Get your advanced aquarist questions answered...

[birdman204]

It worked well for Abs in the beginner forum. I will try a thread here for the same purposes. Most answers will be given directly relating to your particular scenario and not as general answers so don't apply what I say here, to every aspect of reefkeeping ( unless of course it does apply ). Don't expect this info to be straight from my gigantic ( ha ) brain, most of the info I relay to anyone here will simply be something I learned from reading somewhere else that someone else with an even bigger brain has written. Some days I may get lazy and simply post links to your answers. Please do not take offense at this, simply realize that someone may have answered your question better than I could have, so ther you go. Fire away. Most likely I will suck at this and the thread will die away in a few weeks, I just felt that the advanced forum needed more attention as people need to learn more once they have the basics down!

[Reefer_Buddha]

can you tell me the proper drip rate for kalk on a 20L?

[birdman204]

You can feel free to answer here as well people.

 

What's up R_B, long time no talk.

- That question has numerous answers. Are you trying to find out the maximum amount daily you can add? What type of animals do you have. Are you trying to boost your CA and Alk, or just maintain it? A regimine of testing over the course of a few months can help you figure out a proper drip rate specific to your bioload.

 

As a rule though, Full strength kalk(no vinegar dilution) can be added to your system ( a 20 G ) at the rate of 1.2 gallons per day without any adverse effects PH , or ALK spikes. I would not add all that at once, obviously.

HTH

-Ryan-

[Reefer_Buddha]

just tryin to maintain it really. I wana get off bionic and have the tank less maintenance. I dont have a lot of CA dependant corals. My ca level right now is good just concerned about spiking alk/ph when i start the drip.

[birdman204]

"1/4 cup (2 ounces) of full strength limewater contains about 2.3 meq of alkalinity.

 

In a 10 gallon (37 L) tank, that corresponds to 0.06 meq/L. That is an OK amount to add all at once, at least from the overall tank pH perspective. Of course, the local pH will be very high, so it should be added to a high flow area so it mixes in well before anything gets exdposed to that high pH. Watch that the pH does not get too high during the course of 24 h." ~ Randy Holmes-Farley in answer to my question a few months back.

 

Basically, I use an auto topoff that runs about once an hour and dumps approx 1/4 cup of kalk in at a time. This would not affect the overall tank ALK and PH negativley. You can take your daily maximum, make sure your top-off does not exceed that, then spread out the application through a topoff. www.floatswitches.net, or save time, and go www.californiareefs.com.

 

If you are dripping, a drip 24/7 would be fine as long as, like I said, you aren't topping off more than you are evaporating. Another thing to consider is the fact that your tank may or may not have a bioload that demands the available Ca and ALK, so adjust accordingly after a few weeks of topping off and testing to monitor levels. If I can be more specific Let me know.

 

HTH.

-Ryan-

[pyrrhus]

ok heres an odd one... remove molts from shrimp or leave them in the tank to redissolve into useful material.

[birdman204]

The molt from a shrimp does have usable nutrients. I have seen the other shrimp and crabs go at the shells. After the shrimp molts, usually in the evening, and if breeding, immediatley after egg release, it is normal for them to go into hiding for a few hours to a few days depending on numerous variables, water parameters, animal health.... (source- Wetwebmedia and various internet literature compilation)

 

In a nano, a giant shrimp molt will look odd after a few days, and may not be able to be completley consumed by the minute amount of residents in there, so I always remove them from the nano. In a larger tank, 80G in this case, the molts are almost always completley gone within 24 hours, so I have discontinued attempting to remove them.

[USFnano]

Why not attach your kalk top-off to a float switch? Just make sure your snails can't get to it

[birdman204]

The issue with kalkwasser additions is the accompanying spike in PH and ALK. when added slowly this is not a problem. Local PH will be spiked, but as long as strong water movement is applied, this will only be a problem if larger amounts are added in this manner. With many top off switches, their accuracy is less than perfect... The amount of water in that 1/8th of an inch it takes your topoff to actuate will correspond to a large amount of kalk water to compensate... Think about manual top off, even if you topoff in the AM, and need to topoff the next day, even tho the water level only drops slightly, that still ends up being alot of water.

