For months now I've been going back and forth between Calcium Reactor and Kalk Reactor/Kalkwasser. I can't make up my mind!!! And I can't figure out if there's an advantage one way or another im terms of the size of my system.
Some specs:
Display tank volume = 1600liters (425g) Sump volume = will be around 100liters Refugium volume = will be around 250-300liters
Using Kalkwasser as top-off water for a large tank doesn't seem very practical, but maybe someone can clue me in as to how to make this as automated as possible.
I definitely want something that will run as much on its own as it can.
i want to sit in on this one too as i am in the same boat.
i currently use kalk as top off water, but have been looking into either a Ca or Kalk reactor, but cant seem to find definitive differences.
the best i can find is that a Ca reactor will handle larger Ca consumptions rates that a kalk reactor, but a kalk reactor will add many other benefits to the system inherent to using kalk.
i am leaning towards a kalk reactor, but still not totally decided.
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Good - I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one! :-)
Yeah, I've also read that a Calcium reactor might be better for larger Ca consumption, but I'm not sure if that means loads of stony corals in your tank and/or larger volume tanks....
Okay...here's some questions then:
Do they affect alkalinity differently? Or rather, do either of them have a distinct advantage over the other in terms of maintaining alkalinity?
kalkreactors do have a positive effect on magnesium, but can deplete strontium very quickly. i think from what i hear from hanging out in my lfs is that most people who choose to go with a kalkreactor do so because of less equipment required to be safe.
I have been debating going with a calcium reactor for a while, but I don't want to have to worry about a co2 tank and stuff. We already have a lot to think about with our tanks, no need to add anything more.
I know someone who actually uses both a CA reactor and Nielsen reactor in his tank...it is dominated by stony coral.
if i rememebr correctly, Kalk has a positive effect on mg2, but dont quote me on that
depending on your source of Kalk, it will contain magnesium at differing levels. If you use pickling lime, the mg content is higher than if you got reagent grade CaO, but who would do that?!? (too expensive and a bit of mg is a good thing)
Calcium Reactor vs. Kalk Reactor 
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