Automatic daily waterchange

[KilianSP]

Hello, i only have macroalgaes and fish, so no SPS or LPS.

I tried different Balling like solutions, but it won't work well for macroalgae tanks and so i need to make big water changes every few weeks to get back to Normal levels.

I dose Nitrate and Phosphate Fertilizers, and the Nitrate fertilizer is pushing the magnesium high and the magnesium balling also.
The highest consumption is alkalinity at 0,1mg/l a day, Calcium and magnesium is almost no consumption, only measurable after a few weeks.

So i Plan on doing daily Auto water changes to keep the levels at fresh salt Level, since i don't have the high demand on alk, ca and mg.
I don't have a problem by dosing stuff every few weeks if there is more consumption than i can put back in by waterchange.
If it works good with daily waterchange on low demand tanks, that would be alot cheaper for me to only buy salt.

Does anyone do daily waterchanges and how does the alkalinity level works out for them?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hello, i only have macroalgaes and fish, so no SPS or LPS.

I tried different Balling like solutions, but it won't work well for macroalgae tanks and so i need to make big water changes every few weeks to get back to Normal levels.

To get what back? What problem ion are you trying to fix?

There's no reason a nitrate solution should contain magnesium (certainly the DIY ones do not).

Balling part C is only added to the extent that you added sodium bicarbonate/carbonate/hydroxide and calcium chloride. it has no other purpose.

If alk only depletes at 0.1 dKh per day, then you will correctly not see calcium deplete for weeks (less than 1 ppm per week) and magnesium for months (less than 0.3 ppm per month).

 

[KilianSP]

To get what back? What problem ion are you trying to fix?

There's no reason a nitrate solution should contain magnesium (certainly the DIY ones do not).

Balling part C is only added to the extent that you added sodium bicarbonate/carbonate/hydroxide and calcium chloride. it has no other purpose.

If alk only depletes at 0.1 dKh per day, then you will correctly not see calcium deplete for weeks (less than 1 ppm per week) and magnesium for months (less than 0.3 ppm per month).

I am trying to fix the complexity of the tanks. Since they are fishless tanks for seeling macroalgaes, and what algaes are in there depends on selling so it is changing and i don't want to change every week my dosing.

Sadly i only have Nitrat fertilizer with magnesium, but changed to a new fertilizer with less magnesium, since the tanks are fishless i need alot of fertilizers.
And the algaes always get a growing boost after a big waterchange, then grow good for a few days and then they are back to normal grow.
It's mostly about holding all the trace elements as consistent as possible.

I am not using Balling light, i said balling like stuff, i did use the microbe lift solutions, tropic marine and right now i am doing aquaforest 1 2,3 since i am also using aquaforest salt i thought it would work better for me, but it doesn't since i have to add the 1,2,3 solutions all in the same amount, so i am there after two weeks, doing a big waterchange to get the Calcium and magnesium down.
Which gets pricey if i habe to buy the solutions and the salt, and why buy two things when only one is needed, thats what i thought.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I am trying to fix the complexity of the tanks. Since they are fishless tanks for seeling macroalgaes, and what algaes are in there depends on selling so it is changing and i don't want to change every week my dosing.

Sadly i only have Nitrat fertilizer with magnesium, but changed to a new fertilizer with less magnesium, since the tanks are fishless i need alot of fertilizers.
And the algaes always get a growing boost after a big waterchange, then grow good for a few days and then they are back to normal grow.
It's mostly about holding all the trace elements as consistent as possible.

I am not using Balling light, i said balling like stuff, i did use the microbe lift solutions, tropic marine and right now i am doing aquaforest 1 2,3 since i am also using aquaforest salt i thought it would work better for me, but it doesn't since i have to add the 1,2,3 solutions all in the same amount, so i am there after two weeks, doing a big waterchange to get the Calcium and magnesium down.
Which gets pricey if i habe to buy the solutions and the salt, and why buy two things when only one is needed, thats what i thought.

What exactly are you dosing as "fertilizers"?

Why would calcium be rising? If it's in the "fertilizer", just stop using that one..

.Daily water changes are fine (I did them for many years), but I'd be wary of assuming it solves trace element issues.

 

[KilianSP]

What exactly are you dosing as "fertilizers"?

Why would calcium be rising? If it's in the "fertilizer", just stop using that one..

.Daily water changes are fine (I did them for many years), but I'd be wary of assuming it solves trace element issues.

