aerius007
Well-Known Member
I just thought I would post up my experience with the Octopus dual chamber calcium reactor. I have only had it set up for a few days so this review could change over time.
Around a year ago I bought an Octopus Extreme 200 skimmer for my tank. Without having any issues and being happy with the product I thought I would consider their calc reactors. I also considered a Geo 618. In the end there were a few main reasons I decided to go with the Octo over the Geo.
1) The Octo is 6.5" dual chambered which should help to minimize the C02 getting into the sump and lowering the ph.
2) I found the Octo for $274.99 with free shipping
3) I was pleased with my last Octopus product.
I also puchased a Reef Fanatic regulator and have a Neptune ACjr controlling the system.
The instructions that came with the reactor were terrible however I was able to find better instructions on the CoralVue website. There is a bubble counter on the reactor and it comes with a recirculation pump, a feed pump is needed. I chose to add a valve onto my return manifld for that purpose. I was surprised how easy it was to set this reactor up. It came with everything I needed including C02 stable tubing that I ran from my 10lbs tank.
After 5 days of use I havent had to dose anything to my tank. I have the bubble counter setup to allow around 1 bubble a second. The ACjr kicks the C02 on at a ph of 6.8 and kills the C02 at 6.65. I dont know if the bubble counter makes a difference when using a controller but it is nice to have anyways. My Alk has been stable at 10.3 dkh mark and my Calc is holding steady in the 420 range.
Overall I am really happy with this reactor. Its built well, came with everything needed and runs great so far. You do have to use large media otherwise the recirculation pump with throw the media around too much but as long as you have the right stuff on hand its not a problem.
I would give it a 9 out of 10, a better set of instructions along with some basic tips would help a newb like myself a lot.
If anybody is thinking about buying one I would recommend the Octo, and if you do buy one and need any help setting it up let me know. While Im not an expert Ive got mine up an running without much hassle.
Zach
Around a year ago I bought an Octopus Extreme 200 skimmer for my tank. Without having any issues and being happy with the product I thought I would consider their calc reactors. I also considered a Geo 618. In the end there were a few main reasons I decided to go with the Octo over the Geo.
1) The Octo is 6.5" dual chambered which should help to minimize the C02 getting into the sump and lowering the ph.
2) I found the Octo for $274.99 with free shipping
3) I was pleased with my last Octopus product.
I also puchased a Reef Fanatic regulator and have a Neptune ACjr controlling the system.
The instructions that came with the reactor were terrible however I was able to find better instructions on the CoralVue website. There is a bubble counter on the reactor and it comes with a recirculation pump, a feed pump is needed. I chose to add a valve onto my return manifld for that purpose. I was surprised how easy it was to set this reactor up. It came with everything I needed including C02 stable tubing that I ran from my 10lbs tank.
After 5 days of use I havent had to dose anything to my tank. I have the bubble counter setup to allow around 1 bubble a second. The ACjr kicks the C02 on at a ph of 6.8 and kills the C02 at 6.65. I dont know if the bubble counter makes a difference when using a controller but it is nice to have anyways. My Alk has been stable at 10.3 dkh mark and my Calc is holding steady in the 420 range.
Overall I am really happy with this reactor. Its built well, came with everything needed and runs great so far. You do have to use large media otherwise the recirculation pump with throw the media around too much but as long as you have the right stuff on hand its not a problem.
I would give it a 9 out of 10, a better set of instructions along with some basic tips would help a newb like myself a lot.
If anybody is thinking about buying one I would recommend the Octo, and if you do buy one and need any help setting it up let me know. While Im not an expert Ive got mine up an running without much hassle.
Zach
