Calcium Reactor Frequently Asked Questions
MoCalc 100, 200, 300, 400 Calcium Reactors
A calcium reactor is an important part of most any reef system. All stony corals and other organisms like clams need a surprising amount of calcium. While you can use CaCl2 or 2 part balanced additives it's costly, time consuming, and error prone. Investing in a high quality calcium reactor is an excellent way to get rid of the additives and to provide a higher quality environment for your calcium loving reef dwellers.
The reactor works by dissolving CO2 in to the tank water passing though the unit. This lowers the pH inside the reactor which dissolves some of the crushed calcium media, releasing calcium in to the tank water. The main chamber has a pump on it which draws in water from the tank or sump and recirculates it in a closed loop. There is a tap off out the output of this pump that flows a small amount of water to the second chamber.
The second chamber raises the pH of the tank water before it is returned to the tank, thereby using up a little more of the CO2 making the system more efficient.
All units require a crushed coral media, capacities listed below.
All plumbing connections are 1/4" speed-fit connectors. 4' of color coded input line(blue), CO2 line (yellow) and output line (green) included (12' total).
Features:
- Dual chamber designs in 4" and 6" cell cast acrylic.
- Up flow Reverse-flow design in both chambers.
- No plumbing through the top for easy access. No other reactor is as easy to fill and clean!
- No pipe penetrations though the walls of the tube (A common failure point of other units).
- Integrated (replaceable) pump comes with the unit, not as an 'extra charge' item. Pump is located out of sight under base.
- Space-saving design. The smallest footprint available in a dual chamber design, to save valuable space in the stand.
- Fully water-proof: Impervious to water spills and leaks from other equipment. May be used inside the sump if desired.
- Self-filling Bubble counter built in to reactor.
- Needle valve for adjusting water input/output.
- All push-fit John Guest plumbing connections. The entire unit can be disassembled for pump repair or cleaning. No glued connections to leak.
- CO2 Scavenge Port- Recycles CO2 instead of venting it to the tank. Helps prevent lowering of PH.
- CO2 Check valve included ($20 value).
- We recommend a feed pump for most installations. Some of our customers use our calcium reactors without a feed pump but we now recommend a small feed pump to run the calcium reactor slightly pressurized. You do not need an expensive peristalic pump (although they work great if you have one) - just a small inexpensive pump that you can connect to the 1/4" feed line.
- 12' of multi-colored feed/return/CO2 line included.
- Complete setup instructions posted on the web.
- Optional regulator and solenoid includes needle valve for CO2 and another bubble counter.
- Optional pH controller available to automatically shut off the CO2 when the pH gets too low.
- Flow meter Standard on all MoCalc Calcium Reactors - Mount on either side of the reactor (left or right). Reads in .5 to 8 gph.
Unit Ratings: These reactor ratings are based on the included pump with reasonable flow rates, and are very conservative. A 300g rating means that that unit can handle any 300g tank, not just a mostly empty system. When comparing units, be sure to compare media capacity, not just the tank ratings.
* Size of tank depends greatly on bioload and the requirements of your tank inhabitants for calcium. These are conservative estimates.
What is Calcium and Calcium Carbonate?
Why do you only make Dual chamber designs?
The dual chamber design makes more efficient use of the CO2 than single chamber designs. The second chamber helps raise the pH of the effluent, reducing the pH depression commonly seen with single stage reactors.
Is it quiet?
Yes- Very. The German Eheim pumps are nearly silent. They are a little expensive but they are the most reliable pumps available for the demanding calcium reactor circulation use.
What media should I use?
There are lots of kinds of calcium media available. We recommend the larger (Schuran-style) media although any quality media will work fine. Our personal favorites now are:
- A.R.M. COARSE Calcium Reactor Media, 10 - 15 mm grain size $24.99 (includes shipping) Buy
- Pacific Coast Imports CRM Calcium Reactor Media, 12 to 90 mm size $29.99 (includes shipping) Buy
- Schuran CORALSAND 10 to 20 mm size 12 KG (26 lbs) $79.99 (includes shipping) Buy
How long does the media and CO2 tank last?
This depends on your calcium usage. Most reactors need to be topped off with new media about every 6-9 months or so. A 10 pound CO2 tank will last from 9-18 months.
