- Hey, it's Thomas here.
And today we're gonna be getting up close and personal
with OCTO's Varios lines of calcium reactors.
(groaning)
Big box!
Calcium reactors have been around for decades,
but they're making a huge comeback
now that more reefers are realizing just how
simple they actually are to set up and use the easy way
by pegging the pH and using a continuous duty dosing pump,
and how little maintenance they require compared
to traditional dosing methods for the major three elements.
Depending on the size and demand of your reef tank,
a calcium reactor, while being more spendy upfront,
can also work out to be as,
or even more affordable long-term,
than traditional dosing methods.
One of the most important components
is going to be the reactor itself.
Which I know is probably pretty obvious
but I'm saying it anyway.
A solid reactor with lots of volume and a large opening
not only to get media in and out of easily
but also your hand or a sponge when it comes time
for that yearly cleanup, is going to make life a lot easier.
A reliable circulation pump that will last the test of time
and easy to use standard fittings and tubing
are also a must for making sure it'll be a pleasure
to work with year after year.
OCTO held nothing back with their various lineup
of calcium reactors,
solid acrylic and PVC construction with a reverse
or up flow design for recirculating water and CO2.
Standard quarter-inch John Guest push fittings
all around, including the inline valves,
big, easy to see PVC bubble counter,
PVC unions for easy assembly and disassembly,
a very nice pro port, big easy-to-turn lids
without any thumbscrews, and of course,
an efficient, quiet, controllable
and reliable Varios circulation pump.
Yup, they got a lot going for them and that is probably why
the OCTO Varios calcium reactor was the one chosen to
fill the mighty role of providing the BRS 160 with ALK
and calcium rich effluent.
So let's get this one out of the box and take a closer look.
This is a very big box
which I'd much rather just have the reactor on the table
'cause then at least it'll be sitting like,
upright instead of like,
(groans)
Let's just do this.
In the box. you'll find the reactor itself
with coarse foam pads and separator,
pre-glued plumbing with unions,
the Varios pumps and accessories in a box,
a pair of inline John Guest push connect ball valves,
as well as an inline check valve already attached
to tubing,
as well as suction cups,
the threaded pro port, and some O-rings.
The OCTO Varios calcium reactors
are available in three models.
The CR140, the CR200 and the CR220.
They have 5.5 inch, eight inch, and nine inch cylinders,
respectively.
And they're rated for tanks between 125 to 250 gallons,
200 to 400 gallons, and 300 to 500 gallons
depending on your livestock demands.
The CR140 holds up to one gallon of calcium reactor media.
The CR200 holds up to two gallons.
and the CR220 holds up to two and a half gallons.
The CR140 has a VarioS 2 pump,
the CR 200 has a VarioS 4,
and the CR 220 has a VarioS 6.
Putting the reactor itself together is very easy
and the instructions have several diagrams
so you won't get lost.
Personally, I'd set aside the tubing
and other fittings and save that step
for when you're ready to set up the reactor on the tank.
But I'm going to throw them on to this reactor now
to show you what it looks like.
The overall build quality is really nice.
And the reactor just feel super sturdy
between the thick acrylic body and base,
the thick threaded PVC lid, and the PVC plumbing,
it is rock solid.
The John Guest push fittings
and standard quarter inch RODI tubing adds
that little bit extra that makes these reactors
a breeze to work with.
Even the pH probe port is one of,
if not the most rugged I've ever seen
and even includes a plug for anyone not intending to use it,
which of course is just crazy talk
'cause why wouldn't you use it?
I'm going to use it.
You would use it.
Everyone's going to use it.
That's why it's there.
The VarioS pump is a fantastic upgrade
to these reactors, being more efficient, quieter,
and adding another point of control.
The controller allows for all the same functionality
as the standard VarioS pumps,
including five levels of speed control for dialing in
the recirculation speed of the reactor,
15 minute and 60 minute feed modes
for performing maintenance inside the reactor,
float switch compatibility,
and zero to 10 volt control through an external controller
like an apex, profalux, or hydros.
Plus it is one of the most reliable DC pumps out there,
as you've probably seen
in our top DC pumps of the year video.
Once it's assembled, to fill the reactor,
you simply unscrew the lid,
remove the separator and top foam pad,
and then add in your media of choice a handful at a time,
or even by carefully dumping it in.
I personally like to rinse my reactor media in RODI prior
to use to remove any dust,
but many media options will say no rinsing is required.
Once it's full according to the maximum capacity rating
place the foam pad on top,
then the separator, and screw the lid back on.
If this is your first rodeo with the calcium reactor,
there are a few more components you're going to want
to pick up so you can get this thing running in easy mode.
First off, you'll need a CO2 tank between five pounds
and 10 pounds if you want it to fit in your stand
while still having enough volume to last for months.
A reliable CO2 regulator, as well as a solenoid valve.
The carbon doser I have here makes dialing in
that precise bubble count easy as pie,
a pH controller or a spare pH probe
for your existing external aquarium controller,
so you can peg the pH inside of the reactor
for a consistent effluent DKH.
A continuous duty dosing pump,
like the Kamoer FX-STP to make dialing in the dose
to your tank a super simple process
that is ultra consistent.
And of course, a high quality preferably phosphate-free
reactor media, such as Trayton labs or Kzs offering.
Then, you will be off to the races
enjoying the very hands-free and lovely world of dosing
via a calcium reactor.
If the reef octopus Varios reactor
matches your reefing mantra,
you can go ahead and pick one up for yourself
by clicking right here.