I need to get my tanks set up again, fo realz!
Ludnix's tropical 120!
- Thread starter ludnix
- Start date
blennymower
New member
hey ludnix, how do you maintain your cal, alk, and mag levels? How often do you do it?
ludnix
New member
My 5 gallon topoff works as a dosing system for kalkwasser. I just maintain a good layer of the calcium hydroxide at the bottom of the container and let it re-saturate the water each time I refill the bin. This doesn't raise my calcium or alkalinity very much but it helps maintain it so I don't have to dose very often.
I'm currently not dosing Mg/Ca because my salt has very high levels and they seem to be maintained on their own between the monthly water changes and kalkwasser. Alkalinity however can quickly lower over the course of 2-3 days or so I usually test every 3 days. I raise it up using the chemistry calculator to calculate how much Baked baking soda to dose to get it up to 8 or 9.
I use the baked baking soda based off Randy Holmes-Farley's DIY recipe.
I'm currently not dosing Mg/Ca because my salt has very high levels and they seem to be maintained on their own between the monthly water changes and kalkwasser. Alkalinity however can quickly lower over the course of 2-3 days or so I usually test every 3 days. I raise it up using the chemistry calculator to calculate how much Baked baking soda to dose to get it up to 8 or 9.
I use the baked baking soda based off Randy Holmes-Farley's DIY recipe.
blennymower
New member
thanks
blennymower
New member
Does the calcium hydroxide get sucked up by your pump? How many times can you refill the 5 gallon reservoir before the kalk expires?
ludnix
New member
I made a little egg-crate stand for the pump that elevates it about 4" off the bottom of the tank, this way the kalkwasser doesn't get sucked in with it. The only time I get a direct dose of the calcium hydroxide is when I refill the bucket right before it's about to top off. I've since avoided this by dumping a little bit of R/O water in my sump before refilling the top-off. This way it has time to settle before automatically topping off again.
I refill the container probably every other day, but I only add more kalk about once a month if that.
I refill the container probably every other day, but I only add more kalk about once a month if that.
blennymower
New member
Nice! Sorry if I'm annoying with all the questions, just that I'm in the process of doing the same thing you have. So excuse me while I pick your brain hehe
How much kalk do you add when you refill the reservoir?
How much kalk do you add when you refill the reservoir?
ludnix
New member
Not annoying at all, I'd love to help!
I had bought bags of Ms.Wages picking lime and have been just adding one bag at a time. I'm guessing it's about 2-3 cups worth. In the future though I'll just buy the calcium hydroxide from bulk reef supply. It's cheaper and a little more convenient by being in a bucket rather than several bags that like to blow dust everywhere.
I had bought bags of Ms.Wages picking lime and have been just adding one bag at a time. I'm guessing it's about 2-3 cups worth. In the future though I'll just buy the calcium hydroxide from bulk reef supply. It's cheaper and a little more convenient by being in a bucket rather than several bags that like to blow dust everywhere.
ludnix
New member
I have been considering adding a frag tank for a while now. There are certain corals that have to be fragged to keep from running into each other I'd like a place to grow them out for selling outside of my display.
I don't need anything very large because I don't have that many frags, so I'm thinking I'll do a 10g with a 70w MH over it.
My mom found this peice of furniture at the recycling center, with a little work I think it can be made to fit the theme of the room better. It fits a 10g perfectly.
This is where I'm planning on putting it, it'll be replacing the green chest that's along the wall currently.
I'll be posting updates as I make some progress!
I don't need anything very large because I don't have that many frags, so I'm thinking I'll do a 10g with a 70w MH over it.
My mom found this peice of furniture at the recycling center, with a little work I think it can be made to fit the theme of the room better. It fits a 10g perfectly.
This is where I'm planning on putting it, it'll be replacing the green chest that's along the wall currently.
I'll be posting updates as I make some progress!
blennymower
New member
Sweet. i can't wait for the day where I have too many corals and must need to frag them. Maybe slowly recuperate some of the money I invested in the tank....-_- yea right.
ludnix
New member
Well with the frag tank I'm only paying for supplies with money made from selling frags so I think if done right it might help recoup a small amount of the costs involved. Either way I have to do something with the frags that would otherwise be growing into each other and I don't like leaving them hanging around the display tank waiting to be sold.
I painted the stand with a few coats of a golden-tan color. I don't really care for the color so far, so I'm going to have to touch it up some more to give it a more natural look, I'll try and post some pictures of it tomorrow.
I also drilled the tank and painted the back black. I realized I drilled it too small though, so I'll have to give it another go when the new drill bit gets here.
I painted the stand with a few coats of a golden-tan color. I don't really care for the color so far, so I'm going to have to touch it up some more to give it a more natural look, I'll try and post some pictures of it tomorrow.
I also drilled the tank and painted the back black. I realized I drilled it too small though, so I'll have to give it another go when the new drill bit gets here.
ludnix
New member
I was excited to find my Mandarin is definitely eating prepared foods now. I've had him for quite a while and he's never looked like he was malnourished but he also never showed interest in any of the foods I fed. Yesterday though, I saw him eat about 10 small sinking pellets and then chase down all the near-by frozen mysis and brine floating around.
Although I was never worried that he would starve it's always a good sign to see him accepting a wider variety of foods, especially when so many of these fish end up starving to death because they are so selective.
He's still camera shy though so this is the best picture I could get:
Although I was never worried that he would starve it's always a good sign to see him accepting a wider variety of foods, especially when so many of these fish end up starving to death because they are so selective.
He's still camera shy though so this is the best picture I could get:
ludnix
New member
Things seem to be going very well in the reef now. In addition to the mandarin eating my clownfish started spawning today!
Tomorrow I'm going to get some nice new pictures of the reef to show how it's progressed lately.
I also ordered a super nano overflow kit from glass-holes.com for the 10g frag tank, I'll have to post some pictures of the drilling process too.
Tomorrow I'm going to get some nice new pictures of the reef to show how it's progressed lately.
I also ordered a super nano overflow kit from glass-holes.com for the 10g frag tank, I'll have to post some pictures of the drilling process too.
coral_lagoon
Pushrod Powered
Sweet looking tank, and love the atmosphere to..
What are those little growths below the clownfish head?
ludnix
New member
I bought a new 10gallon tank and drilled it today. It was pretty easy going and should work out pretty well. The stand has been painted for a while, I also got the first bamboo skin on one leg of it.
Here's the 10 gallon masked and painted. I'll take another picture when it's dry and the overflow is installed.
Here's the 10 gallon masked and painted. I'll take another picture when it's dry and the overflow is installed.
