Building My 375gal Glass Reef
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
Thanks Tom,
I stopped short of using epoxy on the PVC sheet, once I used the pocket screws. Regular PVC glue would melt the inner "foamed" layer, but not the compressed outer skin. Speaking with James (Acrylics), straight THF would have worked, but it would be hard to get, and frankly too darned toxic to have around IMO.
Installation cleanliness is something I always strive for in my projects. You have done an excellent job on yours, as well as your writing style and amount if useful information. Great project and great thread!
Thanks,
Chris
I stopped short of using epoxy on the PVC sheet, once I used the pocket screws. Regular PVC glue would melt the inner "foamed" layer, but not the compressed outer skin. Speaking with James (Acrylics), straight THF would have worked, but it would be hard to get, and frankly too darned toxic to have around IMO.
Installation cleanliness is something I always strive for in my projects. You have done an excellent job on yours, as well as your writing style and amount if useful information. Great project and great thread!
Thanks,
Chris
chasekwe
New member
Just read your whole build today, well I thoroughly read the first 20 pages or so and then scanned for pages with pictures thereafter. Very impressive though, I wish I had half the ability you do... hell, I don't even understand the majority of the explainations you give so maybe half your ability is aspiring a bit to high.
Anyways though, do you know why your corals are browning out? Is it some issue you've identified and are now working on or is the problem still a mystery?
I'm primarily curious because I can never decide one way or another on which method to use balling vs reactors.
Also are you running that ozone now? I only saw the one mention of it.
Anyways though, do you know why your corals are browning out? Is it some issue you've identified and are now working on or is the problem still a mystery?
I'm primarily curious because I can never decide one way or another on which method to use balling vs reactors.
Also are you running that ozone now? I only saw the one mention of it.
edandsandy
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15324642#post15324642 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GlassReef
My experience with dosing originated in Germany in the mid 90's. The Balling Method of dosing was becoming popular. The "full" Balling Method is complex and can be rather expensive. Simplified (and cheaper) versions of the method were quickly developed - that is what I use. Basically the method entails the dosing of:
1. Alk in the form of sodium hydrogen carbonate (soda ash)
2. Calcium in the form of calcium chloride dihydrate
3. Magnesium in the form of a mixture of magnesium chloride hexahydrate and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (Epsom Salts) in a ratio of approx. 5 to 3
4. If desired trace elements, such as strontium, iodide, potassium, etc. can be dosed - mixed with the main supplements.
As you can see, the simplified Balling Dosing Method is almost exactly what is normally called 2-part supplementation +Mg, here in the States. Randy Holmes-Farley has written many articles in the ReefKeeping Mag. about the 2-part method. As a matter of fact, I think he is generally credited with developing it.
Dosing of the 3 main supplements (Alk, Ca, Mg) is based on the system's need for ALK. Once the Alk level has been stabilized, at the desired level, and assuming the supplement solutions have been mixed correctly, the levels of Ca and Mg will automatically range around the needed values.
The original formulas I learned in Germany required that 1 gram of chemical be added to 16mL of RO water. This is for Alk and Ca. Mg was a little different - the correct formula was 1 gram of the magnesium chloride-magnesium sulfate mix to 26mL of RO water.
That's the way I learned it. Using those formulas dosing was accomplished by supplying .025 grams of the Alk and Ca per day per gallon of system water. Sounds complicated, doesn't it? It was. It can all be done much simpler. Read the articles by Randy or check out one of RC's sponsor sites like BRS - they have the whole thing described in detail and in very simple terms.
As for my system, here are the formulas I use:
Alk - 4 cups (32oz) sodium hydrogen carbonate in 2gals RO/DI water.
Ca - 4 cups (32oz) calcium chloride dihydrate in 2gals RO/DI water.
Mg - 1.6 cups (12.8oz) magnesium chloride hexahydrate and 1 cup (8oz) magnesium sulfate heptahydrate in 2gals RO/DI water.
I started dosing at a rate of .4mL per gallon of EACH solution per day. As my frag and fuge tanks are not yet on-line that means .4 X 330gals = 132mL of each solution per day.
Before I started dosing I made sure my Alk, Ca, and Mg params were in line by first testing - then I added supplements in an amount necessary to get the values to my desired level (Alk 8.0, Ca 440, Mg 1350). I used one of the various on-line calculators to determine how much I needed to dose to get the params where they were supposed to be. Important Note - you should not raise Alk etc. too quickly. Probably 1 dKH per day should be the max - but don't take my word for it. Read the great articles by Randy on the subject. You can find them in the RKM archives.
When I started dosing I performed an Alk test every day until I got a feel for where the value was going. In my case it was perfect, I didn't have to make any adjustments. If the value is going up or down, it's a simple matter of adjusting the electronic timers to raise or lower the dosing times, as the case may be. If you raise (or lower)the Alk dosing times, then you should raise Ca and Mg also.
