xbwolfx Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 haha i don't even de-chlorinate my top-off water wow...now that seems risky to me. i'm just confused b/c in another thread people are talking about dosing alk and ca in a 25g fowlr tank. i figured weekly water changes would be good enough....but he suggests otherwise. Quote Link to comment
Ryan_H Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 While agreeing with above statements, I think your best bet is a peaceful FOWLR, with plenty of LR, a good CUC, and atleast a UV sterilizer to keep the fishies disease free. From that point, you can get away with tap water, so long that you're doing the water changes. Also do a two part dose, such as Kent or B-Ionic. What size system are you thinking and budget? If you give us an idea we can help map out a good plan that includes filtration (natural and mechanical) inhabs, lr, dosing, etc. 2 part dosing systems in a FOWLR aren't going to do anything but balance your tank and then precipitate themselves out when nothing is consuming the calcium or alkalinity, wasting your time and money. or worse, never balance and cause alkalinity or calcium issues that lead to brown slime or cyano. just do your water changes and don't worry about it, the fish really don't care. Quote Link to comment
StevieT Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 wow...now that seems risky to me. i'm just confused b/c in another thread people are talking about dosing alk and ca in a 25g fowlr tank. i figured weekly water changes would be good enough....but he suggests otherwise. I don't understand why you would need either in a fish only tank. Quote Link to comment
JKUNZ Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Who's to say he won't be using Macro algae to reduce nitrates (which would require calcium) Quote Link to comment
xbwolfx Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 (edited) I don't understand why you would need either in a fish only tank. me either. please help me out here. read this thread: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...172673&st=0 Who's to say he won't be using Macro algae to reduce nitrates (which would require calcium) halimeda, yes. but chaeto? Edited October 14, 2008 by xbwolfx Quote Link to comment
Ryan_H Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Who's to say he won't be using Macro algae to reduce nitrates (which would require calcium) not daily dosing of a 2 part system kind of calcium, more like readily available in salt and substrate kind of calcium. the macros that need any more than that don't do much for nutrient export anyway. Quote Link to comment
JKUNZ Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 not daily dosing of a 2 part system kind of calcium, more like readily available in salt and substrate kind of calcium. the macros that need any more than that don't do much for nutrient export anyway. I see. Quote Link to comment
Ryan_H Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 wow...now that seems risky to me. i'm just confused b/c in another thread people are talking about dosing alk and ca in a 25g fowlr tank. i figured weekly water changes would be good enough....but he suggests otherwise. 1 gallon a week of tap water with .5 ppm chlorine doesn't hurt a thing, carbon pulls it right out. i dechlorinate for water changes, but not top-off. Quote Link to comment
StevieT Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 me either. please help me out here. read this thread:http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...172673&st=0 halimeda, yes. but chaeto? ok, now his thread confuse me more and more. With water changes like you said, I don't see how a min calcium and alk could be maintained if in fact it contributes to PH. I have only kept a reef so I don't have personal experience like you, but from what I have seen, PH is more about gas exchange including CO2 into the water and not so much about Calc. What is the calc level of the ocean where corals do not exist, say colder waters, that is the test. Besides coralline which is purely aesthetic, the entire calc and alk dosing in a fish only still confuses me. Water + live rock for filtration should be enough to keep fish. 1 gallon a week of tap water with .5 ppm chlorine doesn't hurt a thing, carbon pulls it right out. i dechlorinate for water changes, but not top-off. don't see an issue with this either in a fish only set up. I would relate to my freshwater tank at home, where the dumb fish that hate me get it straight from the tap. Quote Link to comment
smokey_the_bear Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 okay live clown this is bugging me "FOWLER" okay its FOWLR!!! F ish F O nly O W ith W L ive L R ock R please spell it right Quote Link to comment
xbwolfx Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 ok, now his thread confuse me more and more. With water changes like you said, I don't see how a min calcium and alk could be maintained if in fact it contributes to PH. I have only kept a reef so I don't have personal experience like you, but from what I have seen, PH is more about gas exchange including CO2 into the water and not so much about Calc. What is the calc level of the ocean where corals do not exist, say colder waters, that is the test. Besides coralline which is purely aesthetic, the entire calc and alk dosing in a fish only still confuses me. Water + live rock for filtration should be enough to keep fish. i'm as confused as you. i had a fowlr for years and never dosed anything. we had tons of coralline too. i think some people just like to be "experts" and pretend that fish use all of the same trace elements that coral do. Quote Link to comment
