Building My 375gal Glass Reef
- Thread starter GlassReef
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jnarowe - thanks, Jonathan.
reefrubble - you're embarassing me again, Ted.
EnglishRebel -
Re: the med pumps. They are great for dosing on smaller tanks, but limited in channels (usually two) and ability to pump the fairly large amounts that can be needed for larger tanks.
speeddemonlsr - well, a kind of two part on steroids. Google "balling lite" you'll get some good explanations.
Leonardo_ - your new tank is looking gorgeous. You're still my hero! - I have found that, especially in a new tank, the theory behind doing equal amounts doesn't always hold true. I use the Balling Lite method and I find that Mg often lags behind, requiring an adjustment. Your dosing pumps (Grotech) also allow adjustments.
EBOLII - thanks! I'm currently busy getting the frag and fuge tanks built and set up. As soon as I get that done, I'll concentrate on some pics.
reefrubble - you're embarassing me again, Ted.
EnglishRebel -
Re: the med pumps. They are great for dosing on smaller tanks, but limited in channels (usually two) and ability to pump the fairly large amounts that can be needed for larger tanks.speeddemonlsr - well, a kind of two part on steroids.
Google "balling lite" you'll get some good explanations.Leonardo_ - your new tank is looking gorgeous. You're still my hero! - I have found that, especially in a new tank, the theory behind doing equal amounts doesn't always hold true. I use the Balling Lite method and I find that Mg often lags behind, requiring an adjustment. Your dosing pumps (Grotech) also allow adjustments.
EBOLII - thanks! I'm currently busy getting the frag and fuge tanks built and set up. As soon as I get that done, I'll concentrate on some pics.
Thanks Tom,.
I'm sorry, I was confused because of my own situation:
1)CA
2)ALK
3)NACl-Free
Of course Mag has to be dosed seperately from the Ca and ALK. Sorry, my mistake.
Again, your setup looks great and I'm thrilled what you will do with the Livestock and Coralscape.
Leonardo
I'm sorry, I was confused because of my own situation:
1)CA
2)ALK
3)NACl-Free
Of course Mag has to be dosed seperately from the Ca and ALK. Sorry, my mistake.
Again, your setup looks great and I'm thrilled what you will do with the Livestock and Coralscape.
Leonardo
Untamed12
New member
As a result of your astonishing neatness....are your supplement storage tanks air tight? Once the pumps start sucking on them, you'll need some way to allow air into those tanks or they will attempt to implode.
I don't do the balling method...but do you want any of those additives to be prevented from interracting with air? If so, maybe a floating lid inside the container?
I don't do the balling method...but do you want any of those additives to be prevented from interracting with air? If so, maybe a floating lid inside the container?
Correction - this is way too cool: Full Coolness<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14528056#post14528056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpoletti
Your thread is way too cool
(Hope you don't mind - but your site - gosh ....)
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14528239#post14528239 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GlassReef
No, they aren't air tight. I drilled a small hole in each cap to allow air to enter. I have been trying to come up with a way to keep air from messing with the contents. Haven't come up with anything genius yet ....
I've also thought about trying a way to prevent this (oxidizing the trace elements in my balling mixes) and maybe an airlock system will work, similar to this.
Leonardo
Probably shouldn't have made it sound so important to me that my supplement jugs don't allow air to touch the contents. It's just something that would be nice, not really necessary. I think Leonardo's point is valid - if your dosing a lot of (very expensive) trace elements, the less air contact the better. In that case oxidation is probably your enemy and you should probably make an attempt to eliminate it.
ReefEnabler
Premium Member
if you really wanted to be able to drip something without air ever entering I can think of two ways:
1) IV bag type setup
2) seal a big flexible plastic with lots of slack onto the top of the tank, such that it acts like a diaphram when the liquid empties, the bag has room to expand inwards. Purging all the air initially might be tricky but might work!
the airlock leonardo posted looks pretty neat too!
1) IV bag type setup
2) seal a big flexible plastic with lots of slack onto the top of the tank, such that it acts like a diaphram when the liquid empties, the bag has room to expand inwards. Purging all the air initially might be tricky but might work!
the airlock leonardo posted looks pretty neat too!
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EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
I vote for #2. For those of you who have babies in recent years, remember the plastic feeding bottle liners that prevented air from being sucked in by the baby (preventing colic). Same principle really. Fill the bag with the fluid, attach the suction hose and place it inside a plastic container. As the fluid is sucked out the bag collapses. Need to find a way so that the bag doesn't get sucked into the tube and cutting off flow - perhaps a strainer of sorts on the end.
Chrisrush
New member
2 things:
You might want to install a JG check valve on the pull side of the pump, it might not be necessary on that short of a pull, but if the pumps don't have to work as hard to pull the liquids, they will last longer.
Also, my CA (when exposed to air) would turn a brown color in my bucket. So I added some Glad wrap around the opening and poked the tubing through it. Seemed to help the last time I made some CA. Also, your containers are more opaque than mine, so maybe the exposure to light had something to do with the oxidation.
Looking great though. I will be stealing 90% of your ideas when I move up to the big boys.
You might want to install a JG check valve on the pull side of the pump, it might not be necessary on that short of a pull, but if the pumps don't have to work as hard to pull the liquids, they will last longer.
Also, my CA (when exposed to air) would turn a brown color in my bucket. So I added some Glad wrap around the opening and poked the tubing through it. Seemed to help the last time I made some CA. Also, your containers are more opaque than mine, so maybe the exposure to light had something to do with the oxidation.
Looking great though. I will be stealing 90% of your ideas when I move up to the big boys.
How 'bout this: there's an inert, heavier than air gas you can buy in an aerosol can. You spray a little of it into a paint can to keep air off the paint so that it won't dry out. How does that sound? The gas would cover the supplements and not allow any air to get to them. Being heavier than air, it would remain on the surface of the supplement as it got lower and lower.
Enema bags .... ??
Enema bags .... ??
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14540985#post14540985 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GlassReef
How 'bout this: there's an inert, heavier than air gas you can buy in an aerosol can. You spray a little of it into a paint can to keep air off the paint so that it won't dry out. How does that sound? The gas would cover the supplements and not allow any air to get to them. Being heavier than air, it would remain on the surface of the supplement as it got lower and lower.
Enema bags .... ??
Are you sure its inert with these supplements, and not just paint?
What is this stuff, and where can it be found?
Nick
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