If we just look at the usage cost, here's what I come up with:
B-ionic (@$35 per 2 gallons - mail order pricing): $3.31 per 1000 meq of alkalinity
Kalkwasser (using cheap pickling lime): $0.15 - $0.35 per 1000 meq
Calcium reactor (figuring $30 in CO2 and $20 in 15 lbs of substrate): $0.37 per 1000 meq
If your tank is 100 gallons and it consumes 0.4 meq/l per day then you'll go through 55,188 meq of alk per yr.
Using B-ionic that would cost: $183 per yr
Using kalkwasser: $8.30 - $19.32 per yr
Using calcium reactor: $20.42 per yr
So roughly speaking, for this hypothetical tank, you would save about $160 per yr by using either kalk or a reactor. Or in other words, if you were to spend $400 on a calcium reactor it would pay for itself in about 2.5 yrs. On the other hand, you can drip kalk without spending hardly anything on set-up so it'll start paying for itself from day one.
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jfinch wrote:
