THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[jedimasterben]

Good morning Albert and all,

I hope you don't mind me posting the following which some may find of interest.

 

Some of you know I have been thinking of getting a kalk stirrer for my 2’ cube with sump the description of which I will give later on. I already have a TMC V600 calcium reactor so why a kalk stirrer after all its old technology and over kill in a 60 gallon tank right? Well no actually, so OK kalk has been around for use in reef tanks for many years its true but it should not be dismissed lightly as a provider of calcium and it carries added benefits. Kalk administered via a stirrer or even a drip method will not only add calcium but will increase/stabilize alkalinity and PH.

 

You can use a kalk stirrer just at night if needed and many use it this way to smooth out PH swings which happen mainly at night when PH drop is most likely to happen esp. if for instance you don't grow algae in a sump on reverse lighting.

 

My reasoning for wanting a kalk stirrer apart from the above is that my TMC calcium reactor is a bit OTT for my system to be honest although I had it on a timer but there is a fair bit of maintenance involved and to run it best it is best used with a PH controller. To talk about both calcium reactors and kalk stirrers with the pluses and minuses would take quite a long article and I don't want to get into the arguments for each. However in a large system then you could as many do run both together esp. If you have a heavily stocked predominately SPS reef tank.

 

I looked around for a kalk stirrer and found that Julian Sprung had a new type on the market which uses no motor to stir the kalk instead it was water powered. Julian’s kalk stirrer is powered by a powerhead which not only turns the spinner but mixes the kalk with the water be it RO or tank water from the sump or tank itself. Another advantage of this kalk stirrer is that it can be hung on the side of the sump or tank or stood in the sump.

 

After doing some research on the net and reading some good reviews I was all ready to buy Julian’s kalk stirrer. However when I enquired nobody had them in stock that I could find apart from a seller here on UK eBay. This kalk stirrer is also cheap compared to say a Deltec stirrer at about 1/3 plus of the price of the Deltec. The one on eBay was £70 and they had a number of them for sale on buy it now.

 

Just as I was about to buy the Julian Sprung stirrer, out of the blue I was offered an Aqua Medic KS 1000 klak stirrer in VGC for just £40 plus £5 P&P so after a few questions I snapped it up. I have temporally hooked it up to my Reefloat ATU with 12v caravan type pump but this is not ideal as it’s far too powerful. I have however restricted the water from the pump to the stirrer using a tap/valve but this puts a lot of back pressure on the pump and causes it to turn on and off rapidly which I am sure will shorten the life of the pump in time.

 

Ideally with this and similar types of kalk stirrers you need to feed it with a peri pump (Peristaltic pump). This type of pump will feed a constant drip which is preferably controlled but fine with just a normal one providing a constant drip rate. You could of course rig the peri pump up to a timer to control when it operates along with the ATU which will probably be the way I will run it when my peri pump is up and running. My old Aqua Medic peri requires a new roller set which I have sent off for which should arrive any day now.

 

The kalk I buy from a chemical supply company and it is best to use lad grade which is around 98% pure. Tech grade is around 90% pure and many use this but IMO lab grade is better due to it containing less contaminants but it is more expensive as you would expect. Far cheaper to buy lab grade from a chemical supply company than buying similar in a fancy container promoted for aquarium use costing quite a bit more. Let’s not get started on rip off aquarium additives here though.

 

If all my trials with my AM kalk stirrer go as well as I am hoping my TMC calcium reactor will be sold on that’s if it can maintain my calcium level to around 400ppm. We will just have to wait and see how well or otherwise it performs more long term.

 

 

The Aqua Medic Ks 1000 kalk stirrer seems a good, solid piece of kit if a little pricey new (isn’t most good aquarium kit) but it is cheaper than the equivalent Deltec one. This stirrers motor in situated within the top which comes off to replenish the kalk and makes little noise in use. No other pump is required when fed from an ATU and the stirrer does a good job of stirring the kalk and getting the top up water within into a saturated solution of lime water known as kalkwasser.

 

The PH ok saturated lime water is around 9PH so you do have to be careful not to over dose it hence why you add it on a drip rate. Top up water is fed to the bottom of the stirrer and the water allowed to rise and overflow into the sump or tank. This way you administer a clear liquid rather than a less desirable milky liquid which can pose a danger of too fast a rise in PH.

