What product do you dose?

[TehBrainz]

Yep, I don't do water changes. Last one was about 18 months ago.

Niceee. I've done that too early on in my hobby journey, but didn't dose in between! (Jk about it being an 18 month gap, but I did stretch it to 4 month gap once when it was a FOWLR so not completely terrible) =0

The art of no WC's and dosing/monitoring elements appeals to me, I just don't feel I could handle that in my life currently with a toddler and my current workload.

 

[mbrady4him]

I’m doing Kalk both for cost effectiveness and because if it’s good enough for WWC and tidal gardens to grow there stuff it’s got to be good enough for me. I then adjust specifics with BRS two part.

As demand in my system increases I will be adding a CA reactor but that’s more because I’m a gear junkie and enjoy the stuff.

Yes I think I’m going with the same plan for my next build.

 

[ajremington68]

Yep, I don't do water changes. Last one was about 18 months ago.

This is interesting. How old is your system?

 

[ajremington68]

I also forgot A4R is calcium formate and is broken down by bacteria. It can take 2-6 hours to free it up. Its not instantly available like a 2 part.

When it comes to dosing I prefer a carx. Another way to do the same thing, lol.
My Geo 818 carx on my new build.

Amazinggggggggggggg, Also very clean and brightly lit! Do you have lights in your sump or how are you getting this crisp lighting?

 

[ajremington68]

Sorry yea you can spread it out through the day.
When I switched to A4R I talked with Lou at Tropic Marin.
I ran a small 20g nano and started at 9ml a day and went to 34ml a day all at once. I had to look at the thread again, lol. I then went to 17 2x a day before I took it down. He recommended it all at once because it was small.

It did consume more than the max reccomended dose of 25ml per 26g's.
This is the old nano. Not much to look at but it did consume alot.

1. I was doing a small dose of like 8ml a day and spacing it out over 24hr but the small amount coming out gummed up my lines every other day it seemed so I switched to 8 times a day.
2. This tank is very special, I love the sps colonies they look very healthy and no wonder you were dosing so much, high demand for these healthy pieces!

 

[ajremington68]

Yes I think I’m going with the same plan for my next build.

I have seen many doing this and I want to try a DIY kalk stirrer and some cheap pickling agent to test on my 20-gallon before I commit. Have seen some use Avast Kalk Stirrer, and I see them go for 50% off used on Facebook groups, so cheap method to serve the tank.

 

[ajremington68]

Really Really Really need to save and get my hands on a trident system to test my water. The only thing is I debate in my head if it is worth for a 55-gallon first-build system.

 

[TehBrainz]

Really Really Really need to save and get my hands on a trident system to test my water. The only thing is I debate in my head if it is worth for a 55-gallon first-build system.

How old is your system? What's the nutrient demand look like?

I've gone back and forth many times myself on getting a mastertronic or Reefbot (ion-d isn't in thr mix yet), but its hard to justify the upfront cost in my particular situation.

Alk with hanna checkers is suuuuper easy and quick.

Calc and Mg with salifert are also very easy titration test kits.

Between those 3 tests, once a week, it's only ~5-7 minutes for me. I have a low demand tank though that my WC and simple dosing keeps in check. I can't justify saving 5 minutes a week when the auto measurement tools still require purchasing of the test kits or at least reagents. Although the gear sure is awesome and I had the disposable income I'd jump right on board!

 

[X-37B]

Amazinggggggggggggg, Also very clean and brightly lit! Do you have lights in your sump or how are you getting this crisp lighting?

Sump lights are 2 48" led shop light strips. Only needed for working in the sump.

 

[gbroadbridge]

This is interesting. How old is your system?

This particular build is three years old.

To be clear - I have no problem with performing water changes if necessary - if I had dosed some treatment for example.

I just don't do them unless there is an obvious need and for the last 18 months there has been no reason.

 

[ajremington68]

How old is your system? What's the nutrient demand look like?

I've gone back and forth many times myself on getting a mastertronic or Reefbot (ion-d isn't in thr mix yet), but its hard to justify the upfront cost in my particular situation.

Alk with hanna checkers is suuuuper easy and quick.

Calc and Mg with salifert are also very easy titration test kits.

Between those 3 tests, once a week, it's only ~5-7 minutes for me. I have a low demand tank though that my WC and simple dosing keeps in check. I can't justify saving 5 minutes a week when the auto measurement tools still require purchasing of the test kits or at least reagents. Although the gear sure is awesome and I had the disposable income I'd jump right on board!

Tank is 7-8 mo, I don't have a large demand lots of smaller frags-small colonies, nothing crazy big yet. I guess I am just a gear junkie and the thought of people able to see my numbers on my phone is very cool, but for 2 grand it's not that cool.

