kalk reactor or calcium reactor (1 Viewer)

[h2oimports]

which one is is better? pros and cons of both? which one is easier to set up. im leaning towards kalk reactor for top off.

 

[AquaNerd]

calcium reactor
pros
-set it and forget it usually
-can't wipe out your system like kalk can
-constantly doses calcium/alk to your system
-can add in other media like magnesium

cons:
-lowers tank pH
-requires more equipment
-refill co2 every once in a while
-dissolving aragonite contains some phosphates

kalk reactor
pros:
-good source of calcium/alk obviously
-maintains/raises tank pH
-kalk binds phosphates, removing them from the system
-cheap to set up

cons:
-can wipe out your entire system if you don't do it properly
-only adds calcium to the system when the topoff kicks in
-a little messier since powder can get everywhere

 

[Rick]

Some people will run both, to get the benefits of both systems....
I have both systems, but use only the kalk reactor, very easy to use.

 

[Slayer311sGirl]

and a calcium reactor can crash your system, many times I have heard of someone using a cheap c02 regulator which gets stuck on, melting all the calcium substrate in the reactor and causing a calcium storm which plumits the ph and can wipe out the tank..just fyi

 

[Guest]

h2oimports: I have a a calcium reactor but I would choose a kalk reactor as long as your calcium needs are moderate.

People will tell you to buy a kalk reactor, but I was very interested to find a reefkeeping article by Randy Holmes-Farley where he says he just basically dumps kalk into his 40-gallon auto top off reservoir every 2-3 weeks. He just covers it with a normal lid and found very little drop in potency over that time period.

 

[jamesw]

TheH: That's what I used to do. I also had a small powerhead on a rotary timer to stir up the kalk in the reservoir 4 times a day.

With that said, if you have a really high CaCO3 demand, you'll need a CaCO3 reactor. If you do the math, you just can't add enough through Kalk dosing of makeup water.

Cheers
James

PS: I use both.

 

[h2oimports]

cool. i picked up a kalk reactor today. is there anything i need to make sure of before i use it? or do i just hook it up to the topoff. any suggestions in dealing with a kalk reactor?

 

[Slayer311]

best to have your ato on a timer and the mixing pump on a 2nd timer so that they don't run at the same time. Otherwise your pumping kalk powder in the tank that is getting stirred and it can clog up your effluent line as well. Best to let the mixing pump run for 15min, then keep the ATO off for about 30min so the kalk can settle out in the reactor.

 

[h2oimports]

slayer311- i had a thought of that problem, but did not think of that solution. thanks

also should i test my parameters before i start kalk?. i heard people say i should get my levels up to where i want it, then start kalk to maintain it.

i wanted to start kalk to keep my parameters solid.

my tank is a 15 gal plus a 15 gal sump. just lps and softies. i know i can get away with water changes and all but i wanted to try this because my ph is 7.95 - 8.1 . i tried to dose buffer to 8.3 but it just drops the next day. it happens every time. it stays consistent but never stays high when i dose buffer. some said it was my alk and to try kalk to raise up alk. so here i am . let me know yall input. thanks marsh

 

[RR-MAN]

People will tell you to buy a kalk reactor, but I was very interested to find a reefkeeping article by Randy Holmes-Farley where he says he just basically dumps kalk into his 40-gallon auto top off reservoir every 2-3 weeks. He just covers it with a normal lid and found very little drop in potency over that time period.

Yeah, good article.

 

[h2oimports]

it is a good article.

one more question. where do you feed the top off with kalk to in your sumps. i was planning on letting it top off into the filter sock so it catches all the un dissolved kalk and it can stir with the overflow water. or even next to my media reactor so it can mix in with the pump before the return to the display.

 

[RR-MAN]

it is a good article.

one more question. where do you feed the top off with kalk to in your sumps. i was planning on letting it top off into the filter sock so it catches all the un dissolved kalk and it can stir with the overflow water. or even next to my media reactor so it can mix in with the pump before the return to the display.

I use a kalk reactor but I do not stir it. I just dump it in the reactor and leave it alone.

 

[i_am_poor]

Do not try to keep the PH up. You are better off trying maintain the ALK and Calc. I think you should take this slow and manually dose to get a hang of testing daily and tank usage.

Start here
http://reef.diesyst.com/flashcalc/flashcalc.html

 

[jdeveaux]

I have a PM Kalk Reactor and Calcium reactor. Keeps my calcium and alk at good levels. One of the key benefits I notice from the kalk is fights off the diatoms and cyano.

 

[thenewone]

ill go for both