Looking to step up my game

[Evan West]

How bad could your nutrients be in a 2o g with weekly water changes?
Personally I think the next step is a dosing pump.

They arent bad, 0-5 usually but after 2 weeks it will be above 5 and i dont like that so thus i have to do weekly changes or the reactor......Do you guys think its worth a shot to try it slowly and see if i cant reduce the WC down to bi-weekly? or am I better off forgetting it? Also a dosing pump for what? I currently dont dose anything, thats why im starting the kalk

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Also a dosing pump for what?

Kalk or two part. its just easier and more stable. You'll get better growth from the lps, better PH. or you could try carbon dosing with one stage of the doser, or use vinegar in the limewater.
personally it think every other is fine for a wc.. Id look at the health of the tank first and the numbers second.
One of my tanks is a sumpless 30g w 5g WC every other and my acros have stupid good growth. like stupid.

if your tank isnt taking up nutrints as fast as you like ceramic media would also be a consideration.

 

[Evan West]

Kalk or two part. its just easier and more stable. You'll get better growth from the lps, better PH. or you could try carbon dosing with one stage of the doser, or use vinegar in the limewater.
personally it think every other is fine for a wc.. Id look at the health of the tank first and the numbers second.
One of my tanks is a sumpless 30g w 5g WC every other and my acros have stupid good growth. like stupid.

if your tank isnt taking up nutrints as fast as you like ceramic media would also be a consideration.

So if I use a doser to do Kalk so i mix with fresh water still or salt...? I assume Salt cuz fresh would mess with the salinity

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So if I use a doser to do Kalk so i mix with fresh water still or salt...? I assume Salt cuz fresh would mess with the salinity

Check Randy's stickies for dosages and mixing. Saturated Lime Water Is mixed with rodi. or you can use vinegar for the carbon dose. Kalk increases evaporation, its one reason I avoided it. (buckets), but your dose may be very low.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php
it works quite well in just the ato however if your evaporation is generally steady, mine is not. Thus I chose two part.(3 actually w mag)

 

[Evan West]

Check Randy's stickies for dosages and mixing. Saturated Lime Water Is mixed with rodi. or you can use vinegar for the carbon dose. Kalk increases evaporation, its one reason I avoided it. (buckets), but your dose may be very low.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php
it works quite well in just the ato however if your evaporation is generally steady, mine is not. Thus I chose two part.(3 actually w mag)

So the problem with that is that he dosnt talk about dosing it in addition to an ATO, So if i have my limewater and my ATO i guess i just drip the limewater as needed as long as its not more than the evap and the ATO will just take care of the rest?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So the problem with that is that he dosnt talk about dosing it in addition to an ATO, So if i have my limewater and my ATO i guess i just drip the limewater as needed as long as its not more than the evap and the ATO will just take care of the rest?

He does in other articles kinda, it because you need to dial in the dose separately.
For the full dose of what your tank is actually using, you need to calculate the evaporation rate, and the potency of the kalk
Many just make an estimate and then under dose the amount into the ato. I've done that as well.
And yes, you can just drip as well.

 

[Evan West]

He does in other articles kinda, it because you need to dial in the dose separately.
For the full dose of what your tank is actually using, you need to calculate the evaporation rate, and the potency of the kalk
Many just make an estimate and then under dose the amount into the ato. I've done that as well.
And yes, you can just drip as well.

Just thinking at this point of seperating the ATO and Kalk and buying a doser to do kalk with PH controller as a failsafe then i have precice controll over the kalk and a failsafe.

 

[Centerline]

Lol I do one or more 5g WC a week right now, thats why I wanna cut back on them I am tired of buckets!! Oh well tho...still might try it in a cheap DIY reactor and see how it goes, I feel like if I can just cut the WC I need to do in half its worth it. I would still need and gladly do the WC to remove "funk" as you say, I just dont wanna do so many just to keep NO3 in check.

Should have mentioned this before but you might want to score a bottle of No3Po4x from red sea (or a bottle of vodka). That stuff works very well for lowering No3.

 

[spiraling]

Should have mentioned this before but you might want to score a bottle of No3Po4x from red sea (or a bottle of vodka). That stuff works very well for lowering No3.

or if you are underage - vinegar works too and is super cheap! look up carbon dosing / vinegar dosing

 

[Evan West]

Should have mentioned this before but you might want to score a bottle of No3Po4x from red sea (or a bottle of vodka). That stuff works very well for lowering No3.

or if you are underage - vinegar works too and is super cheap! look up carbon dosing / vinegar dosing

So would the reactor do the same thing or nah? Just the reactor sounds so appealing cuz i can set it and forget it for the most part, I dont have to worry about dosing anything.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So would the reactor do the same thing or nah? Just the reactor sounds so appealing cuz i can set it and forget it for the most part, I dont have to worry about dosing anything.

Depends on the type of reactor.

