Dude I am in the same boat... I have been manually dosing for about 6 months and with this new tank I have finally at the point where a calc reactor would be worth it... I just got a nice purple cap and I am looking at some acros, so a calc reactor would be a logical addition... However, like you said they are just so **** expensive... I mean you are looking at like 400 for the reactor, then another 200 for the CO2 and regulator... I might break down and buy one, but antiant on here has one for 355... Let me know what you decide...