Ideas to Simplify Aquarium Maintenance

Mmiller2001 · 02/11/2011, 07:22 PM

I am going to be traveling for work for some time and I am going to have a company come every 2 weeks to perform maintenance and water changes and my wife is going to feed the fish. Right now I manually dose supplements (2 part) but wanted to get everyone's ideas on how I can simplify this task to make it easier for my wife. Will a controller help simplify this task? Install a calcium/kalkwasser reactor or dosing pump? Basically I am looking for a way that my wife can minimize the amount of time on aquarium maintenance since we have a very busy household. I have a 120 gallon, mixed reef tank, T5 lighting, PM30 sump, bubble magus nac6 skimmer, refugium with live rock and mangroves. I appreciate everyone's feedback.

Vinny Kreyling · 02/11/2011, 07:39 PM

MTC makes an air powered dosing chamber, single or dual.
This would mean;
1 -you set it up for dosages with air pump & timer
2- when empty your wife fills them up with the right chemical.

Fish4Me2 · 02/11/2011, 08:41 PM

I think this depends on how much you want to spend to save time, and gain peace of mind.

A controller, especially one that lets you check on the tank via the internet, will really help you know what's going on, and allow you to diagnose some problems, like a bad heater/chiller, or low/high pH. It will let you make changes to things like the light schedule while away, without needing help. I've actually used a controller and a webcam to top off my tank while away on vacation when my ATO broke.

Dosing pumps, like the LiterMeter III, will remove the need to manually dose. I have a LiterMeter, and I think it's the single best piece of equipment I have, with respect to never ever having problems, and always performing just like it should.

If you really want to automate things, you can even get a water change module for the LiterMeter, and then your wife only has to make sure that there are containers, one full of clean salt water, and one empty to drain the water being removed.

All of these can simplify things, but all are pretty pricey, and take some time to set up.

hanley0019 · 02/11/2011, 09:30 PM

i just got a reefkeeper lite and 2 dosing pumps. It makes it so easy. Marine depot had the rkl on sale pretty cheap a little while ago.

Steve175 · 02/11/2011, 09:38 PM

+2 to Liter meter with 2nd remote pump: if your 2 part containers are big enough, will not need any help from wifey while you are away (I mix and fill mine only every 6 weeks).

INSPECTOR · 02/11/2011, 09:52 PM

If the sps in your tank do not require any more calcium than 2 part. Stick with the 2 part, just add a dosing pump setup. A controler should be your next purchase.

02/11/2011, 07:22 PM	#1
Mmiller2001 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 6	Ideas to Simplify Aquarium Maintenance I am going to be traveling for work for some time and I am going to have a company come every 2 weeks to perform maintenance and water changes and my wife is going to feed the fish. Right now I manually dose supplements (2 part) but wanted to get everyone's ideas on how I can simplify this task to make it easier for my wife. Will a controller help simplify this task? Install a calcium/kalkwasser reactor or dosing pump? Basically I am looking for a way that my wife can minimize the amount of time on aquarium maintenance since we have a very busy household. I have a 120 gallon, mixed reef tank, T5 lighting, PM30 sump, bubble magus nac6 skimmer, refugium with live rock and mangroves. I appreciate everyone's feedback.

02/11/2011, 09:38 PM	#5
Steve175 Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 1,186	+2 to Liter meter with 2nd remote pump: if your 2 part containers are big enough, will not need any help from wifey while you are away (I mix and fill mine only every 6 weeks). __________________ Steve ---------------------------------- Current Tank Info: 2 separate 250G bowfront rimless ELOS tanks plumbed to 260G sump, 220G refugium, 220G frag, BK DeLuxe 300, 400W MH x4, closed loops, 3/4hp chiller x2, Phos reactor, Kalk reactor, Charcoal reactor, Ca reactor, 60G surge tanks, & a huge elec bill

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02/11/2011, 07:39 PM	#2
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	MTC makes an air powered dosing chamber, single or dual. This would mean; 1 -you set it up for dosages with air pump & timer 2- when empty your wife fills them up with the right chemical.

02/11/2011, 08:41 PM	#3
Fish4Me2 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: TwinCities Posts: 650	I think this depends on how much you want to spend to save time, and gain peace of mind. A controller, especially one that lets you check on the tank via the internet, will really help you know what's going on, and allow you to diagnose some problems, like a bad heater/chiller, or low/high pH. It will let you make changes to things like the light schedule while away, without needing help. I've actually used a controller and a webcam to top off my tank while away on vacation when my ATO broke. Dosing pumps, like the LiterMeter III, will remove the need to manually dose. I have a LiterMeter, and I think it's the single best piece of equipment I have, with respect to never ever having problems, and always performing just like it should. If you really want to automate things, you can even get a water change module for the LiterMeter, and then your wife only has to make sure that there are containers, one full of clean salt water, and one empty to drain the water being removed. All of these can simplify things, but all are pretty pricey, and take some time to set up.

02/11/2011, 09:30 PM	#4
hanley0019 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 60	i just got a reefkeeper lite and 2 dosing pumps. It makes it so easy. Marine depot had the rkl on sale pretty cheap a little while ago.

02/11/2011, 09:52 PM	#6
INSPECTOR Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gainesville, Virginia Posts: 62	If the sps in your tank do not require any more calcium than 2 part. Stick with the 2 part, just add a dosing pump setup. A controler should be your next purchase.