for me. I would be grateful for any advice on equipment selection for my setup. Thanks in advance!

 

[SPR1968]

They do work well, provided you like ‘tinkering’ with things, but a system of that size is easier to just get an automatic doser and add what you need.

I used to run a Deltec twin tech 1500 in my large system, and reactors are good, when working, but they also need maintenance and this was fully automated.

I decided to make my own additives (because of the amounts needed)and go back to an auto doser and that’s on a 530g system.

But, a reactor will work very well for you once set up, so if that’s your preference go for it.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I have an SPS dominant Reefer 170 and my alk consumption with 2 part is getting out of control. My salinity gain from 2-part dosing is up to ~1 ppt a week which is becoming a pain to maintain.

From what I've read, a calcium reactor should help me keep my Alk and Ca dialed in without having to constantly remove water and rebalance my alk/ca/mag.

This is however, totally uncharted territory for me. I would be grateful for any advice on equipment selection for my setup. Thanks in advance!

If you wan't to go CaRx that's your choice of course, but what is your daily Alk consumption?

I dose around 350ml a day of 3 part (total about 1000ml a day with 3 x dosing heads) and they're not working that hard. Thats about 3.1 dKh daily consumption in a 75 gal tank.

I have to remove about 4 litres of tank water a week to keep salinity stable which uses another dosing head to the drain, the ATO tops up the tank.

To me that's a lot simpler than CO2 and all that stuff.

 

[Kzang]

Geo’s reef has the best reactors. I have an old gen 2 version. I used it on a 150g system. Calcium reactor is a bit tricky to set up, but once you do, you are set and forget pretty much. I’m using the same reactor on a 40g. I can do it, but running into some trouble like ph because I’m working with 28g total water volume vs 150g.

Highly highly recommend calcium reactor if you can afford it. This website will get you going.

I use ARM media because it dissolves at a much higher ph than other medias.

All calcium reactor adjustment (psi = co2 bubble size, flow = co2 dwell time in reactor and dose rate, and bubble rate = how much co2 per second) is based on what ph causes enough alkalinity/calcium in your effluent.

Calcium Reactor Setup Help

 

[minus9]

Why not the Balling method?

 

[Fish Styx]

+1 Geo's

 

[SFREEF3R]

If you wan't to go CaRx that's your choice of course, but what is your daily Alk consumption?

I dose around 350ml a day of 3 part (total about 1000ml a day with 3 x dosing heads) and they're not working that hard. Thats about 3.1 dKh daily consumption in a 75 gal tank.

I have to remove about 4 litres of tank water a week to keep salinity stable which uses another dosing head to the drain, the ATO tops up the tank.

To me that's a lot simpler than CO2 and all that stuff.

My tank consumes about 4 dKH a day. I end up needing to remove about 1/2 gallon per week to keep salinity in check.

My main concern isn't so much the removal of the water which isn't that much of a pain, but the fact that it dilutes the Ca and Mg so I'll need to more closely monitor those values and correct. Do you not find your Ca/Mg values go down over time and need to be bumped up?

 

[gbroadbridge]

My tank consumes about 4 dKH a day. I end up needing to remove about 1/2 gallon per week to keep salinity in check.

My main concern isn't so much the removal of the water which isn't that much of a pain, but the fact that it dilutes the Ca and Mg so I'll need to more closely monitor those values and correct. Do you not find your Ca/Mg values go down over time and need to be bumped up?

Yes perhaps it did, until I increased the strength of the Ca and Mg mix above the normal ratio.
Instead of mixing about 100g CaCl3 to to make 1000ml of solution I had to increase to 120g.
Of course some of that is probably simply because my tank consumes more Ca than normal.

 

[dandi]

This is old school and definitely has it's advantages.

Kalkwasser - Tidal Gardens

Kalkwasser, or lime water, is a solution of calcium hydroxide in water. Calcium hydroxide is a molecule consisting of a single Calcium atom and two Hydroxide groups. When mixed in water a portion dissolves forming kalkwasser, the stuff we are interested in, and the rest creates a cloudy...

tidalgardens.com

 

[Rscott]

Man I wanna see some
Pics of this little monster tank

 

[gbroadbridge]

This is old school and definitely has it's advantages.

Kalkwasser - Tidal Gardens

Kalkwasser, or lime water, is a solution of calcium hydroxide in water. Calcium hydroxide is a molecule consisting of a single Calcium atom and two Hydroxide groups. When mixed in water a portion dissolves forming kalkwasser, the stuff we are interested in, and the rest creates a cloudy...

tidalgardens.com

I think It would take about 2 gallons a day of kalkwasser to replace 4dkh consumption which is a lot more than I lose to evaporation.

 

[dandi]

Good point. Do a reactor and kalk?

 

[Arron209]

I run a calcium reactor on my new sps build. I always used 2 part until now also. My last tank had the same problem you’re having with salinity creeping up. I run a GEO CR818SSE and I’ve only had to make maybe 5 adjustments since I introduced acros. They are all growing into colonies and the calcium reactor somehow keeps the alk stable.

I definitely recommend a GEO calcium reactor with as big of a CO2 tank as you can fit. I’ve had the same 20lb CO2 tank since March 2023 and I haven’t had to fill it yet.

After running a calcium reactor, I don’t think I’d ever set up a tank with 2 part again.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I run a calcium reactor on my new sps build. I always used 2 part until now also. My last tank had the same problem you’re having with salinity creeping up. I run a GEO CR818SSE and I’ve only had to make maybe 5 adjustments since I introduced acros. They are all growing into colonies and the calcium reactor somehow keeps the alk stable.

I definitely recommend a GEO calcium reactor with as big of a CO2 tank as you can fit. I’ve had the same 20lb CO2 tank since March 2023 and I haven’t had to fill it yet.

After running a calcium reactor, I don’t think I’d ever set up a tank with 2 part again.

What size tank?

 

[Arron209]

What size tank?

Total system is about 300g

 

[gbroadbridge]

Y

Total system is about 300g

Yep, I 'm just not sure if it's worth it for a 75 gal system

 

[Arron209]

Y

Yep, I 'm just not sure if it's worth it for a 75 gal system

If it’s heavily stocked with sps, I think in the long run it would be more cost effective than 2 part.

 

[SFREEF3R]

Why not the Balling method?

I have to admit I'm actually not super familiar with the Balling method - from what I've read though it still leads to salinity increase, so would still need to remove water to keep the salinity in check.

It sounds like the difference however is that it is “ionically balanced” - does this mean that ca and and mag won’t drift over time? Or will they still drop as you remove water and replenish from the ATO?

 

[minus9]

 

[SFREEF3R]

I didn't see my question answered - but from reading more on this I think it will suffer from the same issue as 2 part or 3 part dosing - salinity will increase over time and you will need to remove water/replenish from ATO to keep in check. Doing so will reduce Alk/CA/mg and they will need to be replenished.

I think you can do a one time correction at the time of the WC or do as
@gbroadbridge does and just increase your dosing rate to compensate.