most stable system.

[tgcreef]

Alright everyone I have AEFW and I have set up a 40g breeder for quarantine. With doing this my tank is pretty much empty except for a few acans and montis. So I think im going to take this oppurtunity to improve my system. my question is if you had to redo your system would you use a calcium reactor(I have a Geo sitting in my closet just not set up)? Would you use the balling method( I also have a 3 pump doser which would work perfectly I think). Or would you use another method. My goal is to obviously get the best colors and growth(like every other hobbiest). I want to make my systems parameters as concrete as possible. So now im asking everyones advice.

I am also planning on running Zeo with my new tank( It will be a full Zeo system).

thanks

-Tim

[Saldarya]

If I had to do it all over again, I would probably do the balling method. I currently use a Geo reactor, I like it, it does well, but there are times you have to make adjustments,.

With a programmable 3 pump system, you can make specific adjustments that you can track easily. More precise IMO.

Again, if I were doing it all over again......

[ReefWreak]

Contrary to what was stated before, I would use the calcium reactor. I believe that once dialed in, it would be a much more stable system. I certainly understand the perks of a balling method system, and totally agree on the ease of changing dosage, but you shouldn't have to change the dosage with a stable setup ;)

Maybe time to consider barebottom as well, since your tank is apart?

[tgcreef]

thanks for the input guys.

One thing i heard about the Geo reactors and most one stage reactors is that it lowers you ph. So by it lowering you have to drip kalk. Did you have the same problem?

When it comes to BB no offense but I could never do it. I love the natural look of sand and just the nice bright white contrast. And I dont have a phosphate or nitrate issue.

thanks

[reefkoi]

Yep I had to add a kalk reactor, I even have a 2 stage calcium reactor with a ph controller for C02 injection but the ph in the tank still declined to the point where a Kalk reactor was needed.
It's pretty easy to maintain a Kalk reactor though, I just add some kalkwasser once a week and thats about it.

With the balling method you need a special salt right? Can we get that in the USA????
C

[tgcreef]

I have never heard of using a special salt with the balling method. Do you know what the salt is called?

[ReefWreak]

I have not had to add a kalk reactor, or even top off with kalk. My pH is low, but it has at no point ever effected the inhabitants of my tank. They've always grown like crazy and had really good PE and coloration. I think I tested my pH a while ago with a RedSea chemical test kit and it was at 8, which is good, so I never bothered worrying about my tank pH.

[aurora]

I use a calcium reactor and periodically add kalk when calcium reactor can't keep up. With either method, regular monitoring is key. In any system, your demand for Ca and Carbonate is going to increase/decrease depending on how your corals are doing. If you are doing great and they are growing like crazy, you will have to ramp up whatever system you are using since your corals are sucking up whatever you put in. Ca reactor and occasional adjustment with kalk works best for me.

[bill-fit]

I use a calcium reactor with kalc to help with ph. Recently the calcium reactor couldn't keep up with demand and I had to add a automated 2 part dosing system.

I have a 210 display, 350 gallon total system volume, that is full of sps.

I really like using all the methods at once. The calcium reactor gives me the cheapest unit of alkalinity and calcium. The 2 part is so easy to make demand adjustments. Just change the timers to controll the dosing pumps.

[Paulairduck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12931661#post12931661 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tgcreef
thanks for the input guys.

One thing i heard about the Geo reactors and most one stage reactors is that it lowers you ph. So by it lowering you have to drip kalk. Did you have the same problem?

When it comes to BB no offense but I could never do it. I love the natural look of sand and just the nice bright white contrast. And I don't have a phosphate or nitrate issue.

thanks

If you are going full ZEO kalk reactor is not recommended.

ZEO recommends calcium reactor
efficient skimmer
substrate at the bottom of the tank

NO fuge
NO kalk reactor
No Phosban reactor

[tgcreef]

yeah Im aware of that and that is why I dont want to run a calcium reactor as much because its going to lower my ph and I will not have to option to bring it up by running kalk.

So i guess I would say im leaning towards using the dosing pumps.

Does anyone on here do the same, use the balling-light-method?

I know the TOTM uses that but its the "TOTM" alomst unrealistic. So if anyone on here uses the balling method could you share some pics

[bill-fit]

I would suggest looking at the current tank of the month article there is a full description of balling light.

Its exactly how I am dosing my 2 part they just call it balling light.

