The "Balling" Method

[AntsReef]

Hi Ralf,
firstly may I say your tank is the most wonderful looking tank I have seen. I dare not even aspire to have a tank like yours as I think for a mere mortal like myself it would be unattainable

As a matter of interest may I ask which trace elements you add and in what proportion,
thanks,
Anthony

 

[javajaws]

I would think getting a NaCl-free salt here in the US might make this prohibitively expensive. Anybody know a source of NaCl-free salt in the US at a reasonable price?

 

[RalfP]

Anthony,
thank you very much,
I add QFI Trace-Elements at 10% of recommended dosage.
I do 7% waterchange a week and dosing NaCl-free salt, also adding Traceelements that way.
After the pictures you've seen (TOTM-pictures) have been made, I'am adding 50% of
recommended dosage of a product new to the German market, Mrutzeks Oragano-Trace,
which (OrganoTrace) is also buyable from other vendors here.
I got a colour and growth boost on montipora since that.
Basic idea of OrganoTrace is to attach elements to organic molecules to make it easier for
coral to get them.

javajaws,
I use the one from Tropic Marin called "Pro special Mineral", also used to add minerals to Osmosis water for freshwater aquariums, which is relatively expensive.
Normal Reef-Salt is mainly NaCl, so NaCl-free Salz will naturally be more expensive than that.
The price here is about 4 times that of normal Reefsalt.

Ralf

 

[glyle41]

must say I am impressed by the tank and the attention to detail you have taken I can only aspire to reach your level and bye the way who makes the NaCl free salt??

 

[DarkXerox]

So how is this different from using Randy's two part mix with the magnesium supplementation as well? If I remember correctly, his calculations showed that the increase in salinity was minimal and probably are offset by the salt lost via skimming.

 

[kimoyo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7922641#post7922641 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DarkXerox
So how is this different from using Randy's two part mix with the magnesium supplementation as well? If I remember correctly, his calculations showed that the increase in salinity was minimal and probably are offset by the salt lost via skimming.

Its not, we just don't call it the "Balling" Method. Its two part (with mag) done with a dosing pump. Add a little trace elements, wet skim and there you go. The wet skimming reduces the salinty while the two part adds it back.

Its not new, plenty of old school people do it this way and those who don't have a calc reactor.

Calc reactors depend on the pH but the pH varies with CO2 levels, so its possible for 2 part with a doser to be just as or more steady.

 

[DarkXerox]

Well then I guess I've been ballin it up then haha

At about 50 bucks a bag for dowflake and Magflake, this seems to be one of the better deals in reefing.

 

[Tritonian]

Thanks RalphP! I had quick read through the link you provided:

Inorganic Substances as Additives in the Marine Aquarium
http://www.athiel.com/lib7/drj2.htm

Very useful: I've always had a fascination for chemistry, but I never did it in highschool, I lack the mathematical calculative side of the brain so I was never allowed in a lab. I have a Congolese friend who is a Chemical Engineer. So he'll definitely help me out so I don't burn my hands off. and we have a local additive producer whom I'll be able to find all the chemicals I need.

They make a Ca+ that gets very hot when mixed in water, you have to be very careful not to get in contact with your skin - very painful.

But I'm not going to be able to get hold of Tropic Marin Pro Salt very easily here in South Africa. You only get AquaMedic, Reef Crystals, Intant Ocean and Seachem(very expensive).

 

[RalfP]

glyle41,
thank you, pls. refer to the posting one above yours
I use Tropic Marin salt.

darkxerox, kimoyo,
unfortunately I have only very limited knowledge about Randy's method,
but I think he uses Na2CO3 and not NaHCO3 like Balling?
In practical usage, Randy's method seems to be easier due to this fact.
Na2CO3 is better solutable, and one can therefore use higher concentrations,
dosing less volume.
I read a discussion about having unstable pH with Randy's method, but that
was only one person saying that, so it has no relevance.

The raising salinity is normally no big problem, I think.
One can simply use less salt with next waterchange.
Having lots of good growing SPS (dosing a lot), my sg. raises from 1.026 to 1.028 in one week, this is not removed by wet skimming (which I do).

Does Randy's method also use NaCl-free salt?
Adding only NaCl with method and removing seasalt (which is only 70% or so NaCl) over a long
time should sooner or later push the proportion in the contents of the salt in tank
to the NaCl side. ("ion displacement"). That would be prevented with NaCl-free salt.
Well, some trust in making 10% waterchanges a week will correct that. Don't know.

Ralf

 

[LBCBJ]

So are you saying that using B-Ionic and a Mag supplement would be considered the Balling Method?

 

[johns]

but I think he uses Na2CO3 and not NaHCO3 like Balling?

RalfP-

Actually, his procedure gives an option of using either form. You can either use baking soda, as is, or heat it first to drive off CO2. It basically depends on whether you want a pH-increasing effect or not.

So it sounds like the 2 methods are very similar. I'm trying to decide if there is really any substantial difference at all. But I dont think Randy says anything about using Na-Free salts, from what I recall. So I dont know how much real difference that is.

BTW, here is a link to the article where he describes the method. Maybe you could tell us how different it really is:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Question for iwan and RalfP:

Are water changes routinely performed on your systems?
If so, how? (Large infrequent water exchange, small frequent changes?) How many litres (U.S. gallons) are changed at a time?
How do your corals seem to react to a water change?
What specific gravity do you attempt to maintain?

 

[RalfP]

johns,
thank you for the link, didn't know it.

The methods look very simular,
Balling is strictly using NaHCO3.
He didn't use the Mg, but everyone, who uses his method, uses it like Randy .
Balling uses the NaCl free salt, but some people do not use it and trust in waterchanges, correcting ion-displacement.
What not many people are doing, but Balling does in his method is, mixing his own
Traceelements from different chemicals (no premixed things) and adding them to the
solutions.

Gary,
I change weekly 7% (that's one rain-barrel) of water, stopping sump-pump, removing
water as one portion from tank, adding replacement water with pump after that.
I can't see changes on the coral, polyps exteded, as usual.
With waterchanges I check the sg. with a refractometer, keeping it at 3,4-3,5% salinity.
I automatically (dosing-pump) remove water from the tank (2-times daily) which is then
replaced (automatically (top-off)) with RO/DI. Sg. keeps stable that way.

Hmm, maybe I do even more waterchanges, if adding NaCl(with method) and adding NaCl-free-salt etc. counts ;-)

Ralf

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7932944#post7932944 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RalfP
Gary,
I change weekly 7% (that's one rain-barrel) of water, stopping sump-pump, removing
water as one portion from tank, adding replacement water with pump after that.
I can't see changes on the coral, polyps exteded, as usual.
With waterchanges I check the sg. with a refractometer, keeping it at 3,4-3,5% salinity.
I automatically (dosing-pump) remove water from the tank (2-times daily) which is then
replaced (automatically (top-off)) with RO/DI. Sg. keeps stable that way.

Hmm, maybe I do even more waterchanges, if adding NaCl(with method) and adding NaCl-free-salt etc. counts ;-)

Ralf

Interesting.
I'd consider adding NaCl and NaCl-free-salt part of your water changes (JMO). Thanks for the quick reply.