 

I will of course let you know how I get on with the stirrer once I have the peri pump connected up and working how I want it. However it will take a little while to arrive at the ideal way to use it I guess by monitoring my tanks PH.Alk and calcium levels.

 

Julian Sprung’s kalk stirrer.

My Aqua Medic KS 1000 kalk stirrer set up and not long after filling with kalk so still a little milky.

 

Les.

I'm actually going to be purchasing the kalk reactor from TLF in the near future. I can't believe it costs you 70 pounds over there - here it is $60ish, so you're paying nearly double for it! That's quite a lot extra for just having a bit of distance between us!

[atoll]

This is true but it is also true of much of the US stuff we get over here. Some people import items direct but of course if they are electrical then the voltage is far different for most stuff. I know some people have imported LED units but I guess they make them work one way or another. For instance a standard Poly-filter (8"x4") is over £12 here that's about $18.

I'm actually going to be purchasing the kalk reactor from TLF in the near future. I can't believe it costs you 70 pounds over there - here it is $60ish, so you're paying nearly double for it! That's quite a lot extra for just having a bit of distance between us!

[albertthiel]

I'm actually going to be purchasing the kalk reactor from TLF in the near future. I can't believe it costs you 70 pounds over there - here it is $60ish, so you're paying nearly double for it! That's quite a lot extra for just having a bit of distance between us!

 

Yes Ben that has always amazed me too. The prices in the UK often are 50 or more % higher than what we can buy most of what we need or want here in the US.

 

And believe me it has actually gotten better as years ago it used to be that the UK prices were about double of what they were here and not just for aquarium products. One time I went into a Radio Shack in London and nearly fell over when I saw what prices they were getting for what we pay a few bucks for. At least it is not as bad anymore but the difference is still there and the reason why is IMO taxes ... but Les correct me if I am wrong ...

 

Albert

[atoll]

100% right Albert. Some things are around the same dollar to pound. That is if it is £100 in the UK it will be around $100 to you so you pay about 1/3 less for the same item.

Yes Ben that has always amazed me too. The prices in the UK often are 50 or more % higher than what we can buy most of what we need or want here in the US.

 

And believe me it has actually gotten better as years ago it used to be that the UK prices were about double of what they were here and not just for aquarium products. One time I went into a Radio Shack in London and nearly fell over when I saw what prices they were getting for what we pay a few bucks for. At least it is not as bad anymore but the difference is still there and the reason why is IMO taxes ... but Les correct me if I am wrong ...

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

This is true but it is also true of much of the US stuff we get over here. Some people import items direct but of course if they are electrical then the voltage is far different for most stuff. I know some people have imported LED units but I guess they make them work one way or another. For instance a standard Poly-filter (8"x4") is over £12 here that's about $18.

 

Yes the electrical issue has always been a problem indeed. I remember that from days long gone when I used to buy stuff and bring it back and then had to go through all the motions of making it work here.

 

And on the Poly-Fitlers, the highest I paid I think is $9.99 ... £ 12 sure is steep to say the least. I have to assume that anything coming from the US is 50 or more % higher, but then when we want anything from the UK it seems to cost a lot too ...

 

Albert

[eitallent]

Hello baby brine shrimp enthusiasts.

 

For Paul's BBS feeder this may work:

 

http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/c9/Mesh-Bag-c65.html

 

Here is the description. I think the 150 size may work(?). What do you think?

 

Mesh Bag

Available in two popular sizes, 250 mesh (65 micron opening) and 150 mesh (105 micron opening), these are professional quality, double-seamed nylon mesh bags, approximately 20 cm. x 30 cm. (8" x 10"). Mesh bags are indispensable around the hatchery or fish room. The 250 mesh size is suitable for harvesting rotifers and other small zooplankton and phytoplankton. The 150 mesh size is used for artemia, daphnia and other larger zooplankton. In addition to their obvious use as nets, these Mesh Bags are used as water filters, either to prevent the introduction of unwanted species from natural water sources, or; to cover a standing drain to prevent desirable species from escaping. Mesh Bags can also be used as a "tea bag" to reduce food particle size for fry; because they're resistant to most chemicals, they can also be used when decapsulating, rinsing or disinfecting artemia cysts.

[albertthiel]

100% right Albert. Some things are around the same dollar to pound. That is if it is £100 in the UK it will be around $100 to you so you pay about 1/3 less for the same item.