Right now each of my three dosers is on for 10 minutes at a time 8 times a day. One quickly gets to the point where their params are totally stable.
Hoped this helped.
Tom,
As always you describe your system routine in such great detail!
If we ever decide to do away with our reactor, I know what I'm doing next.
Thanks again for the great write up!
Awww shucks Thanks Tom! Sorry getting into your thread so late. I just cant keep up with all the great threads in the LRT section.
Do you get your dosing suppliments through BRS, or do you have other brands that you like?
I wonder what the market is like nowadays for a dosing station with pumps, reservoir tanks, and an integrated controller?
:hammer:
Thanks Tom! Sorry getting into your thread so late. I just cant keep up with all the great threads in the LRT section.Do you get your dosing suppliments through BRS, or do you have other brands that you like?
I wonder what the market is like nowadays for a dosing station with pumps, reservoir tanks, and an integrated controller?
:hammer:
Welcome to my thread, Nick. I'm glad you're enjoying it.
I don't think my problem is so much browning as it is loss of color - the corals just seem to get lighter and lighter. At this point, I tend to think that my problems lie with my four 400W MH lamps (I'm beginning to think it's just way too much light), and a lack of nourishment. I think my water is just too clean. Funny thing though, blue corals seem to do fine. Go figure ...
I would say, if you've had no experience at all with Alk/Ca/Mg supplementation, the dosing solution is the easiest to understand and, by far, the easiest to control.
Yes, I am currently running Ozone. It's being controlled by an AC-III Pro, based on ORP.
Yes, I buy them from BRS. Ryan is always on the lookout for the best chemicals and the prices are more than fair, IMHO.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15326139#post15326139 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by H20ENG Do you get your dosing suppliments through BRS, or do you have other brands that you like?
I wonder what the market is like nowadays for a dosing station with pumps, reservoir tanks, and an integrated controller?
The GroTec makes, probably, the best standalone (built in controller) triple head doser. I think they go for a little over $440.00. Good stuff, but I don't think there's any direct support in the States.
The reservoir tanks I use were cheap - 2-1/2gal capacity - $8.00 apiece at BRS.
Got them at Bulk Reef Supply, Mike. They're called Drew's pumps. They do have another model now, in addition to the Drew's. Has two head rollers, instead of four. Supposed to be easier on the tubing, let it last twice as long. They're $20.00 more than the ones I purchased.
Tom welcome back They say imitation is the highest form of flattery so I hope you don't mind that I linked your thread in mine. Reading your build has helped me a great deal along the way. It was like having many of the things that I wanted to do already done and described in detail. So I must say thank you again for the inspiration.
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery so I hope you don't mind that I linked your thread in mine. Reading your build has helped me a great deal along the way. It was like having many of the things that I wanted to do already done and described in detail. So I must say thank you again for the inspiration.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Tom
I'll add my welcome back, we missed you. I would be interested to know if you looked at the Profilux stand alone dosing pump like mine.
I don't know how much the BRS pumps and the timers are compared with the Profilux which achieves the same thing in a single unit. I have not started using mine yet as my Alk, Calc, and Mag are all okay -- 10.4/400/1215 respectively (I don't have a lot of corals yet). I don't know for sure but I think the unit will stagger the pumps so they don't dose at the same time (I need to check on that).
I'll add my welcome back, we missed you. I would be interested to know if you looked at the Profilux stand alone dosing pump like mine.
I don't know how much the BRS pumps and the timers are compared with the Profilux which achieves the same thing in a single unit. I have not started using mine yet as my Alk, Calc, and Mag are all okay -- 10.4/400/1215 respectively (I don't have a lot of corals yet). I don't know for sure but I think the unit will stagger the pumps so they don't dose at the same time (I need to check on that).
Morning, Alan. Thanks, glad to be back. Yes, I looked at both the GHL and GroTech models. Great units! Both very variable in their programming possibilities. Kinda pricey - but hey, if you've got it, they're definitely a great choice!. And, from what most users report, very reliable. The only reason I went my way is that I dabble, a bit, in PC based equipment control apps. I will be (trying) to write a little app that gives me a spectrum of possibilities in controlling the peri-pumps.
Oh, almost forgot, yes you can definitely stagger the pump run times.
A little about automated water changes
As I mentioned, in an earlier post, I changed out the equipment I use for automated water changing. I replaced the Masterflex perstaltic pump (dual heads) with my LiterMeter III and one remote LM pump:
The LiterMeter w/remote pump works really well for water changing. I have a 65gal reservoir tank that I use for saltwater mixing. You can see it here:
I decided on an 10% water change per week - a little less than 18 liters per day - so I set the LiterMeter accordingly:
Approx. once every 12 days, or so, (when the saltwater storage tank is empty) I set the LiterMeter to OFF, and turn a valve allowing RO/DI water to trickle into the tank. The water stops when a float valve is activated - takes about 9 hours as I have a double 75gal cartridge RO - at that point I turn the RO valve to the off position. Then I dump in a 50gal bag of salt (there's always 10gal left in the tank when I start filling), I turn on a circulation pump to mix the water - I let it run until I feel like turning it off. After the water's mixed, I set the LiterMeter to RUN. It changes about 4.5gals each 24 hours.
