The classic balling-method is meanwhile one of the most popular methods in Germany for providing your reef-tank with calcium. German reefers have adjusted this method to today's needs and have created the balling-light-method. Balling-light works without calculating and wasteful gram-precise mixing of chemicals.

For this method, you need four different chemicals, which compound in the tank to the needed calcerous subtances. I will not confuse you with exact chemical formulas, but show you a simple but effective way of providing your animals with calcium. Balling-light means adding the needed minerals like calcium, magnesium and carbonates separate and after the requirement of your tank.

For that, three different solutions are prepared and added to the tank. As the requirement of each tank is different, it has to be detected in the course of some days on your own. Therefore you start with adding 20ml/100 liter and measuring the actual value before and some hours afterwards.Now, you know how the value changes and are able to calculate the needed quantity.

You need three solutions in three separate 10-liter (2,5 gallons) cans.

Instruction:

Now, I have all three cans connected to a GROTECH TEC III dosing controller. Each solution has to be dosed according to the size of the tank. At the beginning, CA, MG and alkalinity have to be checked daily.and the dosing quantity has to be adjusted at the controller. The GroTech controller is very suitable for that, as each channel can be adjusted individually and the solutions can be dosed twice a day at 5 minutes intervals.

You can do this also by hand. After round two weeks, ones personal need will be detected and adjusted. The quantities in each can can now be calculated and varied by you. Through Balling-light a small quantity of sodium chloride will arise in your tank. To avoid accumulation it should be compensated by periodical water change (10% each week). Also, always check the salinity of your water and adjust it if necessary.

Essential trace elements needed for the growth of corals can be dosed automatically.

And that is it. Easy, accurat and effectiv ....

The Balling Trace Element Solutions

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..

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

Balling Individual PLUS

1. can:
715 Gram Calcium Chloride-Dihydrate in 10 Liter RO Water
plus 50ml trace element solution II
plus 50ml trace element solution V

2. can:
840 Gram Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate in 10 liter reverse-osmosis water.
plus 50ml trace element solution VI

3.can
250 Gram Sea Salt without Sodium Chloride
plus 550 Gram Magnesium Chloride-Hexahydrate
plus 80 Gram Magnesium Sulfate-Heptahydrate in 10 liter RO water.

Additionally 250ml Fauna Marine UltraminS.

UltraMin S contains all all Amino acids, Vitamins, and over 70 further Trace elements.

Glucose Monohydrate ,Magnesium Sulfate , Potassium Chloride, Ethylene Acetate, Sodium Acetate Arginin L-L- L-Arginin Hydrochloride, L-Histidin Hydrochloride, Taurine, L-Threonine, DL-Tryptophane, Glycine,DL-Valine,Thiamin Chloride 100mg mg, Nicotinamide 1500 mg, Riboflavine 40 mg, Dexpanthenole, Pridoxine Hydrochloride, Cyanococobalamine, Sodium Methyl-4-Hydroxybenzoate and more ....

The addition amount is dependent on the consumption of the carbonate hardness. It is very important that all solutions are added in equal parts in the first weeks of dosing. Start depending on the stocking with 10-30 ml / 100 liters per day, regularly examine the KH, Ca and Mg value and adjust the dosage. When you admit the solutions is totally irrelevant. They should be somewhat time-separated, never admitted together. The best time to add the calcium solution is the evening. The right time to dose the sodium hydrogen carbonates is in each case the early morning. In the early morning is both the carbonate hardness and the pH- value the lowest. One should dose the magnesium solution out in the course of the day.The magnesium solution should always in front of the calcium solution be dosed so there it comes to a lot less precipitations.

Balling Calculator

Remark:

Because I receive emails, in those is expressed that obviously some misunderstandings exist with regard the amount of the everyday dosage of the three solutions, I would like to clarify this here once again. In no case one has to dose always the same everyday amounts of the three Balling solutions. This happens merely in the first weeks to receive comparative values and to be able to ascertain thereby how much one of each of the three solutions required or however if it was determined by the weekly measuring results. Every aquarium needs a different amount of the everyday dosage for the three solutions to achieve in the end a very optimum result. That’s why I call my kind of the Balling dosage in the meantime "Balling Individual PLUS" to obviate misunderstandings. Each addition from corals in an aquarium (in particular SPS – corals) changes the required amount of the dosage of every single solution (even if only slightly) verifiable. The smaller an aquarium (litre / content), the stronger the effect of every change is. Please, dose in NO CASE for a longer period always the same amount of all three Balling solutions, the only exception is it is arises from the measuring results.

I have used the "Balling individual plus" method successfully now for two years in my mixed reef aquarium which is shown below.

Here some topical pictures (Nov. 2008):

If you have any question concerning the "Balling Individual PLUS" methode don't hesitate to ask by eMail:

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