• Balling VS Calcium Reactor

  • Andrea6761

I'm at a crossroads: balling or calcium reactor? There are many great options for both balling and reactors... There are a lot of topics, and after the 2nd or 3rd topic, you still don't know what's better... So the question arises from experience: what is better, simpler, more effective? Task condition: 700 liters of water. Corals SPS and LPS in equal proportions, for example...

Lindsey3628

It's kind of like choosing between a Mercedes and a BMW... Everyone has their own taste. Personally, I don't even consider the KR, I just don't like it...

Christopher1252

It is believed that with a high calcium consumption (hard reef), the reactor performs better. Personally, I agree and do not consider KR at all.

Nancy

This question is also relevant for me. With the right setup of the KR, you can forget about fluctuations in kN and Ca; this is also observed during balling, but it’s not a bad idea to install dispensers to avoid manual adjustments. It seems not difficult, but sometimes you can miss a refill.

Danielle8118

It's easy... Personally, I'm also leaning towards balling for now. I roughly estimated that it will cost me about 15 euros a month, maybe 20... And of course, dosing pumps (although I can manage without them for now)... I also saw a great reef with balling yesterday, completely made of hard corals, 800 liters gross, with each solution being dosed at about 400 ml... But the guy said that sometimes you can skip a dose... He said it's not very critical if you miss a day or two... Although I found such dosing pumps.

Mario

I would take some too, so if you’re getting them, I’m in.

Phillip9722

In principle, I can order it to Germany, and then bring it to Kyiv by winter... But they have a waiting time of 3-4 weeks, though the shipping to Germany is free.

Curtis9143

Here's an interesting point, are these pumps serviced in any way? In principle, I'm willing to take them, we can discuss the details in private.

Karen2578

who knows... it looks like a new thing... so nothing is written... it only says that they will need to be calibrated

Destiny

I read this, it's definitely an enticing thing.

Susan9583

I look at it that way too... especially when all the other computers/pumps start at 250 euros... and often without a computer... In general, I'm trying to understand which "system" has more pros or cons... aside from personal preferences?

Amber6362

There is software calibration.

Kenneth2761

I was using baling, no problems with the aquarium at all... Right now on the reactor, no problems with the aquarium... A controversial and long-lasting question, without a specific answer. At the moment on the reactor, but there's always a supply of baling at hand (in my opinion, the best option).

Andrea9320

Why did you switch the reactor to balling and vice versa?)))

Thomas

I currently have a reactor; I switched from balling when I started pouring 250 ml a day, which was costly. With the reactor, it's cheaper for me.

Joseph

I haven't changed anything.... Like everyone else, I initially used the balling method, and then as I developed and my aquarium grew, I set up a reactor, which is still working in my tank to this day. I want to say that the reactor is not a cure-all, and when testing the aquarium, I sometimes have to add something from the balling method, as magnesium can be a bit low or calcium can be slightly insufficient..... In short, the reactor is good, but I have to correct it with balling (in minimal amounts). In my case, that's how it works.

Michele9664

I use this one, I'm satisfied. I ordered it in Hong Kong. There are also spare parts: tubes for the pump, the pump itself, motors. It arrived in 5 days! The device TUM sometimes sells itself...

Holly

So, what are your impressions of the work in terms of reliability?

Jessica8898

Yes, it's fine. All three solutions are poured in. The variation in volume is no more than 10%.

Luis3725

If you suddenly decide to order, just give me a shout...

Kevin

, okay, while in thought, gro-tech vs Chinese counterpart

Rick

German against Chinese? What is there to think about, tsk...

Jessica5016

I also think we should go with the Chinese. And still, the question about the reliability of each method? Has anyone encountered this?

Colin1418

I have only encountered the balling method, which I have been using for 9 months. The parameters are stable, there is no automation for topping up, everything is done manually. I pour an average of 120-140 ml per day, and so far it is not critical, so I will continue using this method.

Ricky9405

I am for the German.

Amber6362

Why? For the price of one German, you can get 3-4 Chinese... Especially when it comes to grotech...

David3217

You should see the assembly of the Chinese guy!!!

Cheryl9296

I'll do it myself.

