dosing 2part vs. calcium reactor

Cozen89 · #1 11/30/2007, 01:34 AM

dosing 2part vs. calcium reactor

I'm debating on getting a calcium reactor or getting 2 peristaltic dosing pumps and dosing the DIY 2part on timers. The dosing pump set up will cost about $200 where as a used Calcium reactor could be about $400. Cost is definately a factor here.

What are benefits of either, pros and cons etc, etc. Any and all opinions are appreciated. Thanks.

ReefWreak · #2 11/30/2007, 01:38 AM

The peristaltic pumps will clog. It's just a matter of time, not a question.

I'm a college student, so I can definitely appreciate the cost factor.

I switched from dosing 2-part to a calcium reactor when I found a great deal here on RC. I would never go back. It allows me to leave my tank for LITERALLY MONTHS at a time without having to add anything, while my acros are growing out of control with a constant stream of consistent calcium and alkalinity.

The benefits of 2 part is that its inexpensive and easy to find locally.
The benefits of a calcium reactor is consistency, not having to add just one more thing to the tank every day, and some argue that it's a more natural process of putting calcium and alkalinity in the tank.

Keep in mind that the 2 part, if dosed automatically, WILL clog.

ReefRockerLive · #3 11/30/2007, 01:48 AM

I disagree with the peristaltic pumps clogging statement because if you have a good enough dosing pump such as the LM3, then there shouldn't be any clogs unless absolutely no maintenance is done. FWIW, I have yet to hear the LM3 having clogging issues.

ReefWreak · #4 11/30/2007, 01:55 AM

I have not heard complaints from people with a LM3 to be fair, but I've spoken to a few locals around here who have tried them on the relatively standard IV dosing pumps and other pumps like it. I can imagine that the LM3 is a much better solution than all/most others because of it's design for use specific to aquarium usage, however I still believe that it will inevitably clog, not because of the pumps themselves, but the tubing, where the clogging occurs regardless of the pump driving the solution.

netboy · #5 11/30/2007, 02:02 AM

Ive been dosing Kalk with an IV pump for 2 years and no clogs.

ReefWreak · #6 11/30/2007, 02:16 AM

Maybe I've just heard the wrong things from some other people then. I have not done it, so I'll stop commenting.

Cozen89 · #7 11/30/2007, 02:40 AM

What is this LM3? And where can I find it on the net?

Also it's not the actual pump that gets clogged right? Just the tubing? If it's just the tubing, that should be easy enough to keep on hand right? Altho I agree it would be a hassle.

What do you think about this one?

http://www.aptinstruments.com/Mercha...t_Code=SP200FO

jboogie · #8 11/30/2007, 02:54 AM

LM3 stands for LiterMeter3 that can be found at Two Part Solutions.

Cozen89 · #9 11/30/2007, 02:59 AM

Yeah sorry I looked it up after posting. It's quite pricey. for that price I can buy a calcium reactor. Any cheaper alternatives?

netboy · #10 11/30/2007, 03:13 AM

I got my dosing pump from innovative aquatics. I just dose Kalk so if I had to do it again I would just put a aqualifter on a controller and call it a day. But innovative aquatics pumps work well with dosing two part, I did it for awhile before I started Kalk.

moo0o · #11 11/30/2007, 04:08 AM

if you get a LM3 you have a 2 part doser AND an auto top off right there! thats one of the reasons im hesitating to sell mine for a calcium reactor.

but when i have the money, i am going to make my lm3 do small water changes and my calcium reactor is going to do the dosing.

kdblove_99 · #12 11/30/2007, 04:12 AM

I also do the 2 part

Cozen89 · #13 11/30/2007, 05:39 AM

I already have an auto top off system, I just need 2 dosing pumps. $350 is a taaaaaaaad bit more than I want to spend.

Still any more pros and cons for dosing 2 part vs calcium reactors?

