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Calcium Reactor or Dosing

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druss View Drop Down
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    Posted: May 03 2019 at 9:08am
What's better? Pros and cons of each? If calcium reactor, DIY or retail? Thanks for any advice/feedback.
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knowen87 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote knowen87 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 03 2019 at 9:45am
I would go with dosing until your tank has high enough consumption to justify a calcium reactor. Unless you are a gear junkie and love the challenge of setting up a new piece of equipment. I would not diy it unless you enjoy that because it might not  save you that much money when you get to version 3 of your own design. 
Many people really like their calcium reactors but I have never made the leap. Reactors can be expensive and hard to tune especially if you are trying to do it cheap and avoid controllers or other parts that make the reactors easier to work with. 
To me, I am still dosing but it is all automatic. Mixing is not that hard to do because. I tend to mix 4 gallons at a time (2 of each Calc and Alk) and that lasts me about 2 months I have a 180 gal mixed reef. It cost me around $150 to get started and it has worked great for me for 5+years. I am not saying that I wont go to a reactor but I'm having a hard time seeing why. 

Maybe someone with a calcium reactor can chime in on what they like and how much their setup cost.
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kevin.st View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kevin.st Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 03 2019 at 9:41pm
Reactors are awesome, but I wouldn’t bother until dosing gets difficult.
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Kleine View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kleine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 31 2019 at 5:15am
Would a reactor hurt the tank in any way if the dosing isn't difficult?
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knowen87 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote knowen87 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 31 2019 at 9:00am
No, it wont hurt the tank if you want to start a calcium reactor. It is just a different method used to raise calcium and alkalinity but it is not as simple as measuring a fluid and adding it to your tank. You have to make sure the Ph in the reactor is stable and control the amount of water that goes through the reactor. This can be complicated. It is what has kept me away from them so far. But to be clear any dosing, if implemented improperly, will hurt your tank and that is why you should learn about it before you start using it on your tank



Edited by knowen87 - May 31 2019 at 9:03am
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