Crazy Ideas

bui · Jun 19, 2024

I have some unconventional ideas and would appreciate feedback before trying them out. What if I dose BRS two-part and magnesium separately, instead of pre-mixing the alkalinity and calcium? My idea is to use a reactor similar to a Kalk reactor for each component and draw the clear water from the top. This way, I could save space by not having a large premixed container. Are there any issues with this approach that I'm overlooking?

Additionally, if I set up my tank for no water changes, besides the need to add trace elements and ensuring I have chaeto or other method to remove nitrates, are there other chemical buildups that water changes help eliminate?

Thanks

DenverSaltyFarm · Jun 19, 2024

You will want to pre mix the 2 part that way you know the exact strength of the liquid you are dosing, will not deviate, and therefore your tank will stay more steady.

I could see a lot of issues where the way you explain above could not fully saturate the water with say calcium and you will constantly fight keeping your tank numbers stable.

I tried the no water change approach with reef moonshiners and my tank does better with small weekly water changes ( my personal experience)

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 19, 2024

It will nearly all dissolve at once. Especially the calcium and magnesium parts, which are very soluble.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 19, 2024

bui said:
Additionally, if I set up my tank for no water changes, besides the need to add trace elements and ensuring I have chaeto or other method to remove nitrates, are there other chemical buildups that water changes help eliminate?

No water change systems work, but many folks report the same system was better when doing water changes.

Water Changes in Reef Aquaria by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
C
onclusion

Water changes are a good way to help control certain processes that serve to drive reef aquarium water away from its starting purity. Some things build up in certain situations (organics, certain metals, sodium, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, etc.), and some things become depleted (calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, strontium, silica, etc.). Water changes can serve to help correct these imbalances, and in some cases may be the best way to deal with them. Water changes of 15-30% per month (whether carried out once a month, daily or continuously) have been shown in the graphs above to be useful in moderating the drift of these different seawater components from starting levels. For most reef aquaria, I recommend such changes as good aquarium husbandry. In general, the more the better, if carried out appropriately, and if the new salt water is of appropriate quality.

Calcium and alkalinity, being rapidly depleted in most reef aquaria, are not well controlled, or even significantly impacted by such small water changes. In order to maintain them with no other supplements, changes on the order of 30-50% PER DAY would be required. Nevertheless, that option may still be a good choice for very small aquaria, especially if the changes are slow and automatic.

bui · Jun 20, 2024

I appreciate everyone's input. After hearing from Denver and Randy, I've decided to stick to the old method of water change and follow BRS's recommended 2-part dosing. In the end, I don't want to risk the lives of my corals by deviating too much from past proven successes.