ostrow
04/15/2005, 09:29 AM
Randy:
I did a search but can't find anything, oddly enough, on my question.
I will be upgrading soon from my 75 with 20 sump to 150 with 75 fuge and 100 (or larger) sump.
Currently I dose b-ionic with a dosing pump. But I have found a source a mile from me for dowflake, at $10 for 50lbs. That should make about 100 gallons of the calcium part. Epsom salts plus baking soda would also run $10-$20 in quantities yielding the equivalent amounts (meaning, when all 3 would be used up following your recipe).
Given the cost of a calcium reactor, equipment and media, I figure a setup would be around $500. I'd have to go through about 300-400 gallons of the homemade 2-part to spend that much.
My current system uses about a gallon a month. Let's say the new setup uses a gallon a week, which it won't. It would be 6 years before I spent what the reactor would cost in year one, and there would be additional costs to the reactor over that period.
You can anticipate the question: what advantage is there of running a reactor that, by all accounts, causes low-pH problems for many? Is there any reason not to simply dose the 2-part additive.
My problem has been unreliability of the tubing set for my pump but I'm still working on that. Assuming I can figure that out, which I am confident I can, I am having trouble figuring out why one would go the calcium reactor route. Looking forward to your thoughts.
Thanks!
Joel
I did a search but can't find anything, oddly enough, on my question.
I will be upgrading soon from my 75 with 20 sump to 150 with 75 fuge and 100 (or larger) sump.
Currently I dose b-ionic with a dosing pump. But I have found a source a mile from me for dowflake, at $10 for 50lbs. That should make about 100 gallons of the calcium part. Epsom salts plus baking soda would also run $10-$20 in quantities yielding the equivalent amounts (meaning, when all 3 would be used up following your recipe).
Given the cost of a calcium reactor, equipment and media, I figure a setup would be around $500. I'd have to go through about 300-400 gallons of the homemade 2-part to spend that much.
My current system uses about a gallon a month. Let's say the new setup uses a gallon a week, which it won't. It would be 6 years before I spent what the reactor would cost in year one, and there would be additional costs to the reactor over that period.
You can anticipate the question: what advantage is there of running a reactor that, by all accounts, causes low-pH problems for many? Is there any reason not to simply dose the 2-part additive.
My problem has been unreliability of the tubing set for my pump but I'm still working on that. Assuming I can figure that out, which I am confident I can, I am having trouble figuring out why one would go the calcium reactor route. Looking forward to your thoughts.
Thanks!
Joel