Balling Method question

[speedinc]

So I've read a lot about the balling method but there's 1 specific issue that pops up in mind. Sodium Chloride is still going to rise over time but in an ionic balance way. Is this correct? So one would still have to perform either water changes or physically remove the tank water and replace it with RODI water to remove excess sodium chloride?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So I've read a lot about the balling method but there's 1 specific issue that pops up in mind. Sodium Chloride is still going to rise over time but in an ionic balance way. Is this correct? So one would still have to perform either water changes or physically remove the tank water and replace it with RODI water to remove excess sodium chloride?

Two or three part alk and calcium systems, including Balling, all cause a salinity increase over time.

The best of these methods (which includes Balling) do not just add sodium and chloride, so are not messing with ratios of the various ions, they just raise salinity overall.

So yes, you will have to make salinity corrections somehow. Some other processes also impact salinity, such as skimming, so exactly how much to replace may depend on all these factors together, but the salinity increase is very substantial over the course of a year, especially if you do not do water changes.

 

[speedinc]

Two or three part alk and calcium systems, including Balling, all cause a salinity increase over time.

The best of these methods (which includes Balling) do not just add sodium and chloride, so are not messing with ratios of the various ions, they just raise salinity overall.

So yes, you will have to make salinity corrections somehow. Some other processes also impact salinity, such as skimming, so exactly how much to replace may depend on all these factors together, but the salinity increase is very substantial over the course of a year, especially if you do not do water changes.

Hi Randy, thanks for the clarification which I thought was the case. Then how does the Triton / Moonshiner/ DSR method deals with the increase in salinity with their no water change approach? Assuming that all 3 methods are based on 3 parts dosing and not running a calcium reactor. So far from what I've read none of these method mention about testing your salinity often and physically remove the salt water from your tank and replenish it with RODI water.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hi Randy, thanks for the clarification which I thought was the case. Then how does the Triton / Moonshiner/ DSR method deals with the increase in salinity with their no water change approach? Assuming that all 3 methods are based on 3 parts dosing and not running a calcium reactor. So far from what I've read none of these method mention about testing your salinity often and physically remove the salt water from your tank and replenish it with RODI water.

That removal and replacement would be needed if skimming does not remove enough. Kind of dents the no water change mantra since it changes a fair amount.

Adding 1.1 dKH per day of a two part is effectively doing 0.09% water change per day (32% per year). Twice that alk is twice the change.

This is from my diy two part article, and all two parts will be roughly similar:

After one year of adding 8 ppm of calcium and the accompanying 0.4 meq/L (1.1 dKH) of alkalinity per day (41 mL of both parts per day or 4 gallons of both parts per year in a 50-gallon aquarium, including the effect of the magnesium part #3A, 2440 mL/year), the following residue (Table 2) would remain after calcification and adjustment for salinity (there is roughly a 32% rise in salinity over a year using this addition rate without water changes).