HMA’s 115 gal. Reef Tank

[Craig Manoukian]

Thanks for all you do Heinz!

[mps9506]

Corals look great Heinz. Glad you are here to give some diversity to our reefkeeping methods and shed some light on the more European methods of reefkeeping that we sometimes ignore on this side of the pond.
Those yellow rics are fabulous. I don't think I've seen that color before.

[hma]

@vdituri
Hi Victor, the color is maybe a little bit more less as shown on the pic.

@Craig
Your welcome .... I love our hobby, learn so much new here and would like to return a little of it. In more than 20 years of reefkeeping one learns very, very much, actually and constantly. So also here on RS.

@mps9506
Thank you Mike. Diversity of reefkeeping methods that is the magic word. I read and write here to learn your methods and techniques. There are always new things to discover. Some proves to be good, some less than good. Since I have many tanks, currently there are seven, I can try out and test many new things. A little of what I have learned, I would like to return again. That's my motivation here to write.

[Frankie]

Great pictures as always hma! I have been reading about the balling method and now you tell me there is an easier way! Other then what you posted is there a place i can read up on it with an English reading option?
Thanks for sharing this information!

[hma]

Originally Posted by Frankie

Great pictures as always hma! I have been reading about the balling method and now you tell me there is an easier way! Other then what you posted is there a place i can read up on it with an English reading option?
Thanks for sharing this information!

Sorry Frankie,
unfortunately I know no other place where Balling also described in english. Maybe in a forum in England? But I like to ask my German Forum. If there are other places, a member will certainly respond.

[mps9506]

I enjoyed the video in your link as well... For some reason I never clicked it before

[hma]

Update:

The current values of the 115gal tank:

Ammonia : 0
Nitrites : 0
Nitrates : 0
Phosphates : 0,00
Salinity : 1.0225
Alk : 8.0 dkH
Cal : 410 ppm
Mag : 1380 ppm
Water : RO/DI
Ph – 8.0 to 8.2
Supplements: lime water, iodine complex, strontium complex


...and some more pics:

[hma]

Originally Posted by hma

Sorry Frankie,
unfortunately I know no other place where Balling also described in english. Maybe in a forum in England? But I like to ask my German Forum. If there are other places, a member will certainly respond.

Unfortunately I can not find any documents on the Internet with an English reading option.However the difference is explained very fast.

For Balling I have six different trace element solutions to mix. Balling light accounted for three of them. It will be used finished Complexes like heavy metal complex, iodine complex, etc..



The Balling Trace Element Solutions

Solution I 35,57 g Bariumchlorid-Dihydrat (BaCl2 × 2 H2O) 1 Liter RO Water

Solution II 243,45 g Strontiumchlorid-Hexahydrat (SrCl2 × 6 H2O)
plus 10 ml trace element solution I in 1 Liter RO Water

Solution III 4 g Kobalt(II)-chlorid-Hexahydrat (CoCl2 × 6 H2O) in 100 ml RO Water

Solution IV 18,46 g Mangansulfat-Hydrat (MnSO4 × 1 H2O)
9,82 g Kupfer(II)-sulfat-Pentahydrat (CuSO4 × 5 H2O)
8,8 g Zinksulfat-Heptahydrat (ZnSO4 × 7 H2O)
8,9 g Nickel(II)-sulfat-Hexahydrat (NiSO4 × 6 H2O)
32,45 g Chrom(III)-chlorid-Hexahydrat (CrCl3 × 6 H2O)
plus 10 ml trace element solution III in 1 Liter H2O

Solution V 4 g Eisen(II)-sulfat-Heptahydrat (FeSO4 × 7 H2O)
plus 10 ml trace element solution IV in 1 Liter RO Water

Solution VI 2,5 g Kaliumjodid (KaJ)
plus 13,3 g Natriumfluorid (NaF) in 1 Liter RO Water


Only the trace element solutions 2, 5 and 6 are to the 3 Balling solutions added.

1. can:
2 kilogram Calcium Chloride-Dihydrate in 5 liter RO Water
plus 50ml trace element solution II
plus 50ml trace element solution V

2. can:
2 kilogram Magnesium Chloride-Hexahydrate
and 250 gram Magnesium Sulfate-Heptahydrate in 5 liter RO water.
plus 50ml trace element solution VI

3. can:
500 gram sodium hydrogen carbonate in 5 liter reverse-osmosis water.


The addition amount is dependent on the consumption of the carbonate hardness. It is very important that all solutions are added in equal parts. Start depending on the stocking with 10-30 ml / 100 liters per day, regularly examine the KH value and adjust the dosage. When you admit the solutions is totally irrelevant. They should be somewhat time-separated, never admitted together.