 

[ajremington68]

How old is your system? What's the nutrient demand look like?

I've gone back and forth many times myself on getting a mastertronic or Reefbot (ion-d isn't in thr mix yet), but its hard to justify the upfront cost in my particular situation.

Alk with hanna checkers is suuuuper easy and quick.

Calc and Mg with salifert are also very easy titration test kits.

Between those 3 tests, once a week, it's only ~5-7 minutes for me. I have a low demand tank though that my WC and simple dosing keeps in check. I can't justify saving 5 minutes a week when the auto measurement tools still require purchasing of the test kits or at least reagents. Although the gear sure is awesome and I had the disposable income I'd jump right on board!

Oh, also why not calc, mag with Hanna checkers? No Bueno? only alk is good and easy? One hanna I want to get is for phosphate, and nitrate because the saliferts are so hard to derive a difference from 0.05-0.1 and so forth.

 

[ajremington68]

This particular build is three years old.

To be clear - I have no problem with performing water changes if necessary - if I had dosed some treatment for example.

I just don't do them unless there is an obvious need and for the last 18 months there has been no reason.

Only ask because one thing I found after about 2 years I see consistently that people either have auto water changes setup they just don't do them and get away with it. Think there is something to it with stability in the system. I find my tank doing pretty good with about no water change for a month, and debating on doing monthly water changes on the first of the month and getting a brute can and an extra pump so I can leave the buckets of water behind me and move into the big leagues.

 

[TehBrainz]

Oh, also why not calc, mag with Hanna checkers? No Bueno? only alk is good and easy? One hanna I want to get is for phosphate, and nitrate because the saliferts are so hard to derive a difference from 0.05-0.1 and so forth.

To be totally honest, I just haven't bought them as I've been totally happy with the Mg and Calc from Salifert

I've heard mixed things regarding Calc Hanna checkers, but that was awhile ago and I didn't dive into the validity of the claims.

I use Hanna for (and recommend):
Phosphate (I technically have Phosphorous ULR HI736 and use the conversion charts)
Nitrate HR HI782
Alkalinity HI772

 

[X-37B]

1. I was doing a small dose of like 8ml a day and spacing it out over 24hr but the small amount coming out gummed up my lines every other day it seemed so I switched to 8 times a day.
2. This tank is very special, I love the sps colonies they look very healthy and no wonder you were dosing so much, high demand for these healthy pieces!

Off subject but this is the same tank not system. I took it down and then set up the one running a4r.
This system was using esv 2 part.
Very simple system with more to look at lol.
2g's a month wc.
Day one and at 10 months when I broke it down. It sat empty for awhile then I setup the a4r one.
Many ways to operate a reef system.
I had never run leds before. This one tank caused me to stop using halides and I converted 3 tanks to leds. Halides are awesome but I now run all leds.

 

[gbroadbridge]

To be totally honest, I just haven't bought them as I've been totally happy with the Mg and Calc from Salifert

I've heard mixed things regarding Calc Hanna checkers, but that was awhile ago and I didn't dive into the validity of the claims.

I use Hanna for (and recommend):
Phosphate (I technically have Phosphorous ULR HI736 and use the conversion charts)
Nitrate HR HI782
Alkalinity HI772

I have all the Hanna checkers except Mg and I've gone back to using Salifert for everything except Phosphate.
There is nothing wrong BTW with the Hanna Ca if you follow the instructions and use Hanna lab grade RODI.

Salifert is just as accurate in the ranges I need, plus cheaper and quicker to run the tests.

 

[TehBrainz]

There is nothing wrong BTW with the Hanna Ca if you follow the instructions and use Hanna lab grade RODI.

As is with most sparce negative reviews, usually user error and the minority!

 

[TehBrainz]

Off subject but this is the same tank not system. I took it down and then set up the one running a4r.
This system was using esv 2 part.
Very simple system with more to look at lol.
2g's a month wc.
Day one and at 10 months when I broke it down. It sat empty for awhile then I setup the a4r one.
Many ways to operate a reef system.
I had never run leds before. This one tank caused me to stop using halides and I converted 3 tanks to leds. Halides are awesome but I now run all leds.

What in the world is between those lights? I felt my heart race when it came up on my screen

 

[X-37B]

What in the world is between those lights? I felt my heart race when it came up on my screen

Welded spider artwork, lol.

 

[ajremington68]

I have all the Hanna checkers except Mg and I've gone back to using Salifert for everything except Phosphate.
There is nothing wrong BTW with the Hanna Ca if you follow the instructions and use Hanna lab grade RODI.

Salifert is just as accurate in the ranges I need, plus cheaper and quicker to run the tests.

What do you mean by hanna lab grade rodi?