Tank Trials: Ultra Low Maintenance Tanks | BRStv Investigates

[bubblemytip]

My calcium reactor setup on my 26-gallon nano is great. Super stable reactor pH of 6.3 with carbon doser, super stable effluent of 7ml/min with an IKS Vario Blue ii peristaltic pump with adjustable output of 7-70ml/minute.

I imagine the GHL DOSER MAXI could also be a good alternative to the DOS as you don’t need a separate controller to use it.

I use another IKS doser for 1.6L of kalk a day, during night, and run a co2 scrubber (in the above pic) on my skimmer to help with the excess co2 that my fuge can’t deal with.

CaRX effluent goes right into the chaeto.

 

[Tjm23slo]

Clean up crew: Trochus snails and Cerith snails. The Cerith population will expand and contract as needed. If you end up with sand bed then Nassarius snails, no sand bed then maybe Astrea snails. Maybe some peppermint shrimp. Pods for the refugium. I like the emerald crab as a pet and scavenger and haven't seen any coral damage yet.

No hermits unless they are in the refugium. Made the mistake and now waiting them out.

 

[flagg37]

I currently do exactly what you chose for the lps tank. Kalkwasser dosed independently of the ato and Red Sea colors for trace elements (I haven’t done a water change in about 8 months so I need those). I also like your approach for the sps tank. I’ve also got my CaRx ready to go for when my kalkwasser gets maxed out. My plan is to cut back my kalkwasser dosage by about 1/2 when I start up the CaRx and simply increase its effluent from there to meet demand. I don’t plan on stopping the kalkwasser though since I get a decent boost in ph from it where as the opposite is true of the CaRx.

 

[Robert Collings]

Bumblebee snails,Trocus,emerald crab and a reef compatible starfish comes to mind.

 

[Robert Collings]

Trocus,bumblebee snails,emerald crabs and a reef friendly starfish comes to mind.

 

[SteadyC]

Regarding Kalk, that’s how I’ve been doing my two tanks for year+, have really liked it. On my 110 tank, I have a 10 gallon kalk tank I use 18 teaspoons for 10 gallons as this is maintaining my calcium at the moment. I dose with the BRS 50ml pump, every hour for 3 minutes, if I need more I just up the time. I then have a 60 gallon ATO tank, which also runs every hour for 3 minutes, with both combined almost keep up with evaporation, I have a float valve that triggers a PMUP when more is needed. Apex will stop the PMUP and alert me if it runs for more than 2 mins, as that should mean something is wrong. With this, I have stable salinity, 24 hour dosing of kalk, safe dosing of kalk, PH monitor will also turn off kalk if needed, easy cleaning of kalk container, just have to replace the kalk mixture every week. I also put vinegar in my kalk, for some carbon dosing. I then dose potassium and magnesium, and a bit of BRS soda ash, as the kalk doesn’t keep up,with alk alone. I may look at the Red Sea elements now, thanks for pointing them out.

On my 20 gallon tank, I have an 1 gallon kalk container, dosed by the bubble magus single doser, just enter the quantity you want dosed, and it automatically spreads out the dosing through the day. Then a 7 gallon ATO triggered but the Tunze.

 

[SteadyC]

@randyBRS looking forward to your episode on Red Sea trace elements with Kalk that Ryan mentioned

 

[sghera64]

ULM Tank Trials Ep-13: Flow for Ultra Low Maintenance | BRStv




This week's question:

-What does ULM Calcium and Alkalinity look like to you in a Softie, LPS, and SPS dominant tank?

I'm a little late on this one. Just wanted to kick in one more approach to maintaining Calcium and Alk that I use. I actually use both kalkwasser and calcium reactor on my 180 gallon mixed reef system. Both reactors are DIY with the Nielson reactor using a magnetic stir plate. I have not had a motor failure in over 10 years.

I suppose I could (and have in the past) used only Kalkwasser. I put the calcium reactor back on line after installing a chaeto refugium and let the effluent from the CO2 calcium reactor drip into the refugium to provide the algae some extra CO2.

 

[SteadyC]

I'm a little late on this one. Just wanted to kick in one more approach to maintaining Calcium and Alk that I use. I actually use both kalkwasser and calcium reactor on my 180 gallon mixed reef system. Both reactors are DIY with the Nielson reactor using a magnetic stir plate. I have not had a motor failure in over 10 years.

I suppose I could (and have in the past) used only Kalkwasser. I put the calcium reactor back on line after installing a chaeto refugium and let the effluent from the CO2 calcium reactor drip into the refugium to provide the algae some extra CO2.

Let’s see a pic of the kalk reactor. Is it a kalk stirrer, or mixed by a water pump? If it is a stirrer, what motor are you using? I can see pump mixed reactors lasting a while, and can see stirrer motors needing replacement.

 

[sghera64]

As you can see, it is a stirrer. Uses a magnetic stir plate. I run it about 2 minutes every hour. A baffle and sponge near the top prevent the solids slurry from spilling over.