[Craig Manoukian]

Great information again Heinz, dahnke sehr! Those are perfect test scores for a tank and it is obvious that you have perfectly matched your dosage of additional trace elements to the uptake of the your corals.

The sea horses are sehr schoen also!

[Frankie]

Thanks hma for doing that for me. I am always up to new experiments and will give it a try. Since my wife is Polish I am going to have her search forums over there also. To bad she cannot read German, She reads 5 other languages but German is not one of them. Yet.
Love the pony pictures btw!

[lcstorc]

More beautiful pony pics.
Between you and Matt I think this time I am going to be successful in keeping these beautiful animals long term.

[hma]

After longer time again a picture of " Knurbsi". He becomes cheekier and cheekier and is almost always first when it something gives to eat.

[Craig Manoukian]

Awesome picture Heinz and the color of that Puffer is a testament to your fabulous animal husbandry skills!

[mps9506]

Originally Posted by hma

Unfortunately I can not find any documents on the Internet with an English reading option.However the difference is explained very fast.

For Balling I have six different trace element solutions to mix. Balling light accounted for three of them. It will be used finished Complexes like heavy metal complex, iodine complex, etc..



The Balling Trace Element Solutions

Solution I 35,57 g Bariumchlorid-Dihydrat (BaCl2 × 2 H2O) 1 Liter RO Water

Solution II 243,45 g Strontiumchlorid-Hexahydrat (SrCl2 × 6 H2O)
plus 10 ml trace element solution I in 1 Liter RO Water

Solution III 4 g Kobalt(II)-chlorid-Hexahydrat (CoCl2 × 6 H2O) in 100 ml RO Water

Solution IV 18,46 g Mangansulfat-Hydrat (MnSO4 × 1 H2O)
9,82 g Kupfer(II)-sulfat-Pentahydrat (CuSO4 × 5 H2O)
8,8 g Zinksulfat-Heptahydrat (ZnSO4 × 7 H2O)
8,9 g Nickel(II)-sulfat-Hexahydrat (NiSO4 × 6 H2O)
32,45 g Chrom(III)-chlorid-Hexahydrat (CrCl3 × 6 H2O)
plus 10 ml trace element solution III in 1 Liter H2O

Solution V 4 g Eisen(II)-sulfat-Heptahydrat (FeSO4 × 7 H2O)
plus 10 ml trace element solution IV in 1 Liter RO Water

Solution VI 2,5 g Kaliumjodid (KaJ)
plus 13,3 g Natriumfluorid (NaF) in 1 Liter RO Water


Only the trace element solutions 2, 5 and 6 are to the 3 Balling solutions added.

1. can:
2 kilogram Calcium Chloride-Dihydrate in 5 liter RO Water
plus 50ml trace element solution II
plus 50ml trace element solution V

2. can:
2 kilogram Magnesium Chloride-Hexahydrate
and 250 gram Magnesium Sulfate-Heptahydrate in 5 liter RO water.
plus 50ml trace element solution VI

3. can:
500 gram sodium hydrogen carbonate in 5 liter reverse-osmosis water.


The addition amount is dependent on the consumption of the carbonate hardness. It is very important that all solutions are added in equal parts. Start depending on the stocking with 10-30 ml / 100 liters per day, regularly examine the KH value and adjust the dosage. When you admit the solutions is totally irrelevant. They should be somewhat time-separated, never admitted together.

Heinz,
I have to admit I don't know much about the bailing method except for seeing pictures of the equipment and jugs used to feed the dosing systems.
But kalkwasser is still used for topoff and this used used to maintain the rest of the levels instead of a Calcium reactor that is traditionally used in the states correct? Or is this intended to replace both kalkwasser and calcium reactors?
Thanks

[hma]

Originally Posted by mps9506

Heinz,
I have to admit I don't know much about the bailing method except for seeing pictures of the equipment and jugs used to feed the dosing systems.
But kalkwasser is still used for topoff and this used used to maintain the rest of the levels instead of a Calcium reactor that is traditionally used in the states correct? Or is this intended to replace both kalkwasser and calcium reactors?
Thanks

Hi Mike,

That is a really good question. The answer, however, is very complicated and it requires quite some knowledge in chemistry for it. I will gladly explain the differences, but need a little time for that. As a shorter answer might simply say. "Never kalkwasser and Calcium reactor at the same time use." Either one or the other, never both at the same time. My exact statement follows in a few hours.

BTW the Calcium addition is only ONE part of Balling.