can twopart replace my reactor?

[twilliard]

Hey all..
Well on one of these threads I came across a link to Twopartsolution.

The price is right if it is a good product.

Can this replace my calcium reactor?
I guess I am asking for info about this stuff. What do you think?

 

[matts125]

its the real deal, everything is in its purist form. and yes it can replace your reactor but why? its just more work....

Matt

 

[mmkeeper]

Sure it can. You just have to add it everyday or almost everyday. You need to know if you are going to use it 50/50 or more of one than the other according to your demand. You have to add the alk part slowly to keep from getting a snow storm. If your reactor is working well and you have it dialed in the Ca reactor is much easier.

 

[DonW]

You can easily replace your ca reactor with two part. One advantage of doing so is being able to automate a lopsided consumption rate.


Don

 

[twilliard]

Right on Don!
I understand what you are saying.

What I have is a HIGH Alk consumption and a medium calcium consumption. Its been a struggle balancing the reactor to this condition. Its working but I still have a Alk drop over a few months with my reactor.

 

[DonW]

Right on Don!
I understand what you are saying.

What I have is a HIGH Alk consumption and a medium calcium consumption. Its been a struggle balancing the reactor to this condition. Its working but I still have a Alk drop over a few months with my reactor.

Unless you really want to get rid of the ca reactor thats a easy one to deal with. Do you have a ato that tops off fom a holding tank?

Automating two part can be a little expensive but is definately easy and you dont have to deal with a finiky reactor.

Don

 

[Scooterman]

Would it require more testing to do it this way or not really?
I have been considering semi automating a system for the two parter. I think the expense of setting up a carx or setting up a way to dose a two parter would be about the same expense, maybe I'm wrong, for me it may be easier also.

 

[DonW]

You could dial in two part just like you would a carx. Adjustable dosing pumps are the easiest way to get two part just right.

Don

 

[Scooterman]

You would have to buy two expensive dosing pumps, each connected to your small mixing tanks? Then they would just dump the the mix into your sump?


I would guess you have to have a little tank for each additive right, then we would somehow mix it to liquefy it @ some ration of RO/DI to additive, then connect that to a dosing pump to dump at a set rate, do this for each part added right?

 

[DonW]

You would have to buy two expensive dosing pumps, each connected to your small mixing tanks? Then they would just dump the the mix into your sump?


I would guess you have to have a little tank for each additive right, then we would somehow mix it to liquefy it @ some ration of RO/DI to additive, then connect that to a dosing pump to dump at a set rate, do this for each part added right?

Sort of I have two 6 gallon jugs of two part I mix up quick and easy. I have two dosing pumps that inject the two different parts into the ato line/tube with a check valve. One will dose at night and the other during the day.

You dont need expensive pumps. Cheap pumps work fine. The problem is that cheap pumps are not controllable and timers are not accurate enough to get a accurate dose.
The timer need to be adjustable by 1 second and pump flow needs to be very small. For example: The two part solutions pumps / Welco flow 10ml min give or take a ml or 2, the rating is close but not that accurate. Assume you want 60ml per day of one part then 6 minutes will get you close. Now the real trick is getting it right at 60 since the pump is going to be off one way or another. This is why you need a timer that can take away or give a few seconds either direction.

The final problem with cheap pumps is you have the choice of ac or dc. Dc are short lived but will last many years when used just for dosing.
DC pumps are usually 12vdc so any variation in voltage will change the dose. The trick is to get a accurate power supply or use a voltage regulator. A regulated supply is expensive so defeating the cheap part. Ac are good but the timers are big bucks defeating the low cost.

So basicly you can use medical pumps which are the quickest easist but expensive.
You can use omega pumps @$80 ea But then you talking another $100 for two accurate timers.

Make sense

Don

 

[Katchupoy]

i have tried this approach before (now on calc reactor) and it worked fine. at the first month i have to dial in and test my water every week. I just use those cheap aqualifters outfitted with those garden drippers that u can choose how much. I use 1/2 gallon per hour plus a timer. You will be amazed how accurate they draw water from the source. Then you just need to know how concentrated you want your mix is. I have a 2.5 gallon cheap water containers. Divided into 5 days, no drip on sat and sunday. i can easily step up the concentration so i can drip in 10 days instead of 5, or even 30 days. I just dont know the saturation level with these powders. One way though is to increase the water content of the source. From 2.5 gallon to maybe those 5 gallon jugs or 18 gallon tote plastic containers.

In this system your regulator will be the garden drip system which is in my case 1/2 gallon per hour and a regular timer so you can easily set if you need 1/2, 1,2 or 3 gallons a day. In my case i dont do more than my evap per day. Then if you need how much water to dose, then you have to just mix to concentration. I started with x number of tablespoon per 2.5 gallon container. And it goes higher after that until i hit my mark.

with this in mind. i dont know if you need to continue mixing these solutions every once a week or just set it and forget it. Maybe Don can answer this question. When you put them in large mix, and not touch it for some time, do they settle down at the bottom of containers?

and thats my two cents

 

[DonW]

You dont need to keep them stirred. The dilution method doesnt work well on bigger tanks. I think this is part of the reason ca reactor are preferred. Alot of folks just dont want to deal with having to deal with the dosing pumps. To me it really doesnt matter, a calcium reactor can be a bigger pain or just as much work as using a dosing system. One reason I've always used a calcium reactor is that I alway thought if its good enough for mother nature its probably best. Now that Ive seen all the problems with different medias and trying to keep nutrient levels down I'm on the the fences as to which is actually the better method. I'm going to start my new system with a automated two part and have my reactor ready if I change my mind.

Don

 

[Scooterman]

LOL yea it seems to be a toss up.
I think getting two good medical pumps & two times for around $400 & change I could be set-up & hopefully less headache in the long run. The initial cost to me still would be cheaper that setting up a good reactor. Either way I think you have to deal with it somewhat on a regular basis.