10" Red Devil Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I am wanting to automate my calcium additions, but I am really confused as to which will be the easiest method. What do you all use? Can you be as detailed as possible. Thanks. Link to comment
Chupacabras Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 The easiest would be kalk in your topoff water using an ATO. The real question is, what is your current manual method of dosing? Link to comment
10" Red Devil Posted January 25, 2007 Author Share Posted January 25, 2007 Randy's Two part. Seems like you could so easily overdose with that method. I might just go with a litermeter and set it up to dose the two part. Although kalk would be so much easier to mix up. I hate the idea of having to figure out how much I need to add for the week and then diluting it. Not to mention having to have extra containers of crap sitting next to the tank, since my stand is dominated by a sump underneath. I dunno maybe the 2-part is the way to go. I was thinking of maybe doing a reactor setup. Cost is really not the issue here, I mean it is, but I am willing to spend $400 on a setup to automate things and make my life easier. Link to comment
ezcompany Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Randy's Two part. Seems like you could so easily overdose with that method. I might just go with a litermeter and set it up to dose the two part. Although kalk would be so much easier to mix up. I hate the idea of having to figure out how much I need to add for the week and then diluting it. Not to mention having to have extra containers of crap sitting next to the tank, since my stand is dominated by a sump underneath. I dunno maybe the 2-part is the way to go. I was thinking of maybe doing a reactor setup. Cost is really not the issue here, I mean it is, but I am willing to spend $400 on a setup to automate things and make my life easier. i was looking into several dosing pumps, especially the sentry and the nautilus ii. i have heard that the litermeter is the best bet for dosing and the tunze osmolator for top off. if you're like me, kalkwasser is not enough for calcium and alk needs. i'm not sure if u can use the litermeter for the top off too. lmk how you progress as i am in the same boat as you. Link to comment
Izzue Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 RD...how large is the tank??? If its not to large and demand not to high...2 part should do. But if its a larger tank with lots of need (lots of need applies to you EZ ) I would save my penny's and get a good CA reactor... EZ dang near needs a reactor on his 24 with the high demand he has...but they are priceee and would need to be installed along with your sump... Just FYI...on the reactor a read somewhere that a person invested in a REactor and purchased a nice CO2 bottle...to only find out their local CO2 company did not refill your bottle but did swap outs only...what a bummer 0.02 Izzue Link to comment
10" Red Devil Posted January 26, 2007 Author Share Posted January 26, 2007 i was looking into several dosing pumps, especially the sentry and the nautilus ii. i have heard that the litermeter is the best bet for dosing and the tunze osmolator for top off. if you're like me, kalkwasser is not enough for calcium and alk needs. i'm not sure if u can use the litermeter for the top off too. lmk how you progress as i am in the same boat as you. Yeah well its your fault to begin with really. I was all fine with my regimen and then you had to go and make me feel guilty for not trying to make my sps grow as fast as I can, so that I can supply other hobbyist with frags thus helping minimize the damage on the wild reefs. RD...how large is the tank??? If its not to large and demand not to high...2 part should do. But if its a larger tank with lots of need (lots of need applies to you EZ ) I would save my penny's and get a good CA reactor... EZ dang near needs a reactor on his 24 with the high demand he has...but they are priceee and would need to be installed along with your sump... Just FYI...on the reactor a read somewhere that a person invested in a REactor and purchased a nice CO2 bottle...to only find out their local CO2 company did not refill your bottle but did swap outs only...what a bummer 0.02 Izzue HEHE, Gee I dunno how large the tank is could it be 20 long like the big fat sig says. Im sorry I couldn't resist. Although really its probably closer to 26 gallons. Really I can afford the reactor, but I just don't know if its for me, I want easy as can get with minimal side effects lol! Thanks for the 411 on the Co2 bottle, very good to know!! Link to comment
Izzue Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 HEHE, Gee I dunno how large the tank is could it be 20 long like the big fat sig says. Im sorry I couldn't resist. Although really its probably closer to 26 gallons. Ok...now you hurt my feelers Do u feel better? J/J... You kids and your cool sigs...hell I love it when ppl have 3 sigs...but no longer have any of those tanks...lol I think you should try to find a local with a Reactor set up...I think you would love it for its automation once its dialed in...but on 26 gal...I would just dose it Izzue Link to comment
10" Red Devil Posted January 27, 2007 Author Share Posted January 27, 2007 Ok...now you hurt my feelers Do u feel better? J/J... You kids and your cool sigs...hell I love it when ppl have 3 sigs...but no longer have any of those tanks...lol I think you should try to find a local with a Reactor set up...I think you would love it for its automation once its dialed in...but on 26 gal...I would just dose it Izzue Good advice! Thanks! FYI, I am 32! Lol! But yeah I guess my sig is kind of fancy. At least I made it myself though which I take pride in. But im sure if you wanted a nice one that Xasian guy would make you one his wonderful work is everywhere on here if you havent noticed. Link to comment