Can I run the unit pressurized?
Yes- up to 5 PSI. We actually prefer this and run our calcium reactors this way. 3/8" flanges and O-rings allow it to do very well under pressure. Simply adding a feed pump will produce a pressurized setup and allow more CO2 to be dissolved which will produce a lower pH, which will dissolve more media and produce more calcium output, and allow a smaller unit to handle a larger aquarium.
Can I run a calcium reactor with a Kalk or Nilsen reactor?
Yes, this can be a very effective combination if you have a lot of SPS or clams that require a lot of calcium. We have also seen good results with people that run their calcium reactor during the day (or when the tank lights are on) and run the Kalk reactor at night when it is dark. This approach can help you manage your PH better in many cases. Often the PH will rise when the tank lights are off even with the slightly acid effluent from the calcium reactor. But once the lights in your tank go off and photosynthesis stops then the PH will often start to drop as well. The kalkwasser from the kalk reactor will have the opposite effect of raising the PH or at least helping prevefnt it from dropping too much. We do this on our tank with a MoCalc 400 paired up with a Kalk Reactor 3 and it has worked very well.
What are some typical readings?
Taken from a CR1200 (MoCalc 100) on 12/22/04:
- pH of tank at 3:00pm: 8.2
- pH of first chamber: 6.8
- pH of effluent: 7.1
- Alk of tank: 10.8 dKH
- Alk of effluent: 44 dkh (Salifert test)
- Flow rate: 90 ml/minute = 1.4 gph
- CO2 rate: 60 bubbles per minute (big bubbles)
- Ca of tank: 450
- Ca of effluent: 500
Reactor raised the dKH from 8 to 11 in 4 days in a 200+ gallon frag grow-out system on these settings.
Other links:
Flow Meter is now STANDARD on all MoCalc Calcium Reactors!
Options:
- Flow meter kit- Mounts on MoCalc, acrylic sump, or can be free-hanging: Now Standard on all MoCalc calcium reactors
- Milwaukee pH controller with probe: $99
- Milwaukee CO2 Regulator with Solenoid and bubble counter: $99 Buy
- 5 Pound Aluminum CO2 Bottle - 19" tall with valve: $99
- 10 Pound Aluminum CO2 Bottle - 22" tall with valve: $115
- 20 Pound Aluminum CO2 Bottle - 28" tall with valve: $145
Note: We recommend you try and buy your CO2 tank from a local supplier. You will need one to refill them with CO2 anyhow and whichever place can do the refills can also sell you a tank. Make sure you get a new tank from them however, not a used one. Any place that can refill with "food grade" CO2 should be able to provide you with a CO2 tank. Email us for an up to date quote if you want to order calcium reactor accessories like these with your calcium reactor.
This is the PH Probe port. You can insert a PH probe directly into the calcium reactor and monitor PH changes in real time, allowing your PH controller to turn you CO2 off as soon as PH gets too low or turn it back on as soon as the in-reactor PH reaches the target level.
MoCalc 400 shown with Salifert Calcium Test Kit for size comparison. This is a big calcium reactor. 28" tall, holds 32+ pounds of media, and will support a heavy load of SPS and clams.
Larger Schuran-style media works well for calcium reactors and doesn't clog or "channelize".
One example of calcium reactor media that we have used with good results.
Need a custom height? No problem. This MoCalc 200 is an inch shorter at 16" than a standard size MoCalc 200. That extra inch allows it to fit under the stand better. We can do custom sizes for all of our calcium reactors. Custom shorter sizes are at no additional charge and taller reactors are only a small surcharge.
There are 8 different locations for simple customer install the flowmeter for easy visibility - even if the calcium reactor is stuck under your stand. This example shows a flowmeter mounted on the end of the calcium reactor.
Our Label
tells you that this is a genuine Austin Oceans product
MoCalc 400 with large Schuran-style calcium media
Holiday Sale!
10% off Foaminator MAX Protein Skimmers, all MoCalc Calcium Reactors, and all Kalk Reactors for orders placed by Dec 31, 2007.
Holiday Sale!
10% off Foaminator MAX Protein Skimmers, all MoCalc Calcium Reactors, and all Kalk Reactors for orders placed by Dec 31, 2007.
Sale Prices Will Be Shown in the Shopping Cart
