understanding how cal and alk work together in reactor

[reefmatenate]

OK so I've been in this hobby for some time now hopefully this will help me understand.

Ive always just used additives to dose into my tank to keep things stable however Im not at home all the time and keeping things stable can be hard.

I'm thinking hard about purchasing a calcium reactor however my understanding is FIRST they are really expensive and secondly I worry about overdosing and third I dont understand what I need to set one up without really screwing up.

Ive also considered a drip method however can't that overdose also?

I have been using Instant Oceans test kits along side Aquarium Pharmaceuticals which I now understand is not they greatest test kits out there.

I want too purchase one Large test kit that can test everything for around 100 bucks

I want to test the following

Alk
Cal
Trates
PH
phosphates

can someone guide me?

thanks for lookin in

[reefmatenate]

bump

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There are many roads to success with calcium and alkalinity.

These articles would be a good place to start:

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.htm

How to Select a Calcium and Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

Limewater
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm

[mattboy]

You can easily automate a supplementation system without a calcium reactor. For about the same price as a calcium reactor, you could buy two dosing pumps, which would allow you to automatially dose KW and a 2 part supplement like Randy's DIY.

The articles linked above are really helpful; you'll like them.