Do You Need A Calcium Reactor When You Start Your Saltwater Aquarium

Over and over again I have said that research is imperative prior to starting your first home marine aquarium and I still stand by that it is and I am sure that lots of other people would agree with me.

However with research comes the belief that the costs may be higher than they actually need to be.

One of these such costs is the calcium reactor.

For some reason there is a belief amongst many people that a calcium reactor is required right from the offset.

A calcium reactor is a great device to install into the aquarium to ensure that the calcium requirements etc of the aquarium inhabitants are met and maintained.

But let’s face it at the very start of the aquarium live and potentially for a fair few months afterwards will there be enough life in the aquarium to require the purchase of a calcium reactor.

Don’t get me wrong I am a huge fan of the calcium reactor. It is a great device to use when the aquarium inhabitants needs cannot be met by additives and water changes but when the aquarium is first setup there is no life in there, therefore there is no pull on the calcium. A bit further down the road when the parameters are stabilising there may be a couple of fish in there and some corals but will the demand for calcium require the purchase and installation of a calcium reactor – probably not.

The best way in my opinion is to start off just with water changes and when your calcium water tests show that this is not maintaining calcium the additives should be used. Additives should continue to be used until such point that it would be cheaper to purchase a calcium reactor than continue purchase calcium additives.

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