Are You Thinking of Using Balling Lite to Supplement Your Reef Aquarium? Is It the Best Method?

There are three methods of keeping Magnesium, Alkalinity

, and Calcium supplements to the correct levels in a reef aquarium. These are: Manual addition of off the shelf additives, The use of a Calcium reactor and kalk stirrer, or the "balling lite" Method. But whats the best method for you?

The first method is probably the best method to start with. It will familiarize you with supplement addition to a lightly stocked reef aquarium with a few LPS and SPS corals and wont cost you a small fortune to maintain good water parameters. After some time with growth and increased stocking you will notice the increased consumption of these important supplements with increasing cost.

The use of a calcium reactor and kalk stirrer is a very effective way of maintaining calcium and alkalinity. The problem with this method is the outlay of the equipment, and unless you have a large aquarium (500 litre plus) highly stocked with LPS and SPS corals demanding high consumption of supplements. I just think the outlay is not justified.

"Balling lite" is becoming the most popular method of supplement addition for small and medium sized reef aquarium. Simply using balling salts of chemicals used to increase/stabilize each parameter. After working out the daily consumption of each supplement. You simply dose that amount daily, either with the use of dosing pumps, or manual dosing from a syringe. These "Balling salts" are mixed with Reverse Osmosis water to instructed ratios. This is then stored in water tight containers and used as required. Really simple and inexpensive start up and running costs