Anyone still keeping it simple?

[abhishek@1985]

I've tried dosing all the different additives, to be honest I rarely saw any difference.
My system has a skimmer, small fuge, and a calcium reactor. I do water changes once a month, and never run filter socks. Seems to be working pretty well for me

Big fan of your tank SchnitzelReef !! Do you still use the pohl's extra special ? BTW , feels great to see some cyano on the end . Atleast I don't feel left alone :lol2:

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[ycnibrc]

Well its depend on how big is your tank. For my tank volume at 400g dosing trace element save me a lot of money compare to water change. At 20% monthly WC is 80g per month which cost roughly 30$ per month WC. I'm dosing AF component ABC which cost 99$ for 2000ml which will last 8 months.

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[tamama]

Very interesting read and I am not the simple guy I guess as I dose lots of stuff. However, when I am overseas for a week or two, that's the time when I stopped dosing anything. I do observe sps colour darkened due to increase in nutrient in general. I have about 30 fishes in my 4 feet tank and no sand bed.

And I think if you are a fan of having pastel and bright colours of sps, dosing may be the only way. Otherwise if you don't mind the deeper or darker colour tone of sps, simple system is sufficient.

Not say it's a must, but when you have a full tank of sps, I think no harm to try dosing and see the colour change for yourself. Eventually it's a personal choice.

Attached my tank video.

https://youtu.be/hUmmrzi99J0

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[Reeferparty]

Very interesting read and I am not the simple guy I guess as I dose lots of stuff. However, when I am overseas for a week or two, that's the time when I stopped dosing anything. I do observe sps colour darkened due to increase in nutrient in general. I have about 30 fishes in my 4 feet tank and no sand bed.

And I think if you are a fan of having pastel and bright colours of sps, dosing may be the only way. Otherwise if you don't mind the deeper or darker colour tone of sps, simple system is sufficient.

Not say it's a must, but when you have a full tank of sps, I think no harm to try dosing and see the colour change for yourself. Eventually it's a personal choice.

Attached my tank video.

https://youtu.be/hUmmrzi99J0

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Jaw dropping tank! Great job! What're you dosing? I'd love for my colors to pop like yours


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[kevlow]

I strive for keeping it simple. My sump is an open 40 breeder. Skimmer and basket now with six liters of matrix. [ unfortunately I also have a light down there because I had to keep some corals that my family did not want me to get rid of.]
For dosing I use 3 part and bacteria & carbon.
About two weeks ago I started adding 1 drop of AF vitamins.

That pretty much is my whole routine.

When corals start to pale I will add some Neo Nitrate. If phosphate climbs I will add a drop of phosphate rx.

No dosser here. I have one but have always been afraid to depend on it. I have read too many crash stories so I dose by hand twice a day, 3:45 am and 5 pm.
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[johnike]

BRS 2 part and a big skimmer is all I do.
I used Pickling Lime forever until I started with these dang sticks last year.

 

[tamama]

Jaw dropping tank! Great job! What're you dosing? I'd love for my colors to pop like yours


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I am using zeovit. =)

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[SchnitzelReef]

Big fan of your tank SchnitzelReef !! Do you still use the pohl's extra special ? BTW , feels great to see some cyano on the end . Atleast I don't feel left alone :lol2:



Regards,

Abhishek

Thank you sir. Yes I still use it, but not very often. Maybe once a week

 

[hart24601]

So in general a calcium reactor is considered "simple" when it comes to reef tanks now? I know they do not require much work when set up, but a nice reactor and everything to run it properly does not seem like a simple set up all at. Manually dosing 2 part or kalk only in the ato I what I think of as simple.

 

[jda]

Calcium reactor is as simple as the nitrogen cycle. No need for any controllers or monitors - just count drips and bubbles. Of course, people make it way more complicated than that for a while until their monitors/probes fail and they realize that they never needed them in the first place.

 

[hart24601]

So you need a reactor, feed pump, CO2 bottle, regulator, media at a minimum and as many people prefer also a pH controller and solenoid.

I think CaRx are great for some reef tanks and I have nothing against them in the slightest, but I wouldn't say they are keeping it simple. They actually seem like the most complex equipment not considering a controller, but controllers impact the entire system and not just dosing - so I am not sure what equipment would me more complex to do a single task. I still say simple is buying ESV or another 2 part and manually dosing - but that is just me and what I define simple as. Just buying 2 bottles of liquid and not using any doser or equipment that plugs in seems simple but a pain.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

So you need a reactor, feed pump, CO2 bottle, regulator, media at a minimum and as many people prefer also a pH controller and solenoid.