100% of my ATO flows through this Neilson style Kalk reactor.

 

[MikeO5422]

Great video. You had mentioned something along the lines of Red Sea and Triton would be the only dosing programs you would use. What is your take on ATI essentials?

 

[SteadyC]

As you can see, it is a stirrer. Uses a magnetic stir plate. I run it about 2 minutes every hour. A baffle and sponge near the top prevent the solids slurry from spilling over.

100% of my ATO flows through this Neilson style Kalk reactor.

Nice, that’s quite a magnetic plate, cool use of that.

 

[sghera64]

Nice, that’s quite a magnetic plate, cool use of that.

Thx. All I can say is . . . “eBay”. [emoji39]

 

[Keiffer the reefer]

Really appreciate your approach. Especially, I subscribe to the kalk thing. My tank is on the edge of out growing kalk dosing. I’d really love to see an in depth look at the new small skimz calc reactors.

 

[Keiffer the reefer]

Really appreciate your approach. Especially, I subscribe to the kalk thing. My tank is on the edge of out growing kalk dosing. I’d really love to see an in depth look at the new small skimz calc reactors.

I’ll probably keep kalk online even after I set up a calc reactor as part of a solution to stablize pH. Also, how awesome is it going to be when the neptune triton is available? Really awesome.

 

[bryan3536]

However, in a water change only application like we were discussing it will almost always run consistently lower than whatever the freshly mixed saltwater levels are.

Brand new to this, your episodes and support have been amazing. I dove into the deep end with a 180g in-wall build, another ~45g in sump (75g tank conversion). Just fish and CUC at moment, fuge going, but I plan to start adding a few corals soon - I want a variety, so I was planning to try softies, LPS and SPS.

Anyway, I am adopting many of your ULM recommendations, because the reason this tank will fail is 100% my limited time for it. I was planning to go Triton. This episode was fascinating though as the automatic saltwater change system really appealed to me, I really like the simplicity of it. I guess what I’m hearing though is that it won’t work for any kind of tank with SPS because even an aggressive auto saltwater change program can’t keep up w usage? And at some point it becomes diminishing returns - you start water changes of more than 5%, and starts getting $$ and Id be making saltwater every week in a brute garbage can?

 

[Devaji]

man I was away form the forums here for about 6 weeks or so as my mother passed.
my tank has suffered as well as my heart...

bummed I would have love to be part of the discussion...oh well here I am. just watch all episodes now I am caught up!
you know I have thought about doing the same thing 3 tank with 3 different needs, so I am excited to fallow along.

interesting that you went with 3 tanks you did. from a visual perspective I get it needed a tank big enough for your SPS tank and still fit the space. seems that you guys have access to lots of tanks I would have liked to see different mock up of different size tanks so we could get a better idea just how those 60 cubes are going to be. I generally like longer tanks than cubes. love the BRS 160! but I think 3 of them will look nice.

I wish you would have used an ATS on at least one tank. I dont really find it more maintenance the a fugue. you could just reach in and grab some turf leaving the roots to regrow.

well I have thoughts on each episode but that is long and gone now...lol I really like what your going here.

I am excited to learn how you use 1 apex on 3 tanks! I hope you go into more details than just talk about it. hint hint.

for fish alltho not the most ULM from the start with accumulation all of them I would do one tank the (LPS maybe??) as a wrasse tank - flasher wrasses on others that get along.

I think softie tanks get way over looked in the hobby. they can be just as beautiful when done right. I am excited to see what you guys get.hopefully you can get some of the harder to find in the (US) softies then offer up some frags. can even name the the BRS XXX and start a fun linage! in this tank you can be safe to add some of the know nippers like some dwarf angle etc.

end the end I think most fish that will fit in those tank will be ULM. just stay away from the ones that not like mandarins ( with a paulB feeder they can be.) and others than need a special diet.


for CUC stay away from critters that will not over your corals = hands in the tank daily.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

I really enjoy the BRS videos, thanks for the great source of info for our hobby. I have been a long time reefer and BRS customer. Have been a memebr if another reef forum for many years but just found R2R thanks to BRS videos.
I would like to see a long term study of the effects of iodine on a mixed reef type system with a focus on sps corals. We know iodine is quickly used up in reef tanks but have not real tested done to provide the needs or benifits to dosing iodine to maintain nsw levels.

 

[Ds04384]

Best CUC for an ulm tank has to include trochus snails. Since they can flip over more effectively than other snails you don’t have to watch closely and make sure they aren’t on their back. Also, they can sometimes reproduce within a tank so they could potentially become a self sustaining CUC although that might not work in a smaller volume tank.

 

[Ds04384]

For ULM fish I would definitely avoid anything with a very specific or picky diet as well as anything that has to be fed multiple times a day to remain healthy. Safe bets would include hardy fish like clowns that don’t require a ton of attention. Another good choice would be fish that graze like blennies. These will not only keep the tank clean but they will feed themselves as they do so and that means less work for you.