 

In some setups, I.E. Sumps, the return pump area is where that fluctuates and it is "usually" ( I say this because most section off the return pumps from the rest of the sump ) much smaller than the entire surface of the tank, so when evap occurs, it's effects are multiplied in this small surface area and a topoff switch here will run much more rapidly while adding a MUCH smaller amount at a time to compensate for this evaporation. In my CPR fuge, the surface area is about 4x4 inches, so all the evap is condensed into this little area where the float hangs, when topoff fills it, it is minute amounts at a time.

About the snails, if they breed in your tank, it is pretty hard to keep the little ones out. I would say have it AWAY from the edge of the aquarium or sump AND have a snail guard on it. Regardless, you will need to clean it every 3 - 6 months, I get vermetid snails growing on it, and have to sand or scrape them off.

[jojopus]

youre cool bird, i love you.

[birdman204]

Jojo.... First you need to sit down and talk with your wife, tell her you love her and repeat it to affirm it. next, get rid of the damn trout, it is bringin' a funk to the air... Then , and only then will you maybe not love me..... You freak.....

 

You can now label ME as the Patron saint of the nano-reef! Sorry Ken, You've been gone too long!

[offsprg01]

Originally posted by birdman204

You can now label ME as the Patron saint of the nano-reef!

 

 

birdman.....saint.......? ??? :*( :*(

[tinyreef]

St. Kennerd was/is patron saint of newbies. only Pope Palagic IV can canonize you.

 

anyhow, i think you'll have to fight the espi, the anti-messiah, for sainthood of the advanced forum. St. Espi

 

or you can join the 'family'. altho Don Satchmo is still in the WP or on the lam as far as i know. then again, i'm not sure if stevie crak or kensigliere is leading the family during these hard times. hmmm, you may have to fight ken for either title.

[birdman204]

LOL.... I will gladly allow the previous heirarchy step in and answer any questions or to correct my answers. I am not above being proven wrong!

[onthefly]

My take on the Kalk/Auto top off.....I run the exact switching design St. Bird runs (physh1 switch in the outlet chamber of the CPR fuge). I use it to run a air powered ATO that enters the fuge on the far right side. The air powered ATO adds the Kalk much slower than the PH drive systems. I mix up 3ga of (2tsp/ga) Kalk in a 3ga glass carboy (GLASS!! Used plastic for 2 month, then "POP"....Kalk on the carpet......."Ohhhh that might leave a stain") and all the fittings are air tight (to minimize CO2 deactivavtion of the Kalk). Sweet set up and my Ca and Alk are pretty stable (400ppm and 9.0dKh).

[MrKrispy]

Without drilling a tank, how can I get good flow at the top of the tank without having to put all my sps under a HOB AC (and blowing away the polyps), and at the same time not have them in the path of a powerhead?

 

(20L tank, have at it)

[birdman204]

OTF, sounds nice. I'll bet the air made that plastic container blow! Bummer.... Did the kalk leave a white mark on the floor

How long does the 3 G last you? My 3 G container lasts about 10 days or so depending on the weather.

 

-Ryan-

 

 

Mr Krispy,

Without seen a pic of said tank , this will be tough. I will say that an overall high rate turnover of water will keep the surface moving of course. Are you trying to get more water motion to the SPS(always a good thing)? or to the water surface above them for light diffusion(dunno if it is beneficial, but , mimic nature in everyway I say)? Better oxygen exchange (Again, always good, but if you are running an air injected skimmer, I wouldn;t worry too much)? Surface film dispersion (a skimmer box, if not possible, I always do my WC's and use an airline tube at the surface to suck out that water. Works really well)?

