Keeping levels stable in my nano

[MofoCorals]

I gave my girlfriend a solana tank for christmas and she want to start keeping acros and a clam. I was just wondering what everyone uses in their nanos for automatic dosing to keep up with alk and calc. I was thinking of going with two Brs dosing pumps. It would like to get people's opinions and experiences before I decide to spend money. Only want to buy things once this time around. Thanks for all your help.

- Pablo

 

[Skeeter7424]

when i had my RSM 35 gallon, I just used my ATO with a calc/alk mix and that kept it pretty stable

 

[MofoCorals]

when i had my RSM 35 gallon, I just used my ATO with a calc/alk mix and that kept it pretty stable

Using kalk? How sps heavy was your tank?

 

[Skeeter7424]

nope using Kent Cal and Kent Alk. I had a very small pump in there set to mix for 10 minutes every hour or so. Then I would just let the top off do it itself. The amount I added to my top off container depended on how much evap was going on. In the winter, when not much was happening, I'm around 1 TBSP per gallon added to the ATO container. Summer, I'm around half of that, maybe less. This tank was mixed, but a couple good sized SPS colonies and a TON of small stuff. I checked levels every week, maybe every other, just to make sure I was ok, and everything stayed pretty stable.

 

[Sokretys]

In my 29 i put mg in the ato water and did my daily 2 part dosing. sps load could have been heavier but i would test ca, kh, ph and mg once a week. dose with seachem advantage calcium and seachem buffer or reef builder (depending on levels). Id obv only dose with these if my daily dosing wasnt keeping it. This worked well for me but again i only had a few acros the largest being about 2.5" from frag

 

[MofoCorals]

In my 29 i put mg in the ato water and did my daily 2 part dosing. sps load could have been heavier but i would test ca, kh, ph and mg once a week. dose with seachem advantage calcium and seachem buffer or reef builder (depending on levels). Id obv only dose with these if my daily dosing wasnt keeping it. This worked well for me but again i only had a few acros the largest being about 2.5" from frag

Very good idea. I need something automatic tho. It for my girlfriends office. She enjoys the tank but doesn't know how to maintain it. She is too busy to worry about it so I would need something that I could monitor only once every week or two.

 

[mchartier]

You could use the BRS or Drews dosers on timers (or controller) or look into something like a LiterMeter. I used the 2 BRS dosing pumps on a Reefkeeper on my 90 gallon (I know not a nano) and it kept levels stable. I only had SPS and a few BTAs in the tank. Now I switched to a CaRx. I used the 1.1ml pump, if you dont have a controller like an Apex or Reefkeeper spend the extra money on digital timers, so you have more control over the length of time they are on and spread the dosing out over the entire day, they are not meant to be run for long periods of time. I had mine dosing 12 times a day, the Alk was at the even hours and Calcium on the odd hours. I dosed Mag manually.

What are you going to use for storage containers for the supplements seeing its in her office?

 

[MofoCorals]

You could use the BRS or Drews dosers on timers (or controller) or look into something like a LiterMeter. I used the 2 BRS dosing pumps on a Reefkeeper on my 90 gallon (I know not a nano) and it kept levels stable. I only had SPS and a few BTAs in the tank. Now I switched to a CaRx. I used the 1.1ml pump, if you dont have a controller like an Apex or Reefkeeper spend the extra money on digital timers, so you have more control over the length of time they are on and spread the dosing out over the entire day, they are not meant to be run for long periods of time. I had mine dosing 12 times a day, the Alk was at the even hours and Calcium on the odd hours. I dosed Mag manually.

What are you going to use for storage containers for the supplements seeing its in her office?

How many ml do you dose in you 90?

Did not think of the containers yet. Any suggestions?

 

[mchartier]

I did not do the math for the ml, but I was up to 7m30s per dose 12 times a day. I would go thru the 5 gallon bucket of ESV in about 10 months. I switched to the CaRx on the new tank after the hurricane we had last fall.

As for the containers I would look for something slim so they do not take up a lot of space but able to hold at least a month or so worth of supplement so you are not constantly filling the containers

 

[Skeeter7424]

For the containers, look into "Refrigerator Door Shelf Sized" ice tea, or water containers. They have them at the container store, or most likely any kitchen appliance place. They are specially sized to fit on that little shelf on the doors of fridges, so theyre thin and tall. You can tape two of them side by side, and the footprint is fairly minimal. Also works as a top off container of your evap is fairly low. They come in 1/2 gallons I think.

 

[MofoCorals]

I did not do the math for the ml, but I was up to 7m30s per dose 12 times a day. I would go thru the 5 gallon bucket of ESV in about 10 months. I switched to the CaRx on the new tank after the hurricane we had last fall.

As for the containers I would look for something slim so they do not take up a lot of space but able to hold at least a month or so worth of supplement so you are not constantly filling the containers

Are you dosing two parts?

 

[MofoCorals]

For the containers, look into "Refrigerator Door Shelf Sized" ice tea, or water containers. They have them at the container store, or most likely any kitchen appliance place. They are specially sized to fit on that little shelf on the doors of fridges, so theyre thin and tall. You can tape two of them side by side, and the footprint is fairly minimal. Also works as a top off container of your evap is fairly low. They come in 1/2 gallons I think.

Thanks. Will def look into them.

 

[MofoCorals]

Bump. What the best thing to dose?

 

[mchartier]

Are you dosing two parts?

Not anymore, I am using a CaRX now. I did does for about 2.5 years, I started with the BRS then switched to ESV Bionic for the last 1.5 years. i noticed an improvement in color and growth when I switched to the ESV, like I said I went thru the 5 gallon buckets of ESV in about 10 months, to me it was worth the few extra dollars the BRS is $75 (includes Part 1 and 2 plus mag) for the large kit and you can get the ESV 5 gallon for $79 (includes Part 1 and 2) so you still need Mag

 

[MofoCorals]

Not anymore, I am using a CaRX now. I did does for about 2.5 years, I started with the BRS then switched to ESV Bionic for the last 1.5 years. i noticed an improvement in color and growth when I switched to the ESV, like I said I went thru the 5 gallon buckets of ESV in about 10 months, to me it was worth the few extra dollars the BRS is $75 (includes Part 1 and 2 plus mag) for the large kit and you can get the ESV 5 gallon for $79 (includes Part 1 and 2) so you still need Mag

What is carx? Is carx better? Is it another form of two parts? You went through a 5 gallon bucket of evs in your 90 in 10 months?

 

[mchartier]

Short for calcium reactor. Im repling on a phone so thats easier to type

Yes 5 gals in 10 months.

 

[MofoCorals]

Oh, ok thanks.

Has anyone else had any experience with sps heavy stocked nanos?

 

[MofoCorals]

Thinking about buying:
2 brs dosing pumps
Evs bionic
Mag

Are the Brs good pumps or should I get the drew doser paristaltic?

 

[mchartier]

I used the BRS pumps for close to 3 years and all I did was replace the tube once a year, never had a problem with it. What are you going to use to control the pumps?
If you dont have a controller look at these. Woods 59377 Digital 7-Day Lamp/Appliance Timer I have used Woods Timers in the past when I kept poison dart frogs to control the misting system, just not this particular one the one I used is not made anymore. You can pick them up for around 20 bucks.

 

[MofoCorals]

Thanks a lot.