If you decide to read the article there is a link to the balling light method. It gives a detailed explanation.

I picked up two ideas he's put his strontium in with the calcium chloride and the ioding with the mag chloride .

I'm giving that a try right now but its to soon to see how good it works.

[bill-fit]

I forgot you requested picks. What did you want picks of?

Let me now and I will put them up. Were going out for a couple of hours. I will check this thread when I get back:D

[tgcreef]

Yes I read the TOTM thread thats what got me curiouse.

I was wanting pics of your tank as of now. And if you have them maby before you started to use the balling method. just for some comparison.

thanks

-Tim

[bogg]

I've been dosing bionic for years. Well as of lately I have noticing a white buildup on the pumps and the glass. I read the back of the bionic and I noticed I have been overdosing my bionic by doulbe just to keep up with the demand. Is this something that the balling method can do but bionic cant?. Surpassing the 1 ml per gallon daily max?. A ca rxtr obviously could keep up I am assuming.

[Amphiprion]

I just use Randy's method. That prevents any imbalance in anionic ratios, so there is no need to use an NaCl-free salt mix. Just keep an eye on salinity, lower it when necessary, and keep up with water changes.

[tgcreef]

bogg,

I have been using B-ionic for about 3 years now and I am not only sick of adding it every day but it allows for a big swing because you spike your system in the morning(atleast for me when I add it) and by the next morning its really low then you spike it again. what I am hoping for is a stable consistancy of no spikes or falls.

[Amphiprion]

That is why I have my doser administer it every 12 hours instead of 24. I could do it more often, but that leaves more room for error in dosing, as well.

[60Cubed]

Cal reactor and kalk reactor. Set em and forget em. Makes it soooo easy. I add a pound of kalk in my reactor at a time. I only add once every six months. I top off with kalkwater 24/7. It is awesome.

[tgcreef]

yeah the issue with having both calcium reactor and kalk is that i cant use kalk with the zeo system. Is there a calcium reactor that is well known for not lowering ph?

[USC-fan]

What is the reasoning behind not using kalk?

[Shawn D]

I am going to go with the balling method as soon as I save enough $$$

[bill-fit]

Here's a shot of my tank from about 2 months maybe 3 months ago.

I'm ready to take some growth pics I'll see if I can get them up tommorow.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN3043.jpg

[Reefer08]

what kind of auto top off are you guys using for your kalk reactor? Or are you guys running a litermeter?? And on a side note why would zeo recommend against no fuge? Wouldn't a fuge be beneficial for keeping ph up and low nutrient?

[tgcreef]

Honestly I dont know why they say no kalk and no fuge but with what i have seen those chemicals do when not properly used personaly I am going to listen!

[tgcreef]

bill fit

tank looks awsome cant wait to see the follow up picks

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12940776#post12940776 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by USC-fan
What is the reasoning behind not using kalk?

precipitates phosphates before they can be used by the bacteria.



Side note ( i put a bit of kalk in my ATO water nothing bad is happening.)

[bill-fit]

Okay I'm back heres two end shots from the right end and the left.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN3056.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN3058.jpg

and here's some growth pics

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN3044.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN3059.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN2912.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN2916.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN3062.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN3033.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN3060.jpg

These are my best growers. I checked my tank log this represents about 3 months growth.

[bill-fit]

I forgot one let me fix that.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN2912.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj315/bill_fit/aquarium/DSCN3063.jpg

[bill-fit]

Thanks for the compliment tgcreef :D

[tgcreef]

dang man those look asome!

Loving those colors

can i get the cmplete list of what your dosing

[bill-fit]

I'm dosing the 2 part from bulk reef supply with the dosing pumps that they sell. I have the dosing pumps on electronic timers.

So that would be sodium carbonate part 1.
Calcium chloride part 2.

I have a third dosing pump to due a daily additon of magnesium.
That would be magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate

I dose about one gallon a week in my system of the 2 part, fifty five millileters a day of the magnesium .

One week ago I started putting strontium chloride in with the calcium chloride, part 2, and iodine in with the magnesium.

Thats fifteen ml of strontium chloride and 10 ml of kent marine iodine. Same as I was adding before once a week .

My calcium reactor provides the bulk of the alk and calcium. The 2 part is the easiest to adjust, via the timers, to make corrections if the alk starts to drift .

The calcium reactor has arm media and is set for an effluent rate of forty ml a minute and a bubble count of 120

Is that the info you wanted?