Calcium and Nilsen Reactors for the Marine Aquarist

One of the most important aspects of reef keeping is stability.  Maintaining acceptable levels of calcium and alkalinity is vital for coral and clams growth and health.  If you are tired of mixing kalkwasser (limewater) or dosing two part additives, simplify your husbandry by using one of our reactors.

Calcium Reactors

A calcium reactor essentially consists of a chamber full of calcium carbonate.  The reactor slowly pulls water from the aquarium into the reaction chamber and recirculates it through the chamber several times per minute.  Meanwhile, carbon dioxide (CO₂) is pumped into the chamber; the CO₂ lowers pH to a slightly acidic level.  This enables the water to rapidly dissolve the calcium carbonate and release the calcium and alkalinity buffers.  This calcium rich, buffered water is then dripped back into the aquarium.

Nilsen Reactors

For lightly loaded systems, dosing kalk (lime) can be all it takes to maintain calcium and alkalinity levels.  Kalk (which comes in a powder form) is calcium hydroxide. The powder is loaded in the reactor where it is mixed with freshwater and dissolved thoroughly by a mixing pump.  The resulting solution (the bottom gathers precipitated powder) is dripped slowly into the aquarium to avoid a spike in pH.  Most aquarists who use kalkwasser use it to replace all evaporated water.  Kalkwasser is a balanced calcium supplementation.