I think CaRx are great for some reef tanks and I have nothing against them in the slightest, but I wouldn't say they are keeping it simple. They actually seem like the most complex equipment not considering a controller, but controllers impact the entire system and not just dosing - so I am not sure what equipment would me more complex to do a single task. I still say simple is buying ESV or another 2 part and manually dosing - but that is just me and what I define simple as. Just buying 2 bottles of liquid and not using any doser or equipment that plugs in seems simple but a pain.

If you have never used a calcium reactor before, than I can understand how you would think it's a complicated piece of equipment.

 

[jimmy n]

If you have never used a calcium reactor before, than I can understand how you would think it's a complicated piece of equipment.

Agreed. I bought a peristaltic pump. I have never used my controller. I checked alk every day for a month, then once a week. Then once a month. Haven't changed anything since weekly checks.

 

[Piper27]

Very interesting read and I am not the simple guy I guess as I dose lots of stuff. However, when I am overseas for a week or two, that's the time when I stopped dosing anything. I do observe sps colour darkened due to increase in nutrient in general. I have about 30 fishes in my 4 feet tank and no sand bed.

And I think if you are a fan of having pastel and bright colours of sps, dosing may be the only way. Otherwise if you don't mind the deeper or darker colour tone of sps, simple system is sufficient.

Not say it's a must, but when you have a full tank of sps, I think no harm to try dosing and see the colour change for yourself. Eventually it's a personal choice.

Attached my tank video.

https://youtu.be/hUmmrzi99J0

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

What dosing are you talking about exactly? And why do you say if you want pastel colors dosing may be the only way?

I would love a link to a build thread for your tank or some info on it if you could, it's beautiful! How long have the acro colonies been in there. They are all wild or maricultured correct? Do you have any big fish or just small fish?

 

[Piper27]

Calcium reactor is as simple as the nitrogen cycle. No need for any controllers or monitors - just count drips and bubbles. Of course, people make it way more complicated than that for a while until their monitors/probes fail and they realize that they never needed them in the first place.

I am with you on that one! Calcium reactors are so simple and easy to use. People just make them overly complicated. No need to measure pH or anything if you don't want to. Nothing easier than setting up something and not messing with it for 6 months.

Keep the pics and posts coming guys! Always a great topic.

 

[reefmutt]

Calcium reactor is as simple as the nitrogen cycle. No need for any controllers or monitors - just count drips and bubbles. Of course, people make it way more complicated than that for a while until their monitors/probes fail and they realize that they never needed them in the first place.

I am with you on that one! Calcium reactors are so simple and easy to use. People just make them overly complicated. No need to measure pH or anything if you don't want to. Nothing easier than setting up something and not messing with it for 6 months.

Keep the pics and posts coming guys! Always a great topic.

I'd have to agree with this as well.
I put a very small feed pump in a filter bag, got the effluent flow where I want it with a valve and never touch it. I adjust ca/alk by raising or lowering co2. That's it. No probes or controllers.
Granted, not as 'simple' as manually dosing but once it's set up, it is much lower maintenance..

 

[tamama]

What dosing are you talking about exactly? And why do you say if you want pastel colors dosing may be the only way?

I would love a link to a build thread for your tank or some info on it if you could, it's beautiful! How long have the acro colonies been in there. They are all wild or maricultured correct? Do you have any big fish or just small fish?

You can google tamama tank and see if you can find it. I am not sure if I can quote other forum here.

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[LimeTwist]

My 2 years young sps system. Only maintenance is weekly 20g wc, skimmer and 4 channel doser. It has 30g sump but nothing in it except the skimmer. Never test for anything since the initial setup except alk and cal.

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[reefmutt]

Nice!!
What's in your other two channels?

 

[abhishek@1985]

My 2 years young sps system. Only maintenance is weekly 20g wc, skimmer and 4 channel doser. It has 30g sump but nothing in it except the skimmer. Never test for anything since the initial setup except alk and cal.

[/URL][/IMG]

Beautiful !! Some info on lights and flow along with any additives added will be helpful

Regards,
Abhishek