Ca reactor, kalk reactor, or drip kalk?

[jamal-188]

Finally setting up my 200g tank!!!

I'll need some massive ca/alk dosing equipment. Will have around 350-400lbs or lr for now, 10 clams, 20 smaller-medium size hard corals, 20 or so softies. I've been dripping 2 gallons of kalk water a day with decent sucess but don't know what to do on the new tank.

I don't have a ton of $$ to spend so I"m stuck with either building a ca reactor or finding a good used one. Or I could build/buy a kalk reactor. Or cheapest would be to build some type of autotop off w/ kalk water. Is there a big differnece between a kalk reactor and a hopmade topoff w/ kalk? I"m not sure which method would work the best for keeping levels up....any suggestions?

 

[klam]

I've noticed that calcium reactors are poplular among people with large tanks filled with lots of SPS and clams.

DIY a calcium reactor

 

[MarineFlake]

Well, sounds like you have a lot of tank and a low budget. You can make a DIY kalk doser out of practically anything. Some use gallon jugs, some use 5 gallon buckets. Anything that will seal enough to hold a siphon. Thats your absolute cheapest option. Just above that is buying a 'doser'. Above that would find kalk'reactors' and then finally Ca reactors. I personally and prefer even though I have the $$ to burn if I wanted, to drip kalk. Its just more natural imo. However, people do get great results with reactors too once they are dialed in proper. More to your point, kalk can cost you as much or as little as you want. Reactors, well, the co2 (10 gallon) tank can run around $90 empty. I would recommend trying kalk 1st for a couple to 6 months and see how it goes for you. At least if you do not prefer it, you are out the least amount of $$..

GL!

 

[jamal-188]

I currently drip 2g of kalk a day..... so it's ok but I think it may be a pain to drip/mix up 4-5 gallons for my 200g tank. I could swing a ca raeactor if I really needed to but my 8-2 euroreef, and my 2 tunze 6100's w/ multicontroller as well as a ton of little things such as plumbing etc is crimping my bank account.