kalk reactor or calcium reactor

[512148048]

how exactly dose a kalk reactor work and dose any one know how to build one? or would i be better off getting something like a small calcium reactor?

like this one http://www.empirepets.com/product_in...oducts_id/8429

[512148048]

i know with a calcium reactor i have to have co2 and a regulator

[Eric P]

I am in the process of building a calcium reactor. I thaught about a kalk reactor but decided against it. I think the control of a calcium reactor will be better. I don't really have anything to base this on but what I have learned reading about reactors on this and other sites. Maybe someone that has used both will chime in.

Eric...

[Geoff]

most people have both. the kalk reactor is great at countering the lower pH that a Ca reactor causes. depending on the needs of the aquarium a kalk reactor may be all that you need.

my kalk reactor.

G~

[WAVESHAUN]

Use booth if you can. The results will be more than evident...

The cal reactor will maintain Ca and kH/Alk with very little need for constant fooling around with. You need greater Ca in your reef tank, Increase CO2 into the reactor - less Ca, decrease CO2.

The kalk reactor is not as good for Ca Maintainence. Very little Ca actually dissolves into the make up water in the kalk reactor. More importantly, kalk
will increase pH in the aquarium and precipitate phosphurs. Increasing pH will cause greater growth by your corals - espicially once the phosphate is removed, which blocks calcifacation in corals.

Saw the post and hope this helps.

Shaun
Waves

[512148048]

im just curious but do you have to have it hooked up to a ro/di line? i would like to get one but dont have the cash(ro/di) i didnt realise the ph difference with the calcium reactor so im thinking kalk now again

is there any diy ro/di systems just kidding i know that useing tap is bad and everything but i cant do anything about it right now i will use macro in the sump for the time being that i dont have a good skimmer and ro.

[Krux]

hmm, before getting any reactor you really might want to consider a good skimmer and then a ro unit. without these water quality is going to be very hard to get fine tuned enough to benefit from the reactors.

if your corals are living in poop soup, all the calcium in the world isnt going to help them.

that said, calcium reactors also help replace magnesium, strontium, and other trace elements in the tank, so if you have a high demand and don't do water changes as often as you should, the calc reactor will help with that as well.

personally, i would go with a calc reactor, and then manually mix kalk in my top off water until i had saved to buy a reactor or build one. it is a lot easier to mix a powder into water and then pour it into the sump than it is to inject co2 and dissolve reactor media with a straw and an egg beater.

[wanareef]

So poop soup - something that's on the menu of the frag nazi