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mohans

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Posts posted by mohans

    bubble algea problem

    in General Reefkeeping_

    Posted

    I've tried to remove them from the rocks and corals, but it's a losing battle .

    Any suggestion is most appreciated, or I might decide to close the tank ??

    not sure if this will work but maybe u cn try vodka dosing to reduce phosphate n nitrates

    Shutting Down

    in Sell off/Pasar Malam Shop

    Posted

    will take your 2 cys & prata..pls pm me. tks.

    Selling all fishes very healthy and well fed they have been me for quite sometime now.

    Sohal $100

    Valamingi Tang $40

    Naso $35

    Orange shoulder $40

    Powder Blue $30

    Clown $25

    Pouple Tang $40

    Chevron Tang $ 100

    Decomm Sale - Lots of nice goodies

    in Sell off/Pasar Malam Shop

    Posted

    interested in (1) pls PM me. tks.

    Figure it's much better off to list everything in a single thread. will add on accordingly. Everything must be collect by this weekend please. Will wash and clean before hand over.

    1. Aquatronical system - Basic. Bought and used for about 1 year.

    2. Artica Chiller - 1/4HP. More than 2 years but 6 months servicing.

    3. RSM & MCE600 - sell as combo please.

    4. Gisemann MH - 150w pendant type

    5. ATI T5 lights - 3ft length. 6 tubes. Bought and used for 1 year.

    6. Super Marine Bubble King Skimmer 250 - repeat again here from other thread. Bought and used since OCt 2008.

    I didn't put the price becoz i really dun know how much to sell. Do pm me your sincere offer and will seriously consider. You should know relative price of these stuffs so please refrain from pm me ridiculous price so not to waste everyone time.

    thanks for viewing.

    Balling method

    in General Reefkeeping_

    Posted

    Hi i've used Balling Light Method for a couple of months now.

    I've decided to use the balling light method intead of the full balling because I could not find the Tropic Marine NaCi free salt required for full balling, as well as the difficulty in measuring and accurately dosing all the other minor trace elements e.g Iron,Strontium,Molybdenum, Iodine ect. I currently replendish those by using a quality salt mix for my weekly water change.

    Parameters

    kH -8dkH

    Calcium - 450ppm

    Mag -1400mg

    Formula is a modified Randy's 2 part. Because of the difficulty in obtaining pure calcium and magnesium chloride, I've chosen to use commercially available substitudes. The following describes the formula.

    Calcium - 800grams of Grotech Instant Calcium mixed with 4.8 Litres of RO water

    kH - 800grams of Baked (150Degrees Celcius for 2 hours) Arm and Hammer Brand Baking Powder with 4.8 litres of RO water

    Magnesium - 400grams of Seachem Magnesium Advantage (Mixture of Magnesium Chloride and Sulphate) with 2 litres of RO water.

    Dosing is via Aquatronica Dosing Pump

    Total consumption - I have 20 colonies of SPS and 15 pcs of LPS, total consumption is 55ml kH,55ml Calcium, 35ml Magnesium.

    Estimated Running Costs - Cal($20),kH($9),Mag($15) + 12L RO water and Negligible electricity for Dosing Pump. TOTAL = $44 per 90days, $14 Per Month.

    Everything takes about 3-4Hours to prepare(inclusive of 2hours of Baking).

    Pros and Cons(compared to using a calcium reactor)

    Pros

    - pH stays higher

    My tank resides in a bedroom which is air conditioned most of the time. This leads to a build up of carbon dioxide which lowers pH. my previous Calcium Reactors lowers pH by quite a bit.Balling eliminates this problem.

    - Lower startup costs

    $200 of balling ingredients can last for more than 2 years. If a dosing pump is out of your budget, you can just get a measuring cylinder and manually pour the solutions in every night.I'm just lazy.

    -Magnesium

    I've had trouble in the past with magnesium when i was using a reactor. My magnesium could'nt raise above 1200mg no matter how much media i added into the reactor.Maybe its just me, but the problems solved with balling.

    - Cheaper running costs

    There is no extra maxijet or aquabee or eheim pump to run.This means lower running costs,eletricity and maintenance.

    - Profile and Footprint

    The whole setup takes up a 23X25cm footprint, there's no Co2 Bott,reactor,solenoid,regulator,pump ect to take up space. this footprint can be totally eliminated if you dose manually. Helps alot when you have a cabinet that is as small as mine.

    -Noise and Heat

    No extra Pumps= Lower Noise, Lower Heat.

    -Limitless

    A calcium reactor is limited by the amount of media that can be housed in the reactor. Balling is limitless.

    CONS

    -Preparing solutions

    Pain in the butt to prepare the solutions. Took me around 3 Hours. The Grotech Instant Calcium will be heated up to boilling point when mixed with water,please use a glass or metal container for mixing and always wear safety goggles, masks and gloves.

    -Health considerations

    The ingredients are very harmful when inhaled. Always wear masks when preparing them. Some calcium crystals can lacerate your lung when inhaled. They can also cause skin irritations.

    -Troublesome

    Applies to users not using a doing pump. Can be troublesome at times for e.g, when you are overseas and need someone to dose for you. Must be dosed manually everyday.