StevieT Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 i'm as confused as you. i had a fowlr for years and never dosed anything. we had tons of coralline too. i think some people just like to be "experts" and pretend that fish use all of the same trace elements that coral do. since post count = expertise I win and I say I am still confused and or don't think dosing does a dang thing. Quote Link to comment
JKUNZ Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 since post count = expertise I win and I say I am still confused and or don't think dosing does a dang thing. Lol.....Ok, you win. Are we all on the same page now? Is the OP even involved any more? Quote Link to comment
StevieT Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Lol.....Ok, you win. Are we all on the same page now? Is the OP even involved any more? well we are on page 2 and the OP is somewhere on page one Quote Link to comment
Ryan_H Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 since post count = expertise I win and I say I am still confused and or don't think dosing does a dang thing. +1. when chemical bottles claim to help the fish, it's a sales technique to rope the n00bs into spending more $. just like the food containers all say "feed your fish 2-3 times daily". Quote Link to comment
JKUNZ Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 well we are on page 2 and the OP is somewhere on page one Sounds about right. I see where you guys are coming from regarding no dose needed with FOWLR, I'm just confused as to why I was guided down that path six years ago when I had a FOWLR myself. Since then I've been only reefin, just trying to recall why the LFS advised that. Come to think of if, they were most likely just taking my money; they had me using purple-up, chemi-pure, two part dosing.....and sold me quite a few diseased fish. Glad I'm moved away from that POS LFS. D@mn you Jim! Quote Link to comment
StevieT Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 +1. when chemical bottles claim to help the fish, it's a sales technique to rope the n00bs into spending more $. just like the food containers all say "feed your fish 2-3 times daily". purple up Quote Link to comment
JKUNZ Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 bingo. Lol....right after I mention that too....it's true, I was a noob six years ago, and now consider myself a nood with six and a half years of experience OP, you there?? Or did we steer you away from SW and NR all together??? If so, he was a nice OP with good intentions. He will be missed. (moment of silence) Next! Quote Link to comment
hazmat Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Maybe I chased him off after my rude comments about potty training. Honestly!!! It's StevieT's fault. If he wouldn't have started the whole "My water isn't wet" thread!! I really thought this thread was started as a joke. Read thru the beginning! He's talking about not doing water changes at all and using chemi pure elite instead of water changes. That's joke material right there! And he's been a member since 07!! I didn't think he was a newbie. I'm sorry OP.....I really hope I didn't hurt your feelings. Now get over it and come on back!! Quote Link to comment
xenon Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 This is what my fowlr tank looked like. I was using instant ocean salt and was not able to maintain alk with water changes so I setup kalk in my auto-top off. Quote Link to comment
xbwolfx Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 (edited) This is what my fowlr tank looked like. I was using instant ocean salt and was not able to maintain alk with water changes so I setup kalk in my auto-top off. ok. so what would your alk and ph drop to within a week if you didn't dose? edit: just estimate or give a hypothetical answer if you don't know Edited October 14, 2008 by xbwolfx Quote Link to comment
xenon Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 ok. so what would your alk and ph drop to within a week if you didn't dose? edit: just estimate or give a hypothetical answer if you don't know That tank was gone years ago. I would be lying if I told you how much alk would drop in a week. Quote Link to comment
JKUNZ Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Maybe I chased him off after my rude comments about potty training. Honestly!!! It's StevieT's fault. If he wouldn't have started the whole "My water isn't wet" thread!! I really thought this thread was started as a joke. Read thru the beginning! He's talking about not doing water changes at all and using chemi pure elite instead of water changes. That's joke material right there! And he's been a member since 07!! I didn't think he was a newbie. I'm sorry OP.....I really hope I didn't hurt your feelings. Now get over it and come on back!! I know...I think we were all right there with you in the beginning....shock and awe. Quote Link to comment
hazmat Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I know...I think we were all right there with you in the beginning....shock and awe. It's like getting Punk'd!!! Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.