So all that's required for continual water changes is, every 12 day, set the LiterMeter to OFF, turn a valve ON, turn a valve OFF, dump in a bag of salt, turn on a pump, turn off a pump, and set the LiterMeter to RUN. That's it - the whole thing (other than RO fill time) takes less than 5 minutes.
The beauty of doing changes this way is that because the small amount of water being removed/added, at any given time:
1. temperature of the new water is not a concern - too little is being added at any given time to cause a change.
2. specific gravity is normally never affected. If it changes, due to too much or too little salt in the mixing tank, the change will be very gradual (1.026 > 1.025 for example) over a period of days - this can be very easily and safely corrected.
All in all, I've found that this method makes for very stable temp and SG conditions.
The LiterMeter removes water from the overflow section of the sump and sends it to the main drain. The new water goes to the return section of the sump.
BTW - Some may wonder about the efficiency of doing continual water changes. Aren't you immediately changing out some of the NEW water with the OLD? Let me quote a small part of an RKM article from Randy Holmes-Farley:
"These changes are slightly less efficient than single batch water changes of the same total volume. A continuous water change of 30% exactly matches one batch 26% water change. As with very small batch water changes, these have the advantage of neither stressing the organisms (assuming the change is done reasonably slowly), nor altering the water level in the aquarium. The ease of doing such changes automatically also makes it far more likely that busy or lazy aquarists will actually do them."
For those interested, here's a link to the full article:
Water Changes In Reef Aquaria
As I mentioned, in an earlier post, I changed out the equipment I use for automated water changing. I replaced the Masterflex perstaltic pump (dual heads) with my LiterMeter III and one remote LM pump:
The LiterMeter w/remote pump works really well for water changing. I have a 65gal reservoir tank that I use for saltwater mixing. You can see it here:
I decided on an 10% water change per week - a little less than 18 liters per day - so I set the LiterMeter accordingly:
Approx. once every 12 days, or so, (when the saltwater storage tank is empty) I set the LiterMeter to OFF, and turn a valve allowing RO/DI water to trickle into the tank. The water stops when a float valve is activated - takes about 9 hours as I have a double 75gal cartridge RO - at that point I turn the RO valve to the off position. Then I dump in a 50gal bag of salt (there's always 10gal left in the tank when I start filling), I turn on a circulation pump to mix the water - I let it run until I feel like turning it off. After the water's mixed, I set the LiterMeter to RUN. It changes about 4.5gals each 24 hours.
So all that's required for continual water changes is, every 12 day, set the LiterMeter to OFF, turn a valve ON, turn a valve OFF, dump in a bag of salt, turn on a pump, turn off a pump, and set the LiterMeter to RUN. That's it - the whole thing (other than RO fill time) takes less than 5 minutes.
The beauty of doing changes this way is that because the small amount of water being removed/added, at any given time:
1. temperature of the new water is not a concern - too little is being added at any given time to cause a change.
2. specific gravity is normally never affected. If it changes, due to too much or too little salt in the mixing tank, the change will be very gradual (1.026 > 1.025 for example) over a period of days - this can be very easily and safely corrected.
All in all, I've found that this method makes for very stable temp and SG conditions.
The LiterMeter removes water from the overflow section of the sump and sends it to the main drain. The new water goes to the return section of the sump.
BTW - Some may wonder about the efficiency of doing continual water changes. Aren't you immediately changing out some of the NEW water with the OLD? Let me quote a small part of an RKM article from Randy Holmes-Farley:
"These changes are slightly less efficient than single batch water changes of the same total volume. A continuous water change of 30% exactly matches one batch 26% water change. As with very small batch water changes, these have the advantage of neither stressing the organisms (assuming the change is done reasonably slowly), nor altering the water level in the aquarium. The ease of doing such changes automatically also makes it far more likely that busy or lazy aquarists will actually do them."
For those interested, here's a link to the full article:
Water Changes In Reef Aquaria
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Link away, Mike. And thank you so much for the very kind words - makes me feel like some of the late nights were worth the effort. Just glad to have been of help.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15328552#post15328552 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by polyped
Tom welcome back
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Tom
Do you mean the profilux automatically staggers the run times because I've not seen anything in the programming -- but there again I'm using the built in automatic program that lets you set the number of times per day (up to 24) and the amount per dose?
Thanks
Oh one more thing. In that second photo I can see a large funnel that you presumably use for dumping salt through the neck of the mix tank. Where did you get that because I couldn't find one with those dimensions? I ended up using a 4" to 3" PVC pipe reducer but 4" is really not large enough and I always spill some salt. My tank neck is 4-1/2" inside diameter.
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