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  #1  
Old 01/05/2008, 04:06 PM
Just Jim Just Jim is offline
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coralife calcium reactor leaks

I've been using this piece of junk for about 6 months now. Out of the box it leaked. I sealed around the pump with silicone and it worked just as it should've until yesterday, when it started to leak through the silicone. I cut out the old silicone and resealed it. I just can't justify spending the $400 for the geo calcium reactor that I want. Has anyone had luck "fixing up" the coralife reactor permantly?
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  #2  
Old 01/05/2008, 05:24 PM
zaireguy zaireguy is offline
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mine just went and starting leaking on me last night.I feel the pain man
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  #3  
Old 01/05/2008, 05:26 PM
Just Jim Just Jim is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by zaireguy
mine just went and starting leaking on me last night.I feel the pain man

How long did you have yours? If I had it to do over again, I'd have bought the geo 624. But now I've got $150 invested in this junk. Right now I've got a layer of silicone drying. Then I'll put another layer on top of this one, hopefully it sticks. Hasn't anyone else had this problem?
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  #4  
Old 01/05/2008, 05:35 PM
zaireguy zaireguy is offline
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mine has been nothing but problems I want the geo 624 also.I have had mine about a yr
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  #5  
Old 01/05/2008, 06:33 PM
Just Jim Just Jim is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by zaireguy
mine has been nothing but problems I want the geo 624 also.I have had mine about a yr

Instead of buying the geo 624, how about I give you a good deal on a "lightly used" coralife reactor? You can always use it for spare parts.
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  #6  
Old 01/06/2008, 12:32 AM
Percula9 Percula9 is offline
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If the silicone doesn't work, try JB weld. It worked for me on a busted skimmer. The key is inside and outside has to be sealed. I'm sorry but you get what you pay for. There is a local fish store by me with a 300gal reef. It has some of the nicest acropora and other various corals, without a reactor. It is maintained with supplements and water changes. This proves you don't need such a device to begin with.
  #7  
Old 01/06/2008, 01:33 AM
Just Jim Just Jim is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Percula9
If the silicone doesn't work, try JB weld. It worked for me on a busted skimmer. The key is inside and outside has to be sealed. I'm sorry but you get what you pay for. There is a local fish store by me with a 300gal reef. It has some of the nicest acropora and other various corals, without a reactor. It is maintained with supplements and water changes. This proves you don't need such a device to begin with.
I have sps and clams, and over 300 gallons of volume, and I'd go through tons of 2 part if I didn't have a reactor. I tried a jb weld knock off, because my local lowes was out. It was called welder and it didn't work. It wasn't a two part though.
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  #8  
Old 01/06/2008, 07:30 AM
liveforphysics liveforphysics is offline
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My O-ring pump seal dripped on my coralife 500 calcium reactor.

I bought 1 size thicker and 1 size smaller diameter O-ring for about $0.20 . It's never leaked for over a year now. I also totally drilled out the extremely restrictive venturi directly above the pump mount. Now it circulates the water in the reactor like a river, and efficiency and performance increased in a big way. I use a paristilic pump to feed it, so I had no need for the venturi.

After these 2 mods that took about 10 minutes, I've been very pleased with the performance. Hopefully they can help you too!

Best Wishes,
-Luke
  #9  
Old 01/06/2008, 12:16 PM
caseyjones caseyjones is offline
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Aside from the leaks and poor design does it do a decent job at maintaining calcium levels?
  #10  
Old 01/06/2008, 09:13 PM
liveforphysics liveforphysics is offline
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Yes, if you drill out the venturi and use a thicker O-ring it functions as well as any reactor I've used. For how cheap it is and how little work it requires to make it work, I think its a pretty good value.
  #11  
Old 01/06/2008, 09:15 PM
zaireguy zaireguy is offline
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I wonder if I could turn my leaking one in to a phosate reactor
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  #12  
Old 01/10/2008, 07:19 PM
Just Jim Just Jim is offline
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My patch job with the silicone seems to have worked. It's almost been a week now, and it hasn't dripped at all. I don't know what caused it to leak the last time, but hopefully this buys me another year or two.
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  #13  
Old 01/12/2008, 12:12 AM
zaireguy zaireguy is offline
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man I got a nice mrc off here ..no more coralife
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