 

Yes it seems like that has not changed at all as it use to be that way for a as long as I can remember and when the Pound and dollar start fluctuation that can get pretty expensive. Remember the days when it used to be 2:1 and everything was double! At least it has gone down somewhat.

 

Interestingly enough the same applies here to UK magazine on fish and even on Computers ... they cost about double of what the UK price is.

 

Oh well ... not much we can do about it ... same applies to German products also when you compare prices over there and here.

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

As I said, I have no idea what the mesh size of my device is but I know it is a common net mesh size and the next time I go to a LFS I will pick one up as they don't last forever in my tank. I think bristle worms gnaw through them eventually as I always find them in there.

I usually invent things in reverse from what many people do. I will see something like a net, plastic container, mechanism, or some other unusual or obscure thing and all of a sudden something will pop into my head as to what I should build out of it. I don't usually get the idea that I need something and then go out and look for materials. Sometimes I do, I don't know if that is wierd but I constantly see items that really should be made into something else.

The next time I get a piece of net, I will try to put a ruller under it and take an enlarged picture. But basically the holes need to be as large as a new born shrimp or half of this size--------> . <----------

 

As for the European electrical problem, that is why I designed the Majano Wand with a power supply rather than a transformer so it works here in the US and on the 220 volts in Europe.

I know you guys in Europe pay three times as much as we do for gas or petrol and I am not sure why you let your Government get away with it. I guess we would also but the riots would cover the US. We too have a bunch of Dingbats "ruining" I mean running this country.

 

[albertthiel]

Hello baby brine shrimp enthusiasts.

 

For Paul's BBS feeder this may work:

 

http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/c9/Mesh-Bag-c65.html

 

Here is the description. I think the 150 size may work(?). What do you think?

 

Gee yes that may work for the Paul-O-Feeder indeed ... nice find eitallent .. If it's a bag you may have to cut it up but that would just give you more material when you need to replace the netting at the top.

 

Interestingly enough I found a nice little plastic container that would work great for it ... the KFC container for cole slaw. Just about the right size and of course some kind of plastic and easy to fit a screen over based on how the rim of it is molded.

 

Just proves that a lot of food containers that can be found for not much money can be used in our hobby for a number of purposes.

 

Albert

[ZephNYC]

Yes it will indeed Zeph, no doubt about it, especially if you have a unit like the one in the picture ... but even with a smaller one on a decent size tank it will do a great job.

 

But it is more costly and needs a lot more equipment and is IMO more difficult to use on a Nano Reef whereas the Oxydator can just be placed in the tank.

 

Now if you have a larger aquarium and a good skimmer and a controller etc... then using ozone will certainly up the water quality real well and effectively ... but not sure it will get rid of Bryopsis though :-)

 

The new book does have a section on ozonizers and their use etc. and everything hobbyists should know to use them safely.

 

That is some piece of equipment you have there. What is the output if I may ask ?

 

Albert

 

Good Morning Albert,

It puts out 200mg. I have to tell you it has really cleaned up my Dendronepthyea tank. The constant, almost rediculous amounts of food that go into that aquarium. But since injecting ozone the cyano is almost gone and the soft corals open more. The heavy heavy macro algea helps keep NO3 and PO4 way down, and I do small daily water changes. You know how I love to attempt to maintain the impossible, so Dendronepthyeas are high on my list of favorite insane corals. Ive had these guys for almost 4 months now and so far so good.

 

 

[albertthiel]

As I said, I have no idea what the mesh size of my device is but I know it is a common net mesh size and the next time I go to a LFS I will pick one up as they don't last forever in my tank. I think bristle worms gnaw through them eventually as I always find them in there.

I usually invent things in reverse from what many people do. I will see something like a net, plastic container, mechanism, or some other unusual or obscure thing and all of a sudden something will pop into my head as to what I should build out of it. I don't usually get the idea that I need something and then go out and look for materials. Sometimes I do, I don't know if that is wierd but I constantly see items that really should be made into something else.

The next time I get a piece of net, I will try to put a ruller under it and take an enlarged picture. But basically the holes need to be as large as a new born shrimp or half of this size--------> . <----------

 

As for the European electrical problem, that is why I designed the Majano Wand with a power supply rather than a transformer so it works here in the US and on the 220 volts in Europe.

I know you guys in Europe pay three times as much as we do for gas or petrol and I am not sure why you let your Government get away with it. I guess we would also but the riots would cover the US. We too have a bunch of Dingbats "ruining" I mean running this country.