andrewkw Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 Look for a used reactor if its too much money for a new one. Its by far the easiest and most reliable means of adding calcium. Plus then you could actually leave your tank for more then a day rather then do daily if not twice daily doses depending on how much stuff you have in your tank. Link to comment
10" Red Devil Posted January 28, 2007 Author Share Posted January 28, 2007 Look for a used reactor if its too much money for a new one. Its by far the easiest and most reliable means of adding calcium. Plus then you could actually leave your tank for more then a day rather then do daily if not twice daily doses depending on how much stuff you have in your tank. Well the thing is you wouldnt have to do daily additions if you have a doser and setup enough additive for 1-2 weeks if you know your ca/alk absorbtion rate same with Kalk, although I have heard kalk goes bad after a day or two. Link to comment
ezcompany Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 i have decided to get a litermeter iii. but to dose the 2 part i would need an extra dosing pump, which is an additional $140, so total price would be a little less than $500 yikes. question is, can litermeters use other external pumps? what kind of pump would be needed? do i need an osmoloator still? or will the litermeter do it for me with an additional pump? Link to comment
mvite Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Guys--I am having the same issues with Alk & Ca-- in my 44 gallon SPS tank. I use B-Ionic--and I am already at the max dose--I can't use any more daily than I do already. I am doing some small daily water changes and am still dosing---but I need a better long term solution. The stupid tank is a corner tank---so I don't even have a sump. I thought about a hang-on Ca Reactor--but there's only two that I know of---and one is made by a company I won't buy from anymore. I'm tagging along---- Link to comment
Ebn Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Have you guys ever thought about using some OEM peristaltic dosing pumps? They're basically the same pumps as you find on those fancy dosers, but w/out the gadgetry behind them. This is where I get mine from. http://www.aptinstruments.com/Merchant2/me...gory_Code=SP100 This just happens to be the one that I'm using. http://www.aptinstruments.com/Merchant2/me...gory_Code=SP100 It's pretty easy to figure out how much mL it's actually dosing and then I just put it on a timer. I use a couple of those and two separate Big Al's water conditioner bottles as reservoirs. I just refill those bottles when they run out and not worry about things in the meantime. Link to comment
ezcompany Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 those look like the pumps in twopartsolutions.com i'm considering it as well, but you need two to dose 2 parts, so you would need the dual channel one i think. the most appealing thing about the litermeter is, it doses 150 times a day!!!! talk about stable parameters, anywhere from one ounce, to 26 gallons a day. i have never heard of a negative comment on it so far, and people have used it (oregon reef) for years without any problems whatsoever. one person did have a problem with a faulty motor, but his was replaced right away by Spectrapure, who is known to have excellent cs. Link to comment
lgreen Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 I use all the extensor and flexor muscles in my forearm and hand, and the radiobrachialis, as well biceps brachii, triceps brachii, latissimus doris, coracobrachialis, brachialis, probably my deltoid, maybe pectoralis major too. It's a rather complicated system, but it seems to work well for dosing b-ionic and seachem. Link to comment
ezcompany Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 I use all the extensor and flexor muscles in my forearm and hand, and the radiobrachialis, as well biceps brachii, triceps brachii, latissimus doris, coracobrachialis, brachialis, probably my deltoid, maybe pectoralis major too. It's a rather complicated system, but it seems to work well for dosing b-ionic and seachem. stop making things up! Link to comment
Uploadead Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 They're the main muscles he uses to add calcium... Link to comment
Ebn Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 those look like the pumps in twopartsolutions.comi'm considering it as well, but you need two to dose 2 parts, so you would need the dual channel one i think. the most appealing thing about the litermeter is, it doses 150 times a day!!!! talk about stable parameters, anywhere from one ounce, to 26 gallons a day. i have never heard of a negative comment on it so far, and people have used it (oregon reef) for years without any problems whatsoever. one person did have a problem with a faulty motor, but his was replaced right away by Spectrapure, who is known to have excellent cs. I just went with a couple of those pumps and then two separate timers. Link to comment
10" Red Devil Posted March 23, 2007 Author Share Posted March 23, 2007 Well I got the nano calcium reactor from aquaticsystemsdesign.com and I love it, love it, love it!! I have it on a controller and a timer that turns everything off at night works wonderfully! Link to comment
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