Freshwater Plant fertilizers.
Calcium rises because of the aquaforest 2+

But i would prefer to keep alk, ca, and mg stable by doing daily water changes, so it isn't important which kinds of macroalgaes are right now in the tank, because the waterchange pushes or holds the levels longer near fresh saltwater, hope you can understand that.
Since some macroalgaes take more alk and calcium than others, i could compensate by doing bigger daily waterchanges. Right know i have to measure and readjust all 4 dosing pumps, which is a pain and still do big water changes every few weeks.

i dose trace elements right now as well, so no problem with dosing them aswell, using cheato grow like fertilizer.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Maybe @Subsea can assist as I think he mentioned growing macro's commercially in the past?

 

[KilianSP]

Maybe @Subsea can assist as I think he mentioned growing macro's commercially in the past?

I would love to hear his experience

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Freshwater Plant fertilizers.
Calcium rises because of the aquaforest 2+

But i would prefer to keep alk, ca, and mg stable by doing daily water changes, so it isn't important which kinds of macroalgaes are right now in the tank, because the waterchange pushes or holds the levels longer near fresh saltwater, hope you can understand that.
Since some macroalgaes take more alk and calcium than others, i could compensate by doing bigger daily waterchanges. Right know i have to measure and readjust all 4 dosing pumps, which is a pain and still do big water changes every few weeks.

i dose trace elements right now as well, so no problem with dosing them aswell, using cheato grow like fertilizer.

I think you are not correctly interpreting what is happening. If you use any two part, such as aquaforest, the calcium addition is far too small to detect when you only dose enough to offset a 0.1 dKH per day alk consumption. I showed the value earlier in this thread.


Nevertheless, if you want to stop the aquaforest and use water changes, then to offset a 0.1 dKH per day alk consumption, you will need to do 1% daily water volume change using a mix that is 10 dKH higher than you tank (cannot happen) or a 10% water change with a mix that is 1dKH higher than your tank, or some similar combination.

That method will be quite wasteful of salt and expensive, but can work.

 

[KilianSP]

I think you are not correctly interpreting what is happening. If you use any two part, such as aquaforest, the calcium addition is far too small to detect when you only dose enough to offset a 0.1 dKH per day alk consumption. I showed the value earlier in this thread.


Nevertheless, if you want to stop the aquaforest and use water changes, then to offset a 0.1 dKH per day alk consumption, you will need to do 1% daily water volume change using a mix that is 10 dKH higher than you tank (cannot happen) or a 10% water change with a mix that is 1dKH higher than your tank, or some similar combination.

That method will be quite wasteful of salt and expensive, but can work.

Increasing the Alkalinity in fresh mixed saltwater wouldn´t be that problem.
I am willing to try again the 2 part dosing, but then i don´t want to do those large waterchanges, then the dosing must be on point.
I looked into Triton methode, but it seems to be the same and have the same trace elements as the aquaforest 1,2,3
You can help me out by telling me the DIY solutions for a nitrate fertilizer without magnesium.
i know one and thats ammoinanitrate (NH4NO3) but it is not possible to get in germany, as you can make explosives out of it.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Look into calcium nitrate. It should be available there, and it will provide nitrate and balanced alkalinity and calcium.

 

[KilianSP]

Look into calcium nitrate. It should be available there, and it will provide nitrate and balanced alkalinity and calcium.

I already saw that, but then i would have the same problem wit calcium as i have right know with the magnesium, since it get already dosed by the 2 Part dosing.
I need nitrate without calcium or magnesium.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

i generally recommend food grade sodium nitrate. Can you get that?

 

[KilianSP]

i generally recommend food grade sodium nitrate. Can you get that?

I can get it, but have to do a background checkup for it
And won't the sodium raise my salinity?
Is there anything similar which is easier to get?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I can get it, but have to do a background checkup for it
And won't the sodium raise my salinity?
Is there anything similar which is easier to get?

Salinity rise is not generally a concern when dosing N and P.

You can dose ammonia if you think that is easier to get, but it needs to be slow dosed to match demand.

 

[Subsea]

@KilianSP
Is this your macro algae tank?

