The Pros and Cons of Reactors and Dosing Pumps

[trido]

Last night I found a post I typed up back in 2008 about Kalk reactors vs. Calcium reactors. It seems over the last couple years people have been trending back toward the old fashioned Two part dosing method via dosing pumps. (Two part = Part A, Calcium; Part B, Alkalinity; and Part C, Magnesium)

A lot of reefers don't know that Part A can be made cheaply with ice melter products such as "driveway heat" for example.
Part B is simply Baking soda. Soda ash cooked in the oven for recipe 1 or left alone for recipe 2.
Part C is a combination of Magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) and Magnesium Chloride. Not off the shelf. Bulk reef supply is one supplier that immediately to mind. For occasional dosing I just use Mg sulfate.

So, Here is a quick recap of what I posted years ago, I would like some reefers to help add the pro's and con's of the two part if you have any input

A kalk reactor:
Raises your Ph
Is limited to evaporation
Known to help remove PO4
Can potentially nuke your tank if something goes wrong
Needs to be refilled every so often. Mine requires about once a month but its very small

A Ca reactor:
Lowers Ph
Is known to add PO4
doesnt depend on evaporation
can be set up with a controller and almost forgotten about.

With a high Ca. demand system most reefers quickly outgrow a Kalk reactor.
Some reefers refuse to use a Kalk reactor due to the risk of nuking involved. I however, feel that if failsafes are in place, its almost impossible.
Some reefers use both reactors to help offset the negatives of the other. You can definately get away with one or the other in most cases. I use both for the offsets and it also allows me to be a bit lazy when I notice one of the reactor not performing up to par. As a matter of fact. Id better go fill my kalk, its been empty for four days. Im sure my Dkh and Ca. are creeping down this week.
If you were to use only one, I would recommend the Ca reactor for sure.

Im sure there are a few more pros and cons but that pretty much sums it up.

I guess I should add that I keep two part on hand at most times for adjusting my chemistry when things start to get a bit off. I add it to my make up water to bring the levels of IO up to where I like to keep my reef tank.

Here is my favorite chemistry calculator. http://reef.diesyst.com/flashcalc/flashcalc.html

 

[TJL]

Thanks Duane, nice of you to resurrect an old but timely subject thread. Looking forward to the member inputs here.

Cheers, Todd

 

[HUNTER01975]

Ok this noob will bite.. is kalk the same the kalkwasser?

I thought you could do the slow drip thing or add it to your ato system and let it add that way? I thought you did not have to have a reactor for the kalk if you did not want to spend the money..

I would love more input on this as i am getting ready to start adding corals to my tank soon and have been doing some reading on this topic.

 

[trido]

Yes, Kalk is short for Kalkwasser, and your right. You do not need a reactor to dose kalk but most only make up a gallon or so of mix to drip at any one time and with larger tanks a single gallon wont even put a dent in the evaporation. Also, after making up kalk every day for a year a tank will start to feel like a chore and wont be fun. A reactor takes the daily chore out of the hobby but since its dependant on evaporation it has its limitations. For example, my first reef tank, a 120 SPS tank evaporated about three gallons a day and within four months of setting it up with fast growing SPS corals demanded more than a reactor could supply. If I were starting over. I'd likely go with a dosing pump over a kalk reactor. Currently I have a calcium reactor.

I'm still waiting for someone who loves their dosing pump....

 

[wes]

I'm not saying its the best way to go but I've been running a Bubble Magus BM-T01 3 pump doser for over a year now and it works pretty well.
My levels have been steady. I do a 3 part Alk,Ca and Mg.

 

[trido]

I'm not saying its the best way to go but I've been running a Bubble Magus BM-T01 3 pump doser for over a year now and it works pretty well.
My levels have been steady. I do a 3 part Alk,Ca and Mg.

Do you have any Pro's and Con's over either of the reactors listed above? How big are your reservoirs and how often do you have to refill them?

 

[wes]

I think both reactors have their merits. I have two 5 gallon reservoirs. One with sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate and the other with calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. They last for about two weeks.

 

[wes]

I forgot to mention that I dose Iodine as well in a 2L reservoir.

 

[trido]

I think both reactors have their merits. I have two 5 gallon reservoirs. One with sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate and the other with calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. They last for about two weeks.

Am I right in thinking that you have Alk additives in one reservoir your Calcium/Mg in the second then the iodine in the third?

 

[wes]

That is correct.

 

[Aquanaut]

Given my system's appetite of +1000g/month carbonate+50ml iodide, 1600g/month calcium+50ml strontium/heavy metal complex, 250g/month magnesium. My colonies far outpaced the reactor I had and led to too much co2 dropping the pH eventually. Don't get me wrong, reactors work very well and inexpensively until corals outgrow their ability to maintain chem. levels.