Also anyone have experience with those pumps I posted a link to earlier?

crumbletop · #14 11/30/2007, 07:02 AM

You can do the peristaltic pump route for much cheaper. I got a fixed speed 2rpm Cole Parmer Masterflex peristaltic pump with 2 heads off of ebay for $40. Couple that with a few feet of high quality norprene tubing from usplastic.com and and a timer and it is a trouble free setup. I don't mess with it at all. I used to dose 2-part manually and had to also run a kalk reactor to keep the pH relatively stable (it would drift downward over time). Now with the peristaltic pump setup my pH runs 8.2-8.4 and my Alk is constant at 3.2 meq/l. Ca=450.

I also disagree with the clogging statement above.

fishysteve · #15 11/30/2007, 09:26 AM

When dosing the two part, aren't the solutions supposed to be individually shaken before added?

luke33 · #16 11/30/2007, 10:42 AM

I've been doing the 2part for mths, well actually my calc is the only thing i have to dose about every 4-5days. It has cost me a whopping 29bux for everything and i have gone through about 2% of it. So i'm guessing my calc will last me atleast a year or two. My calc is always 430-450, alk steady 10-11dkh, mag always at 1280-1340. This is for total voume of 165g. At this rate i'll never get a calc reactor.

Wryknow · #17 11/30/2007, 10:51 AM

There are some negatives to calcium reactors other than price to consider as well, both primarily because of the use of CO2. The usual problem is chronically low Ph: this can be a struggle if you're dosing a lot of CO2. Also, there is a risk that the CO2 system can get out of adjustment, dose too much CO2, and cause a Ph drop significant enough to cause some die off.

There are risks with the two-part solution (or even just kalk for that matter) as well and I'm not trying to persuade you either way. I'm just saying that these are things that should be considered before you decide. More expensive systems usually have more safety features and/or higher quality that mitigates risk but you have to pay for them.

hyperfocal · #18 11/30/2007, 12:37 PM

Have you considered a Kalk Reactor?

Cozen89 · #19 11/30/2007, 12:44 PM

I have a DIY kalkreactor running on my system right now. I top off with saturated kalkwasser every night. I don't get why my tank eats so much calcium and alk. I don't have a full blown SPS/stony tank, but the stuff drops like crazy.

VaderWS6 · #20 11/30/2007, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cozen89
I have a DIY kalkreactor running on my system right now. I top off with saturated kalkwasser every night. I don't get why my tank eats so much calcium and alk. I don't have a full blown SPS/stony tank, but the stuff drops like crazy.

Same here.

luke33 · #21 11/30/2007, 01:55 PM

What are your alk and mag levels? If there not correct your calc will do that.

joebo1717 · #22 11/30/2007, 03:50 PM

CALCIUM REACTOR +1

Everyone in this hobby knows at some point that you should spend the money to take care of areas of your tank only once. 2 part does have a much lower start up cost but if your doser goes out and a syphon starts you would put so much of the solution into your tank that you would have death. With a calcium reactor if it stops working it's not going to dump calcium into your tank. Yes there is a risk associated with the ph but if you look at any good calcium reactor they have a ph probe insert so this can be controlled. Also when you use reactors with dual chambers it helps to increase the effluent ph so it does not drop as much. Seeing as you already have a kalk reactor I would do it right the first time and a buy a reactor. The tanks I have seen running reactors have undeniable growth

twon8 · #23 11/30/2007, 04:33 PM

either method will work fine, and both have their benefits and drawbacks. but i have yet to hear a complaint or problem associated with a lm3 other than user error. i know people who have lost corals or tanks due to a ca reactor mishap.

orangekush4 · #24 11/30/2007, 05:09 PM

I have used both.They are both easy to use.I found that,using two part is easyer to use for,when some one else is looking after your tank when you go away for a week.It is easyer on the none reefer to dose your tank with some cups.when my sps start getting real large,thats when i started using my reacter.I was putting in 120ml of each of the b ionic every day.

IPT · #25 11/30/2007, 06:46 PM

I dose almost 300ml (thanks a to huge clam) a day with a LM3. Using stuff from Two Part it's reasonable. I have 3 gal containers so I don't need to mess with it ofetn mixing stuff up. Works for me just fine. Seems like with reactors there is more that can go wrong. There was a huge thread about this a while back. I'll see it I saved the link.