CAL,
Thanks for sticking the neck out. This shows guts and commitment. I can see that the criticisms are considered harsh but that's because we love your products generally and want to see Cal Aqua succeed. But that can only happen if the products serve us and make us more successful plant keepers.
One of the main gripes about the inline reactor is that the diameter of the spuds is 13mm (I believe the ID is only about 12mm). This means that for large tanks using large filters and larger diameter return tubes (16/22mm) the spud acts as a restrictor and lowers the flow rate. We need external reactors that serve bigger tanks without affecting flow too much. Having said that your reactor has much less effect on flow rate than for example the Aquamedic 1000.
Problem 2 with the reactor is that it is glass and while elegant and beautiful, can break easily when cleaning for example. It would be great to have an acrylic or hard plastic version that is less delicate. Some of us are irretrievably clumsy boffins.
Problem 3 is that it is unbelievably difficult to clean. Algae builds up on the ceramic disc or on the sides between the disc and glass, and requires the talents of a surgeon to remove, even after soaking in bleach. I would like to see a modular version, perhaps two threaded halves with appropriate leakproofing, that can be separated affording better access to the internals for cleaning.
It's clear to me that Cal Aqua are highly focused on producing elegant and unobtrusive products and you do execute this objective with panache, however I am personally less concerned with form than I am with function and I'm happy to use less attractive products if they make my plants healthier, although I'm sure that it is possible to design a reactor that is both elegant, tough and which has greater functionality.
Hope this gives you some ideas. Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Thanks for sticking the neck out. This shows guts and commitment. I can see that the criticisms are considered harsh but that's because we love your products generally and want to see Cal Aqua succeed. But that can only happen if the products serve us and make us more successful plant keepers.
One of the main gripes about the inline reactor is that the diameter of the spuds is 13mm (I believe the ID is only about 12mm). This means that for large tanks using large filters and larger diameter return tubes (16/22mm) the spud acts as a restrictor and lowers the flow rate. We need external reactors that serve bigger tanks without affecting flow too much. Having said that your reactor has much less effect on flow rate than for example the Aquamedic 1000.
Problem 2 with the reactor is that it is glass and while elegant and beautiful, can break easily when cleaning for example. It would be great to have an acrylic or hard plastic version that is less delicate. Some of us are irretrievably clumsy boffins.
Problem 3 is that it is unbelievably difficult to clean. Algae builds up on the ceramic disc or on the sides between the disc and glass, and requires the talents of a surgeon to remove, even after soaking in bleach. I would like to see a modular version, perhaps two threaded halves with appropriate leakproofing, that can be separated affording better access to the internals for cleaning.
It's clear to me that Cal Aqua are highly focused on producing elegant and unobtrusive products and you do execute this objective with panache, however I am personally less concerned with form than I am with function and I'm happy to use less attractive products if they make my plants healthier, although I'm sure that it is possible to design a reactor that is both elegant, tough and which has greater functionality.
Hope this gives you some ideas. Thanks for reading.
Cheers,