 

Yes I guess that is how it works .. you see something and immediately you start thinking about how it could be used for or around the tank. It's one of the reasons I hold on to so many containers and other contraptions (which my wife keeps wanting to throw away and sometimes does and then I have to go retrieve them from the garbage) ... but ... I am NOT a hoarder ... TG !

 

The brine shrimp nauplii are according to the breeder sites about 0.4 mm so real tiny, as could be seen in that video I posted. Less than 1/2 a mm is "real" small indeed.

 

I never had problems with running UK electrical equipment voltage wise as I could attach it to a converter but I was never sure how the Hz difference affected their operation. ... but I am sure you do.

 

An on the Majano Wand ... is it sold in the UK and Europe too? if not you should find an importer there as it is such a great working device that Europeans should IMO be able to get it easily too.

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

An on the Majano Wand ... is it sold in the UK and Europe too? if not you should find an importer there as it is such a great working device that Europeans should IMO be able to get it easily too.

 

Albert

The Majano Wand is sold world wide and we have a distributer in England who covers Europe and Africa. Out largest distributer is "Marine Depot" in California who covers this side of the world. I also think we have a distributer in South America but I am not sure about that or if they ordered from us yet.

Our sales are approaching 3,000 units so far and business is going up as it becomes more known.

When I started building and selling them out of my home I was making a few a day and it got to where there were not enough hours in the day so we found a factory in the US that builds them for us. I will be visiting the factory in a few weeks. You can learn about it here.

http://majanowand.com/

[albertthiel]

Good Morning Albert,

It puts out 200mg. I have to tell you it has really cleaned up my Dendronepthyea tank. The constant, almost rediculous amounts of food that go into that aquarium. But since injecting ozone the cyano is almost gone and the soft corals open more. The heavy heavy macro algea helps keep NO3 and PO4 way down, and I do small daily water changes. You know how I love to attempt to maintain the impossible, so Dendronepthyeas are high on my list of favorite insane corals. Ive had these guys for almost 4 months now and so far so good.

 

 

 

Yes most who write about what to keep and what not to keep would include Dendronephthya and Scleronephthya in what not to keep as the likelihood of success is just about nil, so 4 months already beats what most who try can achieve ... but you are right it's constant feeding with the obvious water quality problems that doing so brings about. And I do know you like to try the so called "impossible" :-)

 

Good to read that your O3 unit has managed to keep it under control and that you is purifying the water real well and keeping the unwanted algae at bay, and together with the Macro algae of which you seen to have a "lot" help a great deal as well. BTW what ORP controller do you have on there?

 

Do you do water changes or a have you set up a continuous water changing system yet?

 

Nice to see that those Dendros are doing well (Carnation I guess, nice and red). Looking great!

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

Great looking fish indeed Paul and they kind of swim like an eel .. but very shy and hide a lot as you say. But the interesting thing is that they are live bearers ... and the yellow one is very colorful.

 

Pity you lost it as they are not that easy to come by either.

 

Albert

I have only seen two or three in many years. I may order one but I am not sure if it would eat my small clown gobies. They are peaceful, but about 5" and not stupid. A meal is a meal.

[albertthiel]

The Majano Wand is sold world wide and we have a distributer in England who covers Europe and Africa. Out largest distributer is "Marine Depot" in California who covers this side of the world. I also think we have a distributer in South America but I am not sure about that or if they ordered from us yet.

Our sales are approaching 3,000 units so far and business is going up as it becomes more known.

When I started building and selling them out of my home I was making a few a day and it got to where there were not enough hours in the day so we found a factory in the US that builds them for us. I will be visiting the factory in a few weeks. You can learn about it here.

http://majanowand.com/

 

Glad to read it Paul and happy it is doing well and that you are selling a good number of them ! It's a great device and for sure takes care of those pesky majanos and aiptasias. It's included in my book ...

 

Albert

[ZephNYC]

Yes most who write about what to keep and what not to keep would include Dendronephthya and Scleronephthya in what not to keep as the likelihood of success is just about nil, so 4 months already beats what most who try can achieve ... but you are right it's constant feeding with the obvious water quality problems that doing so brings about. And I do know you like to try the so called "impossible" :-)

 

Good to read that your O3 unit has managed to keep it under control and that you is purifying the water real well and keeping the unwanted algae at bay, and together with the Macro algae of which you seen to have a "lot" help a great deal as well. BTW what ORP controller do you have on there?

