Sebea Posted November 13, 2005 Share Posted November 13, 2005 Ok, so now I feel the need for a Calcium reactor for my 62g sps tank. Can someone help me out with finding everything to put together the puzzle? I am thinking about a nano MRC reactor. I don't know whether to go with a single or dual chamber though? Milwaukee dual gauge regulator, PH controller, needle valve, electronic solenoid, and bubble counter. Fair price? What is the electonic solenoid, and do I need it? I will pick up a 10 lbs. CO2 tank at a local weilding shop. Is there anything else that I could possibly need beside the substrate? Thanks in advance! Link to comment
nofriendsbz3 Posted November 13, 2005 Share Posted November 13, 2005 I would go with a GEO calcium reactor and I wouldnt get the Milwaukee regulator. I heard they are a piece of crap. I went with the Me3 from marine depot. The needle valve it has on it is so precise. The GEO reactor is super easy to setup and the craftsmanship cannot be beat. I run the GEO 612 and it comes with the hole on the lid for a PH probe so you can monitor the effluent without having to catch it in a cup. I heard that the MRC is nice as well, but I chose the GEO over the ever so popular Korallin reactor. I run the GEO with ARM media and have great results. nick Link to comment
jmorris Posted November 13, 2005 Share Posted November 13, 2005 go double chamber to reduce pH lowering effects. go with a better reg than the Milwakee like nofriends said a solinoid is basicly an electronic switich that opens/closes the CO2 line It's so you plug it into a timer and run it just during the day, or into a pH controler and let it turn the solinoid on/off to keep your pH balenced while running the Ca reactor. do more research here, and on RC. Jared Link to comment
Sebea Posted November 13, 2005 Author Share Posted November 13, 2005 Thanks for the help. I think that I am going to go with the MRC reactor, but you caught my attention with the regulator. Could you give me the link to the regulator you got? Also, did you get a seperate PH controller? I am still a bit clue-less about how the controller works. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! Link to comment
Sebea Posted November 14, 2005 Author Share Posted November 14, 2005 Is this the one you were talking about nofriends? If I went with this, the only part that I would be missing is the PH controller. Which one should I get? Link to comment
jmorris Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Pinpoint pH controller. Link to comment
Sebea Posted November 14, 2005 Author Share Posted November 14, 2005 Ok, so with everything put together, this will come out to about $540 excluding the CO2 tank. This is quite a bit more than I was expecting to pay. Still not sure about the regulator. The one on MarineDepot is the one to go with? Link to comment
nofriendsbz3 Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I think the one on marine depot is the one to go with. I went with a Milwaukee PH controller and i have a Pinpoint PH monitor inside of my reactor to measure the effluent. The double chamber Calcium reactors are nice, but they take up more room and they arent that much better than a single chamber. The only benefit being it helps slightly with the PH. nick Link to comment
Sebea Posted November 14, 2005 Author Share Posted November 14, 2005 Alright, thanks. I might just go with an aquacontroller, which has a PH controller built in. Link to comment
Sebea Posted November 14, 2005 Author Share Posted November 14, 2005 The pepes on RC seemed to have a different view on Milwaukee regulators. They said that it is a pretty good regulator. Hmm.... Link to comment
newreefguy Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Dude..if you get an Aquacontroller JR it has PH controlling capabilities built right in. Ha! Funny.. I just saw your post Sebea.. thinking along the same lines.. Link to comment
onthefly Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 The problem with Milwaukie is the solenoids. Some people have had issues with them NOT shutting off the flow. Get the MRC single chamber and if you start having pH issues, DIY a second chamber yourself...cost you $25-30. Remember to comb Ebay....you can find alot of deals there! Link to comment
calvin415 Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Aaron, Scott makes Ca reactors as well, and has recently designed a Nano Ca reactor that's priced pretty well. Might give him a jingle... Link to comment
Sebea Posted November 17, 2005 Author Share Posted November 17, 2005 Right, thanks onthefly! I think I'll go with the Me3 from MarineDepot, like nofriends suggested. It comes with the needle valve, solenoid, bubble counter, and the regulator. According to nofriends, it is the best on the market. Eric, It's funny that you said that because I was actually looking at his reactor. Thanks for telling me, I didn't realize that he made this reactor. What is good about this one is that the chamber is 6" in diameter instead of 4.5". Also, it is reverse flow, and includes the pump. I don't think the MRC reactor has all these options. Thanks! Link to comment
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