What the Heck are we balling about??

[Skimmerking]

hi Michael if you can can you PM me the different controller and dosing pumps with there key features.

thansk to Sphelps for pointing this out to me, i may in fact go with the dosing thing.
thanks Steve

[StirCrazy]

ok, I just want to make clear that I am not trying to say balling isn't a good way to go, just on the price comparason I am having a hard time understanding how it is cheaper.

you can build a smokin Ca reactor for under 100.00 easy. you can get a used CO2 20lb fire extinguisher for 75 (including the first fill) and a regulator for 75 from a welding supply store. and a neecdle valve is about 5.00. so 255. as for pumps, you need a recirc pump 35.00 and a feed pump about the same. (most of us already have a tone of pumps laying around but if not 325.00) now I can understand if you don't have the tools or know how, or a friend that can do it, the Ca reactor might be more.

I did run a kalk reactor also that was hooked into the top up.. I think I put that togeather for about 100.00

so about 25 bucks cheaper. now the differance is going to be in media.

so how much would balling media cost for a year on a high growth SPS tank with 150 gal of water in the system?


Also for the 355.00 you are talking about above, what exactly are you getting with that?

Steve

for the Ca reactor I spent about 35 bucks a year on media, and it was a set and forget set up.

[Aqua-Digital]

Hi

I will post here for all to see

There are two options for starting from scratch

GHL stand alone doser with built in controller

GHL ProfiLux Plus II with ProfiLux controlled doser (comes also with temp probe and RS323 cable)

Which one to go for?

A lot comes down to two things, cost and whether you also fancy having a full aquatic controller as well not just a doser.

Starting with the stand alone dosers

These will simply automate your whole dosing control, in auto mode just set how much you want dosed a day and it will do all that for you randomly

In manual mode you can set up events and when you wish the dosings and dosing amounts to happen

The dosers com in 1-2-3 and 4 pump versions, all versions can be easily upgraded to a total of 4 pumps, then you can daisy chain a standard dosing unit from GHL to it making total of up to 8 dosing pumps.

The ProfiLux Plus II pack and doser does all the above but you have the advantage of having a full aquatic controller also to play with an add to as you so wish and budget allows. This also gives you the opportunity to control everything via you pc or notebook

Let me know if I have missed anything

[Aqua-Digital]

$352 is the price for the 3 way GHL doser that works with the profilux if you already have the controller.

If you dont as listed there are other very afordable options.

The cheapest option to buy salts is in the 4Kg buckets and would last you more than a year easily.

it is hard to compare the costs as a calcium reactor needs so many other items added or dosed a varying rates to even come close to matching the ease of balling. I could give you ball park figures, you could then work out what a ca reactor costs in a year, but are you taking into account all the other stuff you have to add to it?

These are two completely different systems and comparsion is hard the only easy one to compare is that balling is simple, effective and pretty much does what it says on the tin.

Yes new concepts really do put the fear into hobbyists that have been doing one thing for so many years, was it not IBM that stated in 1947 they saw a worldwide market for personal computers of no more than 5!!!!!!

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Aqua-Digital

Hi

I will post here for all to see

There are two options for starting from scratch

GHL stand alone doser with built in controller

GHL ProfiLux Plus II with ProfiLux controlled doser (comes also with temp probe and RS323 cable)

Which one to go for?

A lot comes down to two things, cost and whether you also fancy having a full aquatic controller as well not just a doser.

Starting with the stand alone dosers

These will simply automate your whole dosing control, in auto mode just set how much you want dosed a day and it will do all that for you randomly

In manual mode you can set up events and when you wish the dosings and dosing amounts to happen

The dosers com in 1-2-3 and 4 pump versions, all versions can be easily upgraded to a total of 4 pumps, then you can daisy chain a standard dosing unit from GHL to it making total of up to 8 dosing pumps.

The ProfiLux Plus II pack and doser does all the above but you have the advantage of having a full aquatic controller also to play with an add to as you so wish and budget allows. This also gives you the opportunity to control everything via you pc or notebook

Let me know if I have missed anything

Ok so lets say that you want a 4 pump version to replace the Ca reactor and kalk, with a stand alne controler. with a years supply of chemical what are we looking at for cost?

Steve

[Aqua-Digital]

I would start with 3 pump unless you really have use for a 4th avenue, of course this can be added at any time

GHL SA doser = $474.00
estimated year of salts (3 x 4kg buckets+ 1 x 1kg bucket, total 13kg of salt) but so dependant on what your corals need this could last you a lot longer
=$199.

If you purchased this through one of our dealers you would probably get a kit deal. So estimate set up cost of around $650 if of course you go for so much salt in one go, I pesonally would not. See what you system demands first so in that instance set up cost for salts = $59

Now work out how much you spend on gas, extra supplements, media, kalk etc etc, wont be far off this for sure.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Aqua-Digital

I would start with 3 pump unless you really have use for a 4th avenue, of course this can be added at any time

GHL SA doser = $474.00
estimated year of salts (3 x 4kg buckets+ 1 x 1kg bucket, total 13kg of salt) but so dependant on what your corals need this could last you a lot longer
=$199.

If you purchased this through one of our dealers you would probably get a kit deal. So estimate set up cost of around $650 if of course you go for so much salt in one go, I pesonally would not. See what you system demands first so in that instance set up cost for salts = $59

Now work out how much you spend on gas, extra supplements, media, kalk etc etc, wont be far off this for sure.

I was actualy thinking a 4th pump could be used for water top up in a small sumpless system.

I am actualy thinking of setting up a smaller tank (15 gal) as I don't want to go big again untill after I move and I am not sure when that will be. Can you buy the chemicals in smaller amounts? as I think the 4kg buckets would be a life time supply on a tank that small

It seams to be more expensive than a Ca reactor, but there is a little more of a simplicity factor, which I am all for. plus it would probably be a little quieter and I can use my CO2 tank on my freshwater tank.

Steve

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

It seams to be more expensive than a Ca reactor, but there is a little more of a simplicity factor, which I am all for. plus it would probably be a little quieter and I can use my CO2 tank on my freshwater tank.

When was the last time you priced out a Ca reactor, you can get a new reactor, CO2 tank, regulator and solenoid, pH controller and a years worth of media for less than $650? Maybe a really cheap unit but you can't compare cheap units to Profilux, their stuff is always high quality with the best tech support I've ever seen in this hobby.

[Aqua-Digital]

Hiya

yes

1Kg for 3 of the salts and we are looking at bringing in for future 550g of the magnesium that you need less of.

BSounds like this 4kg kit (all 4 salts) will last a while for you and be real econimical

As for the 4th doser being used for top off, you cant attach to the stand alones a float valve so in this case if you want to go down this route look at the real cool profiLux deal with doser.

I think the cost will work out very comparible on this basis and as you say the simplicity and of course results are the true benefit.

[Skimmerking]

So where you buy the 3 from CAL ,Alk chemicals Magnesuim that is what you are talking about in Regards to salts right. does it come from you when you buy the dosing pumps.