DYI Calcium reactor in future

[reefbabe]

I was looking into DYI Ca reactors because in the future, when I gain a bit more understanding of them, I'd like to build one for my tank (tired of mixing Kalk already).
I'm kind of confused on how to maintain your PH if the effluent from the reactor has such a low PH. Also, if I top off my tank with R/O, do I mix in a buffer to bring the PH up...the R/O has such a low PH and so does the effluent. How do you regulate this? Thanks everyone.........

 

[MadManMac]

Rather than a Calcium reactor, why no tbuild a Kalk reactor. I built a unit out of an old Protein skimmer and a laboratory magnetic spinner from eBay. It is plumbed in line with my auto top off. A timer mixes the kalk every 8 hours for 15 minutes and then when the top off turns on it pumps the clear calcium enriched liquid off th top part of the unit. Depending on how much I need to add, I adjust the mixture in the unit with either more or less Kalk. It is not as precise, but I have a large tank and need a lot of Kalk so my top off is just right for my needs.

 

[reefbabe]

But isn't a Ca reactor a little more effecient and a little more self maintained (after all the initial tweeking)? I always thought that a Ca reactor was the "top" of the line.

 

[theatrus]

It is, but is more expensive to setup. You need the CO2. You probably should have a controller to monitor pH.

I went with a Kalk reactor since I already have high evaporation and a small coral load.

 

[reefbabe]

I went with a Kalk reactor since I already have high evaporation and a small coral load.

I think you and I are in the same boat
I just always try to look to the future. I've got to read read and read some more and ask lots of Q's along the way. I know how I am, I have the "bigger is better" mentality so some day...in the future, I'll be constructing one of these bad mama jamas!

 

[MadManMac]

There is no way a CA reator is more self maintained than my Kalk reactor in the long run. I do not have to watch for CO2 and get that filled, and both units use some kind of medium to produce the CA. I order a few jars of Pickling lime for $1.64 each, which would have been roughly $200 in Aquarium Kalk and have not looked back since. I too love the bigger more complex things, but sometimes you need to stop and look at what is right not what is cool. However, what was right for me turned out to be cool to me too, so I am really the lucky one!

 

[reefbabe]

I didn't think it was "cool" I just thought it would be a bit more scientific.

 

[MadManMac]

Science is cool, it goes together. It's a Zen thing!

 

[reefbabe]

I agree...science IS cool! Well, I've found the reason why so many still push for the use of Kalk. Here's an article I found about ca reactors and PH scroll down: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php