Wow, I'm shocked your tank is doing well with that kind of alk swing! If my math is correct your tank is using 2dKH per day. And here I try to keep mine from changing by more than 0.2dKH during a day!
I would do an alk test before you dose today and then an hour after you dose. That way you can get a good idea of what your daily demand is in case my math is off. If your target is 9 then I think you should see 7dKH on your pre dosing test.
I think your best move would be to try and get your calcium reactor set up since that takes care of alk, calk, and trace elements. I do understand space being an issue but if you can find a way to make it work, its what I would do.
Depending on the doser, they can be very easy to set up. The GHL dosers couldn't be much easier to set up and verify. The Apex ones aren't bad, but I haven't set one up in quite awhile. Of course, they only are 2 head dosers so you would need 4 of them. And, you would need to get an Apex controller since I don't believe they have a stand alone option.
Lots of options for the alk and calc. In my opinion the easiest is buy powdered Soda Ash and Calcium Chloride and mix them with RODI water. You can buy both of them online at Amazon although I get mine from Bulk Reef Supply. BRS even sells them pre measured kits so you add 1 bag to 1 gallon of water.
I'm most experienced with GHL but they are very easy to set up. Especially once you get them set up on your home internet network. Otherwise, it is quick and easy with a computer and USB cable. These units are designed to be calibrated so you will want to pick up a set of graduated cylinders. Each head requires a 1 minute run to calibrate and you set it to within 0.1ml so you can be assured of accuracy.
I will admit, I've spent a lot of money to keep my tank maintenance at a minimum. I'm lucky enough to work Mon-Frid, 9 to 10 hours a day during the day. Normally, the only thing I do during the week is feed the fish and change filter socks if needed. I used to test Alkalinity almost daily, but I have the GHL alk monitor now so it tests it for me 3 times a day and adjusts my dosing for alk and calc as needed. I do the rest of my testing on weekends, which is when I refill my ATO. Every other week I need to mix up fresh Kalkwasser, but that only takes 5 minutes. I mix the rest of my chemicals around every other month. I empty and clean the skimmer every 3rd or 4th weekend and I do a 20g to 30g water change every other week. Even that doesn't take me too long. With my Profilux controller I push a button on a touch screen and it shuts all my pumps down, turns off the skimmer, reactors, and heaters. I am old school and use a siphon to vacuum the sand and a wet dry vac to clean the sump. I refill with 5 gallon buckets. Another touch of the button and everything restarts when I'm done. It automatically restarts in 90 minutes in case I get distracted. I even rigged up a container so every other week I unplug one gyre pump, pull it from the tank, and soak it in vinegar. I don't even pull the cord out from how it is routed. An hour or two later the pump goes back in the tank and gets plugged in. Takes less than 10 minutes of my time and works great.
I did a test again of all elements kinda for the heck of it right before I normally dose. Not to my surprise but the tank was consistent, and the numbers repeated themselves yesterday.
. Went to post and I forgot to actually hit post. Oops! Well with out further weekly delay lol:
I actually clean my power heads weekly. Two mp40 and two gyresHello,
Okay so @Brew12 amd all my darling dears
Do to the fact my tank is using that much within a 24 hour period, I may have no other option but to actually go to dosers, which would dose every hour.
In theory I could do actually increase to two full tablespoons of alk, and calcium. This would also increase trace elements as well to 2ml if my math is right (and it always is lol). But to lessen the swing I’m think once in the morning and once at night. I’d prefer not to just guess and hope it works, definitely want to look more.
The fact is, my tank is doing great other than my clam who for still reasons unknown (and it’s killing me), died in a day. It’s also noted now that I am dosing soo much more alk that means my pumps get vinegar baths. Because the hard water will slow them down more etc, which means more work.
The return pumps were black and blue and now they are completely purple. Since I can’t take both down I will do the one that hasn’t been cleaned umm yet. So curious if I clean my one return and take two of my wave makers down, it shouldn’t affect the tank since it’s temp for a few hours.
Plus even my gyre needs to be cleaned again, which I think this part I hate. Taking the wave makers out (all four then doing two returns and gyre) its 7 pumps and can’t do it at once. Any one else hate cleaning their equipment and slack on it. I actually clean my wave makers about every 6 months but they build it up super fast.
Or, you can just use a set of grabbers similar to what they use to pick up garbage on the side of the road.Hello,
I’m jealous I can’t do that but should. Today I need to clean one of my return pumps and will pull two of the wave makers to soak at the same time. In honesty every two weeks or monthly would be ideal. They don’t have to soak as long and or hard to get clean. I’d do both return pumps st the same time except my heaters are in my sump. So I can’t take both down or the tank loses heat.
Plus I have to move some rock work one of my nice ice dragon sps colones was broke off by a determined turbo snail and fell into the rock work. I can see it (not sure how I can reach it. Luckily it’s still at the top but it will be blind move and if I don’t grab it right away I could also knock it further down. Plus I have tiny arm and hands and that’s scary when I’m not even sure mine will fit. Where is my niece she will fit oh wait her arm isn’t long enough. We are so wrongly engineered lol. We need super arms like dragging on the floor long and we should be able to morph them into anything (and have eyes on the end, and can see in any color of light or dark. To the genetics lab I go
Awesome idea! Will be stealing this idea for sure TY for sharingThis might help you retrieve some things that aren't very heavy. This is a way that I came up with to snag frags that fell into some difficult to get at places. Just a length of rigid air line tubing with some doubled up monofilament fishing line. Just double up a length of the fishing line that is longer than the airline tubing, forming a loop (snare) at one end and enough line at the opposite end to pull the loop closed around whatever you are trying to pick up. I use this often. Like this....
This might help you retrieve some things that aren't very heavy. This is a way that I came up with to snag frags that fell into some difficult to get at places. Just a length of rigid air line tubing with some doubled up monofilament fishing line. Just double up a length of the fishing line that is longer than the airline tubing, forming a loop (snare) at one end and enough line at the opposite end to pull the loop closed around whatever you are trying to pick up. I use this often. Like this....
Oh, that's brilliant, will keep that in my bag o' tricks now. Very coolThis might help you retrieve some things that aren't very heavy. This is a way that I came up with to snag frags that fell into some difficult to get at places. Just a length of rigid air line tubing with some doubled up monofilament fishing line. Just double up a length of the fishing line that is longer than the airline tubing, forming a loop (snare) at one end and enough line at the opposite end to pull the loop closed around whatever you are trying to pick up. I use this often. Like this....
