Tip for manual dosing

[ReefGrrl]

That's a good point. I've been running a few ounces of RO/DI through it after each dosing so hopefully it'll take a while for any algae to start growing in the tube. I stash the whole setup in a drawer during the day mainly because it looks messy so that might keep the algae at bay also.

I will keep an eye on it.

[George]

It's not algae that you will be worried about. It's the other things like calcium or alkalinity that will clog up your tube. (been there, done that )
Beside this method is not that accurate. It's probably inappropriate for anything other than water top-off in a small tank.

[ReefGrrl]

I see your point and I'm wondering if running the RO/DI through after each dose will help delay any clogging.

Does 29 gallons qualify as small? Regarding accuracy, I'm adding very small amounts - 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons of each type of supplement diluted in about 6 ounces of RO/DI or tank water, based on testing for alk, calcium and magnesium every day for three weeks to determine a regimen that keeps things stable. So far I'm maintaining calcium at 400-410, alkalinity at 8.3, magnesium at 1300 (though it does tend to drift downwards) and pH at 8.0. This is the first week I have not tested daily and I'm looking forward to testing on Sunday, when I can see how things stand.

I've kept a test result spreadsheet since early August and noticed a slow, steady trend upwards for all of these levels - they were very low at first, after about a month of having all the new stony coral. Alk was down to 5 at one point. That was when I realized I had to do something about it.

I really appreciate your insight and will have to monitor things closely.

[George]

yep, with all the stony you acquired, your levels can drop fast in that tank. I still recommend getting a doser. Keep an eye out on the buy/sell forum in here. You can get a used one for a good price.
In the mean time, dosing by hand is probably better than your thingy. Get a couple measuring cups like this one (the smallest one): http://www.tapplastics.com/product/p...containers/196

Use them to dose your CA/ALK/etc

[GoFish]

I was in the hospital a few years ago with my mom, she was on an IV and I just sat there watching it drip, drip, drip and thought hey! This would work great for my new saltwater aquarium as a way to top-off evaporated water! I politely asked a nurse about maybe, possibly, getting an IV bag to take home, new used, didn't matter. She said come with me. We went into the supply room and she just gave me a new one, told me "hide it, put it down your pants or something" LoL... I told her what i was gonna use it for and she said if the idea takes off and I patent it to let her know when she can pick up her share

Anyways, I used it for several months when starting out not wanting to buy an ATO, worked great! I had it set for a drop every 1.5 seconds on a 30 gallon tank, just about perfect... Then when I decided I enjoyed the hobby enough, bought an ATO and had this IV sitting around, then when I started adding stony corals and levels were dropping I utilized it for the same reasons you are, for CA and ALK. It worked OK but I would find coming back an hour later to check on it that it wouldn't be dripping anymore, it would often get clogged up with sediment. Not where you see the drip, but where you adjust the flow. I'd have to open it right up to clear the clog and then tune it back to a slow drip again... It wasn't long before I realized mechanical dosers are way more accurate than fiddling around with the IV.

It will work for what you're doing, but inevitably I think you'll realize that dosers are the way to go.

I think one of the reasons you're having success with this is because of the J-tube. It's not picking up the sediment like mine was when filling a bag instead. If it isn't clogging up on you then by all means, cheap and easy dosing method! If you're having to go to the trouble of mixing your new 6oz solutions everyday it might be easier for you do what George suggested and use measuring cups. Not sure what your daily consumption is but I wouldn't doubt that it's low enough that you could even pour it in one dose maybe 2 with no ill effects. Someone may be able to tell you what the max PPMs or DKH in a single dose would be

[ReefGrrl]

That's a great story and confirms what I thought about others doing this kind of thing. I knew there had to be someone out there. I'm glad you shared your experience with it.

I'm not sure it's any more or less accurate to use measuring cups instead of what I'm doing now because I do use exactly the same cup all the time and I use measuring spoons to get the right doses. So the dilution is consistent. If I need a higher dose, I mix up separate batches.

And I guarantee the slow drip I set up with the gadget is much more accurate than me with my baster, getting a sore shoulder from standing there and trying to drip the stuff steadily into the tank. Plus, being human, I'm sure there have been faster, bigger drops using the baster as I got more and more anxious to finish.

And the mention of a doser having more pressure to break up a clog just makes me wonder about when they do get plugged, or fail in other ways. What if I don't notice? How hard is it to fix? Will I have to spend yet further mucho dollars to replace it because it can't be fixed? And what happens if it is the opposite of a clog that's the problem - if it doses at too high a concentration for some reason? This worries me because it can damage the coral as opposed to a temporary drop in levels. If I end up with a larger system then I realize I will probably be better off with a doser but I will probably still worry about it.

I had this type of issue with skimmers. I have no less than 4 skimmers in my spare parts closet, all attempts to find one that would suit this small aquarium. One was too noisy. Like, ridiculously noisy. Another didn't fit the rim of the tank and I was never able to anchor it properly. The third one had micro bubbles that drove me mental trying to eliminate. The last one separated along the join between the front and back so couldn't maintain the pressure required for the Venturi to run properly. I finally got tired of spending $200+ each time I tried a new "best out there" skimmer, and now I just do 2-gallon water changes every 5 days. This works for me and though it is a pain, the hands-on nature of it keeps me well acquainted with what's going on in there.

I'm really glad to be able to have this discussion because it helps me figure out when it's time to stop inventing or adapting, and start working with purpose-built equipment. It sounds like I will be okay for a while as long as I'm careful, but I should be prepared to use the right equipment if I get any more ambitious in terms of tank size.

Here is a quick shot of what the tank looks like today (the glass needs a bit of a scrape). There is lots that is not visible, and the jumble in the front right corner is a bit of a holding area until I get a chance to remove the massive upright rock with the cabbage leather on it, and build a new structure for the montis. I have no sump and when/if I get one set up, I'll be glad to get that unsightly pump out of there. Or, I guess I could replace it with a different type of filter.
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