My Lido 120 Macroalgae Tank

Just wanted to share my Low Budget and low electricity project i made from my algae frags. First tank where i don´t get the ULVA to grow, but everything else is doing fine. Also first tank where i do regular waterchanges every 2 weeks, since it is for me to small to redose fluoride, manganese...

www.reef2reef.com

I read both threads and must admit, I am not understanding what you want to know. I think I might know what you need to know,

I grew seaweed commercially in 10K gallon system in 20’ by 40’ greenhouse. I used ammonia as nitrogen source and liquid seaweed concentrate for trace minerals. During summer heat, evaporative cooling required 150G a day makeup from 1000’ deep well. Because of high TDS in makeup water, I brought in trace minerals and caused seaweed to absorb minerals not required like too much sulphur effecting taste.

Now, I have several mixed garden Caribbean lagoon biotheme. Both macro & coral will uptake NH4 before NO4. Once you know the chemical breakdown of the seaweed you are growing that’s what you target to add. Seaweed as a general rule the ratio of N is 30:1

Because I grew Gracilaria Parvispora (Red Ogo) for human consumption, I sent it to a regional agriculture laboratory for dry analysis.

N @ 2.59%
P @ 0.082%
K @ 13.54%
Ca @ 0.555%
Mg @ 1.163%
S @ 4.81%
Zn @ 130ppm
Fe @ 107ppm
Mn @ 20ppm
Cu @ 7ppm

 

[Subsea]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
Because of high sulfate in makeup water, Red Ogo tasted bitter and was not marketable as a food for humans.

Ward Laboratory analysis of water well in Trinity Aquifer at 1000’

pH at 7.8
TDS AT 888 ppm
Na at 55 ppm
K at 14 ppm
Ca at 130 ppm
Mg at 102 ppm
NO3 < 0.1 ppm
SO4 at 189 ppm
Cl at 34 ppm
CO3 < 1 ppm
CaCO3 at 283 ppm
B at 0.33 ppm
Total Nitrogen at 2 ppm
Total Phosphate < 0.01 ppm
Total Iron at 0.02 ppm
Mn < 0.01 ppm

 

[KilianSP]

Salinity rise is not generally a concern when dosing N and P.

You can dose ammonia if you think that is easier to get, but it needs to be slow dosed to match demand.

What ammonia chemicals can i use?
Fo ammonianitrate it is the same as sodium nitrate, they want a background check.
What about ammoniumchloride (NH₄Cl)?
I don't know how much chloride is in there so i don't know how it will affect the tank chlorid.
Are there problems if Chlorid his higher than usual? Normalerweise it is around 20.000mg/l at a salinity of 35ppt

 

[KilianSP]

@KilianSP
Is this your macro algae tank?

My Lido 120 Macroalgae Tank

Just wanted to share my Low Budget and low electricity project i made from my algae frags. First tank where i don´t get the ULVA to grow, but everything else is doing fine. Also first tank where i do regular waterchanges every 2 weeks, since it is for me to small to redose fluoride, manganese...

www.reef2reef.com

I read both threads and must admit, I am not understanding what you want to know. I think I might know what you need to know,

I grew seaweed commercially in 10K gallon system in 20’ by 40’ greenhouse. I used ammonia as nitrogen source and liquid seaweed concentrate for trace minerals. During summer heat, evaporative cooling required 150G a day makeup from 1000’ deep well. Because of high TDS in makeup water, I brought in trace minerals and caused seaweed to absorb minerals not required like too much sulphur effecting taste.

Now, I have several mixed garden Caribbean lagoon biotheme. Both macro & coral will uptake NH4 before NO4. Once you know the chemical breakdown of the seaweed you are growing that’s what you target to add. Seaweed as a general rule the ratio of N is 30:1

Because I grew Gracilaria Parvispora (Red Ogo) for human consumption, I sent it to a regional agriculture laboratory for dry analysis.

N @ 2.59%
P @ 0.082%
K @ 13.54%
Ca @ 0.555%
Mg @ 1.163%
S @ 4.81%
Zn @ 130ppm
Fe @ 107ppm
Mn @ 20ppm
Cu @ 7ppm

Yeah thats one of my tanks.

The Main Problem is, that my nitrate fertilizer contains magnesium, and i am dosing 2 Part which also adds magnesium.
I need alot of nitrate fertilizer since tha tanks are fishless.
And at some point i reach magnesium levels above 1500mg/l which stuns the grow or even let the algae die.
So i need to make big water changes to get it back on 1390mg/l and then it starts again, dosing, magnesium builds up, big water change.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

i generally recommend food grade sodium nitrate. Can you get that?

Greenleafaquariums.com

 

[KilianSP]

Greenleafaquariums.com

Sadly i am located in germany