One thing that has worked for me in the past is to use a small diameter piece of vinyl tubing over a PH outlet ( Maxijet1200 in my case ) , and to that add a locline "Y" fitting and a few pieces of extra, or maybe a "V" fitting to the one pointing up, then use that for surface flow, and you will still have additional flow from the PH and direct it where you want to, I will post a pic tommorrow if you need to see what I am talking about, It is on the tank at work. Another thing, My Tunze's blow some serious water, and even though the flow doesn't hit the glass until about 2.5 feet away from the pumps outlet, it still gets gnarly surface motion across the tank, so maybe a stronger PH against one of the walls? If you get me an answer to the above Q's, Maybe I can be of more help.

 

-Ryan-

[kennerd]

I hereby canonize you. Your new Delta Tau Chi name is St. Tard of Newbieville.

[birdman204]

Wh-Wh-WHAT!!!

I've seen another ghost....

 

 

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[MrKrispy]

wow kennerd is here.....or is ??

 

 

Thanks for the reply birds. I have a AC200 and a HOB fuge, and a small rio 50 on the back wall with the outflow pointed at the same back wall. I don't have a skimmer, and the surface agitation is decent (from AC) and no skum. I have pretty decent flow across the top but I am afraid corals in the middle aren't getting good turbulence. I want to keep the flow in the lower areas down because of my rics, brain, and such.

 

I hadn't considered putting a Y fitting on my Rio, that might work good. (aside: I had a Max-Jet 400 in the tank, too big and too much flow for anything near it.)

[onthefly]

Nerd in the house......

 

The Kalk didn't leave a spot, I 'm more worried about potential caustic effects down the road.

 

Silver lining though, the glass carboys awesome! I started it last Friday and it's about 2/3 full, maybe 1/2. We've had some cold weather the last 10 days though. This weekend it is suppose to heat up, we'll see how much I use then.

[huari]

wow, nice to see Kennerd!, he was one of the old timers to answer my first noobe question. Nevertheless, Mr. Bird or St. Tard of Newbieville, i have a question though not sure it's noob or advanced but like Mr krispy, it's about water movement:

 

I'm getting some chemi-clean to knock out some blackish-brown cyano at the front of my 8G Jebo 15in tall tank. it will treat the symptom but not the problem. I have 1 small clown that is fed 2x/day (frozen mysis, prime reef, form 1), 3 nass, 3 astrea, 3 cerith snails for livestock, movement is from 1) minijet 606 at bottom back left corner with output across the back of the tank, 2) AC200 at mid throttle w/ output to left back down, 3) Remora out from MJ1200 w/ output to right back down. I figured I have 3 outputs turning over the tank many times over as the pumps are rated >8G, but the front of my tank at the bottom near the sand gets a small current and hence the cyano. I've been looking into running a CL with scwd off an external like a Dolphin or mag 7 or building a top flow manifold like Anthony Calfo's diagram at wetmedia or undersand jets. Do you have any suggestions on revamping the flow for a high height tank? should i just add yet another ph or may the flow is ok and it's my feeding practices?

I read that its good to thaw the food then strain out the water to reduce nutrients, but i just thaw the food in some disitilled and feed my clown, juice and all (shrimp).

[birdman204]

Sounds good.. When you use the "Y" fitting , it also reduces the flow a bit. I am using a maxijet 1200 in my 10 G, along with a AC200, and 2 microjets. Shrooms and zoos... I would say try the same Maxi400, and use a "Y" fitting accordingly and see where that gets you.

FWIW, the rics and brain won't mind after they realize that is the motion, At the beginning they will shrink up. I have a large ~ 5 inches across Wellsyphyllia, and it is in the corner where a Tunze stream hits, It doesn't mind, it wobbles like Jello and swells up no problem. But of course , then you run into a fine line, because these animals also use their mucous to collect and catch food, so judging over time how the animal is doing is the best way to determine if there is too much or too little flow.

-Ryan-

[MrKrispy]

a 1200 in a 10g, sheesh, do the corals fly out of the tank??? heh.

[imsuperjp]

When i mix new water, I dont leave it over night, but just for a couple of hours. What is the purpose of leaving over night and should i start doing that?