How your adding calcium to your nano reef

[Soccer]

I was wondering how you guys with nano's are adding calcium. My tank is a small 30g reef, so far I've been adding Kalkwasser. But... Its hard to find it where I live so I was thinking of using tech CBA & CBB by kentmarine (not sure if thats what it is). I was thinking of just using the CBB to boost calcium and not use the one for alkalinity. What other calcium buffers could I use??? Anything cheaper that is good for a small tank.

Thanx b;)

[Lunchbucket]

i am using a calcium reactor because i couldn't keep my levels up w/ ANYTHING else.

otherwise i used: kalk in top off w/ float, Bionic (great product) and kent calcium and seachem reefbuilder

i would suggest using kalk and bionic for now. should work ok but if you have a lot of corals and growth then you might NEED a ca reactor.

Lunchbucket

[littleprince]

I've heard and seen some tanks using Two Littel fishes C-balance, and combisan with great results.

I currently use Kent kalk, and super buffer.
But I'm thinking of trying the combisan.

Its pretty cheap to order online if you cant find it at your local fish store.

Or you can go get some pickling lime.

[Agu]

I've been trying to get by doing 15% weekly water changes. Seems to be working but I'm not getting the coraline growth I'd want/expect in this tank. I'm going to build a mini (12 oz capacity) kalk dripper and start using that for topoff.

Littleprince, If you're considering using Combisan may I suggest you first read this article, http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish/data/foods.asp ?


Agu

[Peabody]

Same as lunch....reactor. My tank is SPS frags and clams, so it takes 4 times the max reccomended dosage of B-Ionic to try to keep the levels up, plus kalk! My little maximas are laying doen new shell like there's no tomorrow and they're just sucking it right out of the water!

[Carlos]

I also do like Agu. I do weekly water changes using water from my main system. Seems to work and coraline is growing at a decent rate.

Carlos

[littleprince]

I quickly skimmed through the article and find no reason to not use combisan. Its not a food like most everything in that article except coral vite and marine snow.

Its suppose to be an additive to add supplements like iodine, and other trace elements. So when compared to food I'm not surprised its nutrionaly inadequete. I would sort of hope that would be the case. I wouldnt want protiens, phosphates, etc in my additives.

[Agu]

Inspired by this thread I made a 10 oz kalk dripper, just need to get an airline valve to control the drip. Went that small in case the unit failed I'd dose a max of 6 oz of kalk into the tank the way it's setup.

Agu

[kmk2307]

I use aragamilk and frequent water changes.

Kevin

[blulegend]

Hmm. I'm using B-Ionic at 30 ml/day for my 15 gallon. My corals and clam are doing great except I have little coralline growth.

Would kalk dosing help that? I don't see what kalk has that a balanced dose of B-Ionic doesn't. Also, all the kalk dosers I've seen require almost daily maintenence. Anyone know of one that doesn't?

[Chrismo]

I noticed you have your location as Ontario. If you are anywhere near toronto I've made a list of stores that sell marine supplies. I think most if not all of them would sell Kalkawasser powder. http://metricksystem.com/chris/lfs.html

Myself I drip Kalk in my makeup water, and dose b-ionic, when I'm lazy.

I drip my kalk from a 2.5 gal jug, and only need to refill jug every week or so. (5 days?)

Even that is a pain though.

Chrismo

[kennerd]

I have a small dosing pump that just uses a simple needle valve to control it by restricting flow to a drop every three seconds or so: I dose Kent or 1littlefishies kalk, add Seachem Reef Builder weekly.

All this on a 10 gal SPS frag tank: excellent growth.

[MacnReef]

I may get an AZOO calcium reactor for it but for now, I will continue dosing kent part a & b.

[Jive Turkey]

I hand drip about 4-5 tsp. of Limewater into my 29 gal. daily and test biweekly. The levels of calcium are consistant at 375-425.
I use a plastic syringe to drip, mix a 1/2 gal at a time, and after a day of letting the Limewater settle, I remove about 2/3 of the clear liquid and put it into another container. I throw the rest away.
I know its unprofessional, but it's worked fine for me so far. I drip whle I feed, and it takes about 3-5 minutes. Also, I allow a little air as possible to come in contact with the Limewater.
I also do not have any SPS.:rolleye1:

[pAtTy]

I'm using a DIY (a one gallon jug with an air valve and airline tubing)kalkwasser drip to top-off my tank.

[Chrismo]

I was just reading a post in the Coral Forum, I was shocked that
Erichugo the moderator was saying that he just dumps his kalkawasser in all at once instead of dripping it. he has dont it that way for a long time with no problems. I guess with a bigger tank, it matters less? Anyway maybe kalk isnt so dangerous as all that. but i'll still drip mine. :)

Chrismo

[jackobox]

I've read the same posts awhile ago and I'm pretty sure the thinking behind just "dumping" Kalk in, is in the morning PH is at its lowest therefore the PH spike that you get from adding Kalk doesn't shoot through the roof of acceptable range...I may be wrong on this, like I said I haven't read it in awhile. As for it not having as big an impact on larger tanks, Kalk is dosed by water volume...the larger the tank, the more the Kalk.

[Chrismo]

But still, you would think that dumping kalk in which has a 12 PH I think would be a shock. :eek1:

But you are right in that the kalk your putting in is just a percentage of your total volume...

well maybe not... I think us nano people have REALLY high watts per gallon, which usually equates to more evaporatin per gallon of tank volume than in a 100g tank. Thats what I find anyway.

Anyone here just dump their kalk in?

[MacnReef]

I talked to a guy once that dumped kalk into his tank, instead of dripping it (newbee) and the whole tank became clouded! He could not get a reading with his calcium test kit! He did like 20 water changes throughout the day and night.

I wonder how erichugo is getting away with it?

[Chrismo]

EricHugo said his tanks get cloudy too for a little while after dumping...
You can read his post in his coral forum, I forget what topic it was under, it was off topic thogh I think... in the last day or too.