Amy5070

It might be a bit crooked along the way))) it could be a single defect)

Nicole2404

How much would such an option cost? Do you have a photo?

Vincent

I haven't counted yet. There's only a pilot copy, and I haven't touched that one either. I didn't have time; I was assembling the refrigerator.

Amy5070

If you have some old model, the new ones will be more decent, and they are also listed on foreign websites for a pretty penny. But let's get back to the topic; so far, none of the KR enthusiasts have explained why they chose KR???

Michele9664

In the photo, there is a device from a "hundred" years ago. I remember comparing the quality of assembly. In the photo, it is "homemade," while the one being sold now is clearly factory-made.

Brent8919

Because I drive a German car, although it's not the most prestigious one. And once I drove a Chery... I won't continue. If possible, it's better to choose a higher quality product.

Nicole7268

Igor, there is such a topic on . There is no consensus. Each additive application tool has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Patrick4439

I don't feel like practicing, like improving... 1. 2. Well, this one can be brought to perfection; it works fine, but all the components were glued to the case with a hot glue gun. Almost all of them have come off...

Nicole7122

Personally, I have read almost everything there and came to the conclusion that KR should be used when the SPS is very densely packed, with a large volume, like Uncle Sasha's, where KR is like one of the columns of an ancient Greek temple. Furthermore, if the addition of reagents exceeds 250 ml per day, then economically, baling is no longer profitable, and for mercantile reasons, just to have it.

Alejandro

I also drive a German car, but only Germans have the right to call foreign cars crap. As for the dosing devices: a Grotech costs around 300-400 euros, a cheap Chinese one is 100, a decent one is 200... The assembly quality may vary, but I think they pour the same amount of ml. But that's a matter of taste.

Stuart

if I'm not mistaken, he doesn't have non-volatile memory...

Katie4842

So why specifically Grotex? There is also, for example, Aquamedic.

Yolanda

I don't know what non-volatile memory is. If the power goes out, the settings are saved. But! You need to set the clock manually (although you can start from zero hours). When I leave, I connect it to an uninterruptible power supply, and voilà...

Patricia1746

and their motorcycle resources are different...

Susan9583

There are no problems... I have two independent inputs in my house, and I'm thinking of installing a wind turbine as well.

Steven

There are GroTech Tec I NG monoblocks for 70 euros, you can install 2-3 pieces, everything is top-notch.

John1464

Super! It's better than 3 in 1.

Tammy

I agree, everyone will work independently, for example, one can drink and set it up for iodine.

Mario

maybe someone will be interested....

Andrew419

There are some, but the price is not much lower... I'm also looking at all-in-ones; in terms of reliability, they are definitely more interesting...

John5528

maybe someone will be interested....

Stacy6866

It's been about three weeks since I switched to KR, and so far everything is stable and there's no need to pour anything.

Aaron6112

I generally agree. Just reading forums of Americans, Australians, etc., I noticed many topics where there are troubles with aquariums due to reactors... sometimes it's the valve, sometimes the effect is zero, and so on. I still decided on the Balling method... I'm waiting for the purchase. This one... We'll test it... And now I'll order:

Melinda

According to the preliminary voting results, and in my personal opinion, balling has won. P.S. Who sees any downsides to balling? And what advantages does KR have over balling?

Michael

There are no pros and cons here. Both methods are effective, but only for a certain period of time. When there is a lack of calcium, you have to add an extra container to the calcium reactor or even use a larger one, but corals won't grow larger than the aquarium. With the balling method, if the consumption exceeds 200 ml of each solution per day, is there any economic feasibility in that? And in the absence of ready-made solutions, what guarantees do you have that you are adding what is needed? I am not considering the technical side of the issue; in both cases, the manufacturers are reliable and proven by default.

Tasha

If you don't overthink it, with a consumption of 200 ml of solutions per day, the economic component is 50 per month. (This is assuming the use of not cheap reagents; I manage to stay within 20 - 25.) Considering that I will use a maximum of 100 ml for my aquarium (200 liters), my expenses will amount to 200 per year. As practice shows, if you don't add solutions to the aquarium for two weeks (vacation), nothing terrible happens.