 

[TJL]

WOW! Deb, those are some serious amounts of additives consumed each month. No wonder your Corals are so outstanding, you spoil them like Grandchildren. Now I know why I cannot keep up with my manual dosing for my overgrown system and will give me a basis for setting up my SWC Dosing pump. I just ordered three Slim profile 1.05g reservoirs from BRS plus Mg Chloride & Sulfate to go with Cal/Alk supplements. Now I'll have to look at Iodide and Strontium more closely as well.

A question for both Deb and Wes, are you dosing periodically throughout the day or at day/night only ??? Great thread, thank you all for your input.

Cheers, Todd

 

[trido]

So, a couple big PRO's for the dosing pump system is;
The ability to dose massive amounts if necessary
The ability to dose trace elements daily knowing exactly how much is going into the system on one given day.

Con's;
Having to make up solutions often for dosing..

FWIW simply dripping a Calcium reactors effluent into a cup before it enters the tank will help "offgas" the CO2 which helps to offset the Ph drop. AFAIK all the national aquariums are still using extremely large reactors on their reef tanks without low Ph issues.

 

[wes]

I have my pumps set to dispense every hour. I have my Iodine solution set to dispense 200ml a day and it separates that out into 8.3ml an hour.

 

[HUNTER01975]

So is there a general point at which one would have to start dosing? I understand that when the bioloud becomes so great that the minerals are depleted but being a noob. What would be good signs to start watching for?

My second question that this tread has made me think of is.

why can i not mix up the solution and pour into my 15 gallon ato system that has a circulation pump running all the time and then let it be added to the DT a cup or 2 at a time when the ato fills the sump? The I would not have to make solution everyday.

Sorry not trying take away from the thread just my thoughts on this subject.

 

[Aquanaut]

So, a couple big PRO's for the dosing pump system is;
The ability to dose massive amounts if necessary
The ability to dose trace elements daily knowing exactly how much is going into the system on one given day.

Con's;
Having to make up solutions often for dosing..

FWIW simply dripping a Calcium reactors effluent into a cup before it enters the tank will help "offgas" the CO2 which helps to offset the Ph drop. AFAIK all the national aquariums are still using extremely large reactors on their reef tanks without low Ph issues.

I kept my effluent in a highly agitated/aerated tower 3-drawer unit to no avail. and my #20 CO2 was refilled every 3 months! I even replaced the gas head thinking it was faulty...not.

AWww! Are you complaining about making mixes once a month? Once you have figured the appetite of your system, you can use large resevoires. In my case, I make each month according to the Balling Ultralight Method: 5 Gallon carbonate solution, 3 gallon Calcium tub, and 3 gallon Magnesium tub. Dosing is over a 24hr period alike a reactor would to prevent shock to corals. A 4th doser can add extra nutrient shots to system too or phyto and zooplankton.

BTW keep a 10$ moisture alarm below doser...More than once when I haven't checked the carbonite line to the sump it can mineralize shut enough to cause back pressure to actually blow the connection off the doser and drain to the floor instead...oops! There is no replacement for good husbandry/tinkering of your system...lol

 

[Aquanaut]

So is there a general point at which one would have to start dosing? I understand that when the bioloud becomes so great that the minerals are depleted but being a noob. What would be good signs to start watching for?

My second question that this tread has made me think of is.

why can i not mix up the solution and pour into my 15 gallon ato system that has a circulation pump running all the time and then let it be added to the DT a cup or 2 at a time when the ato fills the sump? The I would not have to make solution everyday.

Sorry not trying take away from the thread just my thoughts on this subject.

Just keep in mind that evaporation rate does not account for the chemistry take-up of the corals in the system and can lead to overdose or under dosing of various elements you are adding. Some times corals "rest" and stop or decrease the take-up of your additives and then decide to boost growth at times...kinda like seasons almost. I find SPS are alike roses that need thinning at times. My system can at times go without trimming for 6 months yet 3months put on growth spurts 4-6"...depending on species.

 

[HUNTER01975]

@ aquanaut, thanks

 

[trido]

Are you complaining about making mixes once a month?

Absolutely not. Only pointing out a Con's side of the unit. You also pointed out that a CO2 tank needs to be taken in to be refilled every so often. Another Con for the Calcium Reactor. A Calcium reactor is also dependent on the drip rate which can be a bit tricky to get dialed in and once there can vary.

 

[Peppie]

I recently started dosing you 90. I bought a triple. Cost about $200. Could have probably found a used Calc reactor around that price.
What about the other 2 additives. Still need to add them.

How much space do I have to work with? co2 bottle,reactor ??? or a set of three dosing pump?? and the containers.

How much space will dictate how big your containers will be, possibly limiting how often you need to replenish them. ( mine are 2.5 gal water containers "Walmart-$5)

I get about 1 1/2 months before I have to mix more.

It worked out for me about $1.20 + or- per gal. I buy $100 of media at a time. This amount has lasted 6 mo. +


So how many times would I have had to fill a small co2 bottle? Not only that, how do you know when the bottle runs dry? ( I know you need to look at the gauge).

Thats my .02