What have you done to ease your maintenance?

supermarvin76 · 02/12/2011, 11:31 AM

Short of automatic water changes, or having someone else maintain your system, what have you done to ease your maintenance?

agold11520 · 02/12/2011, 11:39 AM

Two BRS dosers to dose BRS two part. Had to measure ALK and calcium daily for my mostly SPS tank. Ph used to fluctuate between 7.5 at night to 8.1 during the day. Now the Alk is dosed at 11p and 4am and the calcium runs for about two 1/2 hours at 1.1cc /hr. ph stays between 8.0 and 8.23 now and calcium stays around 240.

INSPECTOR · 02/12/2011, 12:03 PM

I used to use 2 part, but the sps was demanding too much. So I added a kalk stirrer controled by my acIII. Along with a seperate ato system. Next, a diy feeder system controled by the acIII so it will turn all pumps off during feeding time. Only thing left is the auto water change system. Still designing that.

headless · 02/12/2011, 12:47 PM

Went to vodka dosing and now my tank basically takes care of itself...I have a phosban reactor and doubt it really does anything anymore...the vodka will eliminate your nitrates and phosphates...

I still will add calcium, Mg, and other nutrients, but for the most part, the tank is functioning just fine!

Fish4Me2 · 02/12/2011, 01:18 PM

Litermeter to do dosing for me. Brute on wheels, to save me from having to carry buckets! Set up the tank near a drain line, so I can pump water straight to the drain during water changes.

agreeive?fish · 02/12/2011, 02:19 PM

nothing but i did increase my maint work load by setting up another tank

ryan820 · 02/12/2011, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by headless

Went to vodka dosing and now my tank basically takes care of itself...I have a phosban reactor and doubt it really does anything anymore...the vodka will eliminate your nitrates and phosphates...

I still will add calcium, Mg, and other nutrients, but for the most part, the tank is functioning just fine!

Certainly am not attempting a thread hijack here, but i have to ask-- what in the world is with this vodka????? I've seen it a few times and have search for it but between acronyms and tank-speak, I'm unclear as to its form or function?!

Care to shed some light?

Pallobi · 02/12/2011, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryan820

Certainly am not attempting a thread hijack here, but i have to ask-- what in the world is with this vodka????? I've seen it a few times and have search for it but between acronyms and tank-speak, I'm unclear as to its form or function?!

Care to shed some light?

From what I understand, with proper dosing of vodka, it causes a bacteria to grow.which maintains phosphate and nitrate levels at 0 and keep ur system ultra low nutrient

headless · 02/12/2011, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryan820

Certainly am not attempting a thread hijack here, but i have to ask-- what in the world is with this vodka????? I've seen it a few times and have search for it but between acronyms and tank-speak, I'm unclear as to its form or function?!

Care to shed some light?

Pallobi got it right...

Vodka increases the bacterial load which then consumes the nitrates/phosphates...your skimmer then captures and expels for you.

There is a lot of literature on it now as it is safe, effective, and really cheap...I fiddled around with tons of water changes, phosban, every type of expensive whatever I could find, and only vodka did it for me.

As far as bio pellets go, this appears to be another good option...

However, for simplicity and no additional work, vodka dosing works...google it and read about it...only way to go for me!

jdieck · 02/12/2011, 03:29 PM

Kalk reactor with litermeter that replaces evaporation
Calcium Reactor to dose alkalinity, calcium and Mg
Auto Vodka dosing
Auto Ozone
Digital Controller for tracking and reporting and control of lights, temperature (chiller and heater), feed, wave making and safety shut downs and alarms like water on the floor.
GFO filter
Carbon Filter
Auto RO/DI refill and storage
Auto RO/DI with autostart purge and back flush

Remining non auto chores

clean panes
clean skimmer
clean reactors and replace media(s)
clean pumps
harvest chaeto
replace RO/DI cartridges
tests once every new moon
add salt to the water mixing tub and water changes
syphon detritus
feed fish every other day

My best tool: A supersized sink to clean equipment.

http://reef.diesyst.com/equipment/equipment.html

Indymann99 · 02/12/2011, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by supermarvin76

Short of automatic water changes, or having someone else maintain your system, what have you done to ease your maintenance?

Mad_Reefer · 02/12/2011, 04:13 PM

No skimmer on my system.

saleen2881 · 02/12/2011, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by headless

Pallobi got it right...

Vodka increases the bacterial load which then consumes the nitrates/phosphates...your skimmer then captures and expels for you.

There is a lot of literature on it now as it is safe, effective, and really cheap...I fiddled around with tons of water changes, phosban, every type of expensive whatever I could find, and only vodka did it for me.

As far as bio pellets go, this appears to be another good option...

However, for simplicity and no additional work, vodka dosing works...google it and read about it...only way to go for me!

Do you have any links to where it tells you how to vodka dose?

headless · 02/12/2011, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saleen2881

Do you have any links to where it tells you how to vodka dose?

http://www.melevsreef.com/vodka_dosing.html

http://www.marineaquariumsa.com/showthread.php?t=18378

http://www.aquariumslife.com/saltwat.../dosing_vodka/

hardin4019 · 02/13/2011, 12:20 AM

If you run a skimmer and have to empty it manually, why not put a hole in the collection cup (small bulk head for 1/4 tubing) and put a tube on it into a much larger collection container. Mine skimmer is a cheap little thing built into my pro clear sump and has a tube I put in a 1 gallon milk jug where all the skimate runs off too.

