Randys 2 PART questions

[Dizbwayne]

What are some of the equipment i need to get this baby started?

i know i need aquamedic twin doser, but does it need a pump?

do i need a ph controller OR monitor?

test kits?

if i need more thing please LMK thanks

 

[alti]

no need for any of that. you can just dose it by hand daily. only thing u need is good cal and alk test kits to figure out how much to dose on a daily basis. I have preweighed bags of the ingredients at my place. if u r ever in jersey i can give you some.

 

[reefman]

i think he wants to automate the dosing so he dont have to dose daily.
i find thats hard cause the solution settles after a while n clogs.

 

[alti]

ok, but if he is spending the money on dosing pumps and controllers he would be better off getting a cal reactor.

 

[herman]

ok, but if he is spending the money on dosing pumps and controllers he would be better off getting a cal reactor.

What makes you say that? Its all a matter of preferance really. All systems come with pros and cons. I use a Spectrapure Litermeter III with an additional pump hooked up to it and its been treating my tank quite nicely. One of the biggest advantages of the 2 part solution is being able to quite easily manipulate the ca and alk settings at any time, something which is more difficult with a ca reactor.

 

[Dizbwayne]

yea i believe a cal reactor is very hard to use and the 2 part seem much easier.

hey herman are you using 2 part? if so what are you using?

 

[Dizbwayne]

but thanks for all the suggestion guys

 

[alti]

good point Herman,
The general view out there is that reactors are so much better than anything else. i agree that the 2 part works better to manipulate your levels. i use about 1 gallon a week and love it. its so simple to dose by hand on a daily basis. the only equipment i need is a cup and my arm. i do this for a living so maybe i have a different point of view than a hobbiest, but i dont like to spend money and electricity on equipment i really dont need. However, if the point is to have a completely automated system i would go with a reactor. Once its dialed in it takes little maintenance and may take up less space under the cabinet.