 

[Centerline]

They arent bad, 0-5 usually but after 2 weeks it will be above 5 and i dont like that so thus i have to do weekly changes or the reactor......Do you guys think its worth a shot to try it slowly and see if i cant reduce the WC down to bi-weekly? or am I better off forgetting it? Also a dosing pump for what? I currently dont dose anything, thats why im starting the kalk

5 is nothing. Plenty of people run them in the 20s for good growth and coloration. And I would not run NoPox or any other carbon as you will see zero very quickly.

 

[clsanchez77]

I am an engeneering student and have worked very hard to work my way into a very good job for a student Intern and I work 6 months out of the year and go to school the other 6 (its how my school works) so thats how i can afford to do this.

I'm going off topic here but engineering grad here myself. I did 12 hours a semester and worked my way through as well. I wish more schools took this approach.

Now back to topic

I live in Campus apartments so yes I have various places to hook RO into. Couldnt do a plumbed in thing unfortunatly tho, thank is too far from the faucets.

Have carpet by chance , can easily snake a 1/4" tubing through there with a metal clothes hanger and no one would notice!

 

[spiraling]

So would the reactor do the same thing or nah? Just the reactor sounds so appealing cuz i can set it and forget it for the most part, I dont have to worry about dosing anything.

I have a biopellet reactor and my nitrate / phosphates are so low I have to dose for them. Yes, poor me. Its also a new setup, so I'm not 100% sure that's whats doing it. Put them online slowly (small amounts over a few months to grow bacteria) and make sure the output of the reactor goes straight into your skimmer to get rid of the expulsed bacteria.

nopox, vodka, vinegar, biopellets will all do the same thing. It helps as a carbon food source to let bacteria grow that consumes nitrate, and to some degree phosphate. If you want low maintenance (I too was an engineering major and understand the workload) then choose if you want a doser or a reactor. If you plan on stepping up you corals you may need to dose more that kalk, so keep that in mind.

 

[Evan West]

I'm going off topic here but engineering grad here myself. I did 12 hours a semester and worked my way through as well. I wish more schools took this approach.

Now back to topic



Have carpet by chance , can easily snake a 1/4" tubing through there with a metal clothes hanger and no one would notice!

The rooms, yes. The hallway no :/

 

[Evan West]

Well I can put up with WC I supose for the sake of getting a doser to dose Kalk or 2-part down the road and whatever else. Also if the bio pellets will strip it down that fast then that is not what I want to do so ill forgo those for now.

 

[Centerline]

I have a biopellet reactor and my nitrate / phosphates are so low I have to dose for them. Yes, poor me. Its also a new setup, so I'm not 100% sure that's whats doing it. Put them online slowly (small amounts over a few months to grow bacteria) and make sure the output of the reactor goes straight into your skimmer to get rid of the expulsed bacteria.

nopox, vodka, vinegar, biopellets will all do the same thing. It helps as a carbon food source to let bacteria grow that consumes nitrate, and to some degree phosphate. If you want low maintenance (I too was an engineering major and understand the workload) then choose if you want a doser or a reactor. If you plan on stepping up you corals you may need to dose more that kalk, so keep that in mind.

Man, I screwed up a 180 that had about 60 different SPS in it when the pellet reactors first came out. Had no idea what they heck was happening. I had also just added three LED fixtures and that was new as well (Rapid LED Gen1 Onyxs) so of course I blamed the LEDs .

 

[Evan West]

Man, I screwed up a 180 that had about 60 different SPS in it when the pellet reactors first came out. Had no idea what they heck was happening. I had also just added three LED fixtures and that was new as well (Rapid LED Gen1 Onyxs) so of course I blamed the LEDs .

Lol like im not afraid to try somthing new but I am afraid to waste money! So if its not gonna do what I want then id rather get the doser!..............also i love my kessil it grows my LPS like weeds but ive never had anything else at least on salt, my former tanks were plante fresh and they had T5.

 

[Centerline]

Lol like im not afraid to try somthing new but I am afraid to waste money! So if its not gonna do what I want then id rather get the doser!..............also i love my kessil it grows my LPS like weeds but ive never had anything else at least on salt, my former tanks were plante fresh and they had T5.

T5s are awesome! BTW, I just posted this picture to another thread. This is from a 9 month old mixed tank at my office where I run 12 dKH/475-500 Cal / 1500 Mg / N 10-20 / P .03 - .05. --- Don't fear the No3 I started using a kalk reactor the first month and aside from 2 Part the only other thing I use is a little NoPox now and then if N03 gets above 30.

 

[Evan West]

T5s are awesome! BTW, I just posted this picture to another thread. This is from a 9 month old mixed tank at my office where I run 12 dKH/475-500 Cal / 1500 Mg / N 10-20 / P .03 - .05. --- Don't fear the No3 I started using a kalk reactor the first month and aside from 2 Part the only other thing I use is a little NoPox now and then if N03 gets above 30.

That last guy there makes me a bit jellous lol, trach right? So your doing 2 part and kalk?