Caroline1599

200x30=6000ml. Balling Bio-Calcium Liquid Refill 3*5 liters ~250 per month, we need 6000 ml, which means an additional 1000ml + 50, totaling 300 per month, in a year 300x12=3600 or 450$. Agree, this is a sum.

James4342

Why? Everyone has long switched to reagents from chemical laboratories. Why buy the same thing for ten times the price? P.S. Just an example - Calcium chloride, dihydrate (Germany), 1 kg costs 65. That's 14 liters of solution. 200 grams for 70 days.

Kevin

Fauna Marin 320 /4 kg, i.e. 80 /kg. A bit more expensive, but tested.

Julie4738

Well ... Everything there is the same, checked ...

Erin2730

Unfortunately, the human factor is also present here as the main culprit of incidents. In these chemical laboratories, reagents arrive in large bags and are then packaged into identical aquariums with similar labels, which can easily be confused, as happens during mass production, albeit sometimes. Thus, in Moscow, several SPS rifles were killed using lab technician reagents, and after that, an unprecedented increase in demand for KR was noted, while the Balling method somehow faded into the background.

Brenda

You are certainly right that the human factor is present. But unlike Moscow, we don't package the aquariums; instead, they are filled according to your order while you are there. It's easier for me to call the company where I regularly buy and pick up what I need in a day than to order the same thing in Kyiv or Odesa, but at a much higher price. I've been using anhydrous calcium chloride for about three years now, which costs $1.5 per kg, baking soda from the nearest store, and everything is very good. But that's just my personal opinion. More reefs have been lost not due to low-quality reagents but because of inexperienced hands.

Alyssa6727

I also thought for a long time about the financial aspect... Somehow, with Fauna Marin, at their concentration, it lasts for a very long time... But that's for now... Practice will fix this issue... I just calculated: installing a calcium reactor, a pH meter, a cylinder (which needs to be refilled), valves, a pump (which consumes electricity), and some other gadgets will already cost around 500-600 euros... And in the long run, if everything goes well, the calcium reactor might not be enough, and I would either have to buy another cylinder (which costs the same) or set up the same balling method... It turns out that the calcium reactor will be more expensive initially...

Tricia7885

but against the overall picture, it is worth considering... at the very least, to take note of...

Robert1845

I thought the same, but I came across a KR with a cylinder, valves, and other gadgets for $260, and the economics immediately became favorable for KR. And let's not forget that in the substrate for filling (of course, a good one), there are all the trace elements, and besides soda and calcium, corals get everything they need.

Travis572

Yes, that's true, but for example, in balling from FM, there are still a bunch of additives... and we got lucky with the price... probably they lowered it because of the transition to balling)))))))))

Darrell5975

Well, something didn't work out for the colleague...

Elizabeth1221

It's very advantageous to set up a CO2 system if you have a bunch of unused stuff that is hard to sell at a reasonable price. I had a 5-liter tank (filled) with a fine adjustment tap (JBL), TIM's flasks, and an electric valve from an osmosis system lying around. In a couple of weekends, I assembled and launched the CO2 system. The pH controller is available in the aquacontroller. As a result, the new expenses for the CO2 system are minimal, everything was put together from what I already had. Igor saw what I managed to create. It's not a brand setup, but it should work. Although I will still set up a balling system for trace elements and other things.

Antonio

It's a normal scheme, it will work. Not everyone is as skilled as you, so people are looking for something better. They got burned on balling, switched to KR and vice versa. TM also has SBS, but no chemistry can replace natural building materials.

Jeffery7866

Well, it's good when everything is there and the hands are right. But what if there isn't?

Russell8484

the same elements... Similarly, in the KR, you can throw in your old coral skeletons that have grown in the aquarium and on non-natural salts, etc... So neither arguments nor once...

Danielle8118

So I'm not trying to convince you, you've made your choice. If I hadn't found a cheap KR, I would be sitting on the balling right now.

Sandra7004

I’m just asking why you spent money on KR again if there was already a billing?

Rodney3101

So I only had the sizes, I was pouring manually. Then the dosing pump came later.

John3187

You could at least show off the pump.

Derek7322

Here it is.

Matthew

Just need to touch it...

Lynn4242

So she is in working condition and in operation.