    -Water Change

    Applies to Balling light users. A weekly 10% water change is recommended to remove Sodium Chloride and excess impurities. Salinity will also gradually increase due to the input of NaCi, this can be corrected with a weekly water change.

    Conclusion

    Having used both Balling and Reactors, I feel that Balling's pros outweighs it's cons. Since i already carry out a weekly water change, the biggest hassle of the balling method is no longer a hinder. A calcium reactor still provides ultimate convenience if you have the luxury of space and the budget for a reactor. Boths are just methods to achieve the same results.

    Pictures

    Sump with dosing pump and solutions

    post-2346-1251913640_thumb.jpg

    Closer up

    post-2346-1251913702_thumb.jpg

    Hope this helps.

    Dear Fellow Reefer

    Many thanks for your thoughtful and detailed feedback.

    Like you I have tried CR and am moving to ball method. Over the last week I've been gradually getting the equipment and additives necessary. Am using Grotech Tec III for dosing with Grotech Instant Calcium, Instant Carbonate and Instant Magnesium - so yes balling lite seems to be easier because I have not been able to find NaCi free salts. In addition, I'm adding Corall A, B, C and Vitoamino, to solutions I, II & III.

    I'll try and report the progress as it goes along. :)

    Cheers

    Mohan

    Balling method Vs Calcium Reactor

    in General Reefkeeping_

    Posted

    Hi all, have been pondering to go for Balling method or stay with my initial plan for Calcium Reactor..

    For me, it will be a mainly zoas, mush,yumas and softies tank.. With some assort monti cap and digi..

    With the recent hike in electricity prices, I am turning to a cost efficient method, which is balling method, I am able to get variable dosing pump at a good price and they run at a lower wattage too..

    So just wish to get some feedback about the balling method Vs calcium reactor..

    Thanks..

    Hi, Howz your balling system working so far?

    Balling method

    in General Reefkeeping_

    Posted

    what do u mean by small? my tank is 4' and i dose 3 times a week. i buy 2 or 3 sets of A,B,C each time and that would normally last me 2 mths. it's the cheapest Balling Method product i can find in petmart.

    ok..it's not so small.. :)

    have you looked at the grotech balling method? not sure what your cost/month is for the additives but Grotech works out to something like S$35 p/mth. Do u think this reasonable?

    Thanks :)

    Balling method

    in General Reefkeeping_

    Posted

    hi bro, i have been using balling method for the last two years with my new setup. it does work very well for me. so far, i have no problem keeping my water parameter in check. i m dosing Calcium A, B and C from EcoSystem Aquarium, USA.

    Many thanks for your feedback! The ecosystem model seems small. Can you advise what size tank you have and how often you need to change the A,B & C packs?

    Balling method

    in General Reefkeeping_

    Posted

    Dear reefers

    After much debate I am restarting my tank again. I was running it well for 4 years before in the last year due to work commitments and travel I have been doing badly with my tank. I started selling some items but stopped and have decided to restart my tank again.

    I have been thinking of setting it up using the balling method for dosing this time. My hope is that this will give additional stability to a mature tank and therefore be stable when I am traveling.

    Any fellow reefers using balling method or balling lite at the moment? what is your experience so far?

    cheers

    Mohan

    WTS - Giving up hobby due to work travel schedule

    in Sell off/Pasar Malam Shop

    Posted

    dear reefers,

    due my increasing travel load I have been unable to upkeep my tank and have decided to finally let it go.

    everything listed below is in good condition and working though I am planning to dismantle the tank May 20th onwards as soon as the livestock is gone. so if you wish to see the equipment working pls come for viewing before then.

    i've put a price next to each of the items for sale and if you wish to make an offer pls email me.

    1. Aqautechnic Frameless Tank (floating glass) 50x24x24 inches. $1200

    2. Giessemann MH 230 (black casing). $300

    3. Cabinet for Tank (made from marine grade wood). $300

    4. Iwaki MD40RM pump. $300

    5. Deltec 851 skimmer. $500

    6. Dupla Alpha PH, temp, MV monitors (PH is a bit wonky needs calibration, others are fine). $300 for all

    7. Hailea HC500 Chiller. $200

    8. TeControl for Chiller. $100

    9. Parker International 13 litre RO water purifier (still good for another 1yr plus). $100

    Odds and ends which I haven't started cataloging yet but if you buy stuff you can pick want you want and make me an offer.

    Cheers to all reefers

    Mohan

    WTS: 48" Giesemann 230 Eco 2x150W MH + 2x54W

    in Sell off/Pasar Malam Shop

    Posted

    Dear all,

    Bought this in Oct'06 and still under warranty (1 yr local warranty). Planning to upgrade to the Giesemann Moonight. I don't have a pic of my unit at the moment but it is immaculate condition except for the bulbs which have been used since Oct 06. Bulbs are 10k Giesemann Megachrome. See below for specs and how it looks like. My unit is metallic black. It is a beautifully designed and built in Germany.

    Bought for about S$1500 but willing to listen to any offers above S$800. If successful in you bid, you have to place a small deposit and pick up the unit at the end of May when my new Giesemann arrives.

    http://www.giesemann.de/index.php?nId=35&nLang=2

    regards to all fellow reefers.

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