Things I would like to do:
Pumps for water changes too and from buckets
Timer to shut off power heads and return pump for 5 min during feeding then automatically comes back on
get a digital thermometer with a high/low temp alarm

Someday, either get a controller or build my own using a Click PLC and a touchscreen to incorporate all these other ideas.

allsps40 · 02/13/2011, 01:10 AM

JBJ ATO with kalk in the top off water. Took a few weeks of testing to get the kalk dose dialed in but now it is fill and forget.

02/12/2011, 11:31 AM	#1
supermarvin76 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 319	What have you done to ease your maintenance? Short of automatic water changes, or having someone else maintain your system, what have you done to ease your maintenance?

02/12/2011, 12:47 PM	#4
headless Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: MD Posts: 325	Went to vodka dosing and now my tank basically takes care of itself...I have a phosban reactor and doubt it really does anything anymore...the vodka will eliminate your nitrates and phosphates... I still will add calcium, Mg, and other nutrients, but for the most part, the tank is functioning just fine! __________________ 92g bowed corner tank, 15 gallon sump w/ phosban reactor + skimmer...live rock, chiller and heater, compact fl. lighting, sea swirl, 4 koralias, hermits, snails, sand-sifter stars, leather coral, Ylw Tang, Blk Domino, Clarkii Clown, Lawnmover Blenny, Aiptasia Eating Filefish, + Spotted Garden Eel.

02/12/2011, 03:29 PM	#10
jdieck Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 15,673	Kalk reactor with litermeter that replaces evaporation Calcium Reactor to dose alkalinity, calcium and Mg Auto Vodka dosing Auto Ozone Digital Controller for tracking and reporting and control of lights, temperature (chiller and heater), feed, wave making and safety shut downs and alarms like water on the floor. GFO filter Carbon Filter Auto RO/DI refill and storage Auto RO/DI with autostart purge and back flush Remining non auto chores clean panes clean skimmer clean reactors and replace media(s) clean pumps harvest chaeto replace RO/DI cartridges tests once every new moon add salt to the water mixing tub and water changes syphon detritus feed fish every other day My best tool: A supersized sink to clean equipment. http://reef.diesyst.com/equipment/equipment.html __________________ Did I write what I wrote? What the heck am I talking about! Well..... Nevermind. Current Tank Info: 225 gal reef, DSB, 40 g sump w/ LRT100 return, 37 g pre-sump, 3 MH 250 W 15K, 4 96 W PC dual actinic,ETS 1500 Skim.w/LRT70, 20 lb Ca R., 40 W UV, 1/3 HP chiller, two 350 W Htrs, Neptune II Cont., 330 P LR/ 330 P LS. 55 gal Refugium

02/13/2011, 12:20 AM	#15
hardin4019 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Mt Jewett, PA Posts: 228	If you run a skimmer and have to empty it manually, why not put a hole in the collection cup (small bulk head for 1/4 tubing) and put a tube on it into a much larger collection container. Mine skimmer is a cheap little thing built into my pro clear sump and has a tube I put in a 1 gallon milk jug where all the skimate runs off too. Things I would like to do: Pumps for water changes too and from buckets Timer to shut off power heads and return pump for 5 min during feeding then automatically comes back on get a digital thermometer with a high/low temp alarm Someday, either get a controller or build my own using a Click PLC and a touchscreen to incorporate all these other ideas. __________________ -Shawn If I can DIY cheaper than buying it and get the same results... DIY it is. Current Tank Info: Tankless for more than a year and ready to get the next one!

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02/12/2011, 11:39 AM	#2
agold11520 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: NY Posts: 121	Two BRS dosers to dose BRS two part. Had to measure ALK and calcium daily for my mostly SPS tank. Ph used to fluctuate between 7.5 at night to 8.1 during the day. Now the Alk is dosed at 11p and 4am and the calcium runs for about two 1/2 hours at 1.1cc /hr. ph stays between 8.0 and 8.23 now and calcium stays around 240.

02/12/2011, 12:03 PM	#3
INSPECTOR Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gainesville, Virginia Posts: 62	I used to use 2 part, but the sps was demanding too much. So I added a kalk stirrer controled by my acIII. Along with a seperate ato system. Next, a diy feeder system controled by the acIII so it will turn all pumps off during feeding time. Only thing left is the auto water change system. Still designing that.

02/12/2011, 01:18 PM	#5
Fish4Me2 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: TwinCities Posts: 650	Litermeter to do dosing for me. Brute on wheels, to save me from having to carry buckets! Set up the tank near a drain line, so I can pump water straight to the drain during water changes.

02/12/2011, 02:19 PM	#6
agreeive?fish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 3,803	nothing but i did increase my maint work load by setting up another tank

02/12/2011, 04:13 PM	#12
Mad_Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 249	No skimmer on my system.

02/13/2011, 01:10 AM	#16
allsps40 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 4,627	JBJ ATO with kalk in the top off water. Took a few weeks of testing to get the kalk dose dialed in but now it is fill and forget.