 

Do you do water changes or a have you set up a continuous water changing system yet?

 

Nice to see that those Dendros are doing well (Carnation I guess, nice and red). Looking great!

 

Albert

 

I dont have a cotroller on there yet, I actually have it on a timer that runs it for 1 hour 6 times daily. Manual water changes of 2 - 5 gallons daily, lots of Macro, and 2 ml of voka dosing daily keeps all the perameters perfect. I have a nice little system of water exchanging between aquariums and almost never have to buy new salt anymore. My clam tank sucks up nitrates like crazy and can go from 2ppm to zero in 24 hours, so I use that water for almost all my other aquariums and replace it with dirty water from another aquarium. A little trick I picked up from reading Wayne Shangs book.

I keep scleroneptheas too...since your mentioned them .

 

[rick12]

 

I dont have a cotroller on there yet, I actually have it on a timer that runs it for 1 hour 6 times daily. Manual water changes of 2 - 5 gallons daily, lots of Macro, and 2 ml of voka dosing daily keeps all the perameters perfect. I have a nice little system of water exchanging between aquariums and almost never have to buy new salt anymore. My clam tank sucks up nitrates like crazy and can go from 2ppm to zero in 24 hours, so I use that water for almost all my other aquariums and replace it with dirty water from another aquarium. A little trick I picked up from reading Wayne Shangs book.

I keep scleroneptheas too...since your mentioned them .

 

i would be interested in the water exchanging system! Can you tell us more?

[albertthiel]

I have only seen two or three in many years. I may order one but I am not sure if it would eat my small clown gobies. They are peaceful, but about 5" and not stupid. A meal is a meal. ---- INDEED

 

Yes Big Fish Eat Small Fish .... and Paul .... just look at THIS one and imagine what this one could eat .. and easily too !

 

 

 

Of course we still do not know what this Elephfish or Fisholipha really eats, even though he seems to be digging into the substrate :-)

 

Gee what people come up with !!!!

 

Albert

[atoll]

My replacement rollers for my AM peri pump arrived this afternoon and I only ordered it yesterday afternoon. So great service there. I have installed it and the pump now works fine however I don't have time to set it all up with my kalk stirrer as I am off to work in 20mins time and working till 10pm UK time. I will try and fit it tomorrow although I will be out all afternoon meeting up with old friends as I do each month. I am pleased the parts made the pump work again however.

 

Les.

[albertthiel]

I dont have a cotroller on there yet, I actually have it on a timer that runs it for 1 hour 6 times daily. Manual water changes of 2 - 5 gallons daily, lots of Macro, and 2 ml of voka dosing daily keeps all the perameters perfect. I have a nice little system of water exchanging between aquariums and almost never have to buy new salt anymore. My clam tank sucks up nitrates like crazy and can go from 2ppm to zero in 24 hours, so I use that water for almost all my other aquariums and replace it with dirty water from another aquarium. A little trick I picked up from reading Wayne Shangs book.

I keep scleroneptheas too...since your mentioned them .

 

Gee nice way of keep salt costs down indeed, of course that only works if you have tank with large clams or a bunch of them, preferably large ones as the small ones as far as I know usually don't make it for very long.

 

And I guess at some point you will be getting a controller so you can experiment with running the ozone and keep the ORP at a certain level and maybe determine what the optimal level for them is.

 

Nice Golden Tree ... and wow Zeph ... that is a nice achievement keeping both a Carnation and a Golden Tree that look in that good shape!

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

My replacement rollers for my AM peri pump arrived this afternoon and I only ordered it yesterday afternoon. So great service there. I have installed it and the pump now works fine however I don't have time to set it all up with my kalk stirrer as I am off to work in 20mins time and working till 10pm UK time. I will try and fit it tomorrow although I will be out all afternoon meeting up with old friends as I do each month. I am pleased the parts made the pump work again however.

Les.

 

Glad they did come in and that fast ... guess the courier or post office in the UK works real well ...

 

Albert

[ZephNYC]

i would be interested in the water exchanging system! Can you tell us more?

OK!! Im not home now but will explain more tonight.

[albertthiel]

Could not resist getting this Clownfish ... while at the LFS ...

 

 

[ZephNYC]

ALbert those pictures are SCARY, but I did love the Elephant tangs.

[rick12]

Could not resist getting this Clownfish ... while at the LFS ...

 

 

Lets hope you have a good dental plan