Calcium Reactor

I am just looking into as much as I can about setting up a 75 gallon reef tank. Im wondering what a calcium reactor is/ or does?

 

Maintains your ca/alk levels.

 

Without having to dose two part solutions all the time. Pretty much a set it and forget it type of equipment. Will take you about 2 to 3 weeks to tune it in and then you just let it run.

 

as for maintaining the carbonates and calcium it does everything but don't think about a cheap one like a coral life they really are not that good ..Add some dolomite to the media it will totally take care of Magnesium levels as well ,

 

hmm... How expensive can they get? How much power do they use? what does high/low levels of calcium do

 

They run about 250 or 300.00 tops and the regulator is 89.00 and then you can rent a tank of Gas I run a 20 lb tank for 25.00 rental and 35.00 to fill per yrs it last me right at 12 months depending on how high I keep the Ca and carbonates, The only other cost would be to run a small little pump that is about like a mag 2. 30 to 50 watts or so. Oh and a Ph controller or just a bubble count will work also.

Actually they are really more of a carbonate reactor rather then a Calcium reactor Calcium is just a by product of the dissolving the carbonates .
Calcium and Carbonates are up taken by corals and clams and well about everything but fish to build skeleton and tissue the magnesium is the mixed that carries the others to the receptors . Its a lot more complicated then this but its the basic jest.

CO'2 gas is sent into the reactor where the Ph of the water is lowered to around 6.0 to 6.3 depending on what the hobbyist wants to use in their systems like with SPS and LPS corals there is a much higher need and demand where as with soft corals not so much , But the lowered Ph of the tanks water is mixed with in the reactor by a very small circulation pump and the water from the system is mixed with the dissolved elements and then sent back out to the aquarium full of the needed minerals and its just so steady and parameters stay so constant and its easy and I'm lazy and in the long run much less expensive once you reach a certain level of reefing . Like already mentioned once they are set and dialed in they stay rock steady

 

I thought they were more expensive.... well i guess i was looking at the packages though.

are they worth the money? that is the real question!

 

That depends on what level of reefing you are at If you simply keep bunch of simple mushroom and buttons colts Xenia softs like that then no really but if you are more into SPS an nicer LPS and Clams and such then yes . I just like the rock solid stable water parameters and not having to does and test all the time..

 

Hey, well im just starting my 75G and im definately not getting into SPS for atleast a year or so, just sticking to softies and such. So with this said, do i really need one? and if i were to get one, how soon would i need to incorporate it into my aquarium set up?

thanks

 

Matters if you want to worry about dosing all the time.