ViaAqua Acro-Cal Calcium reactor, any experience?

[JLAudio]

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewItem~idProduct~VA3111.html

I was contemplating putting a calcium reactor in the future in my 36 reef in order to stabilize the cal/alk more. With the sump theres only like 42 gallons and I would like to be able to keep SPS corals down the line, I was wondering if this cheap/small reactor would be of any help with stability of these parameters?

 

[NYreefNoob]

i would say you get what you pay for with that

 

[JLAudio]

It seems way too cheap

 

[autoponicz]

i am also thinking of a small ca reactor for my 50g...but dont see too many reviews on the via-aqua reactorswhich i like becasue its for smaller tanks.....
but most that i see are for large tanks....:sigh:

 

[JLAudio]

Yea Auto im in the same boat. It also has an enclosed pump so it will take up only about as much room as a phos reactor, im wondering if you could get small CO2 tanks Because have minimal space behind my stand.

If this actually works it would be nice to have a small tank with the stablility of a larger one

 

[autoponicz]

yea you can use a paintball bottle with the co2 guage/solenoid kit...
nice compact co2 reactor..

only way to know is to try it

 

[iconoclast]

I found some useful info here:
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic72691-6-1.aspx

i was thinking of using one for a sulfur denitrator

 

[JLAudio]

Thanks ICONO, im gonna read up on this and look into it. I got the perfect place in my stand for it

 

[Solace Aquatics LLC]

I would say, you get what you pay for....

 

[ssmtcarlo]

Just dose 2 part. Much easier for a small tank like that. I dose 50 ml of ca and alk daily in my 40 br and it keeps my ca at 430ppm alk at 11 dkh. occasionally you have to adjust dosing to compensate for growth.

 

[tommy818]

calcium reactors areeven not needed on those small tanks i agree the 2 part additive is more than adequate.i use b- ionic on my 180 filled with sps and drip kalk.leave those reactors for the experienced reefkeepers.

 

[NYreefNoob]

lol a small tank doesnt mean your in-experianced, 2 part dosing gets old and if you are running a high stocked sps tank like i was it would have been easier with a reactor, guy's look into the knop which is what i am getting
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage.aspx?PageAlias=calcium_reactors_knop

 

[JLAudio]

If the 2 part is sufficient why dose kalk aswell? Does it serve a purpose that the 2 part doesnt cover?

 

[iconoclast]

its the other way around. does kalk will supplement your needs to a certain degree, sometimes enough sometimes not. to keep levels beyond what kalk can provide use 2 part dosing.
though i dont really know the chemistry behind why kalk has a limit, i guess it would probably drive the ph up too high if you tried to provide a lot of calcium by it.

 

[tommy818]

the kalk will maintain your levels plus it adds nothing to the water and also has an added benifit of precipitating phosphate.so if your dosing 100ml b-ionic and your levels are where u want them the kalk will help u maintain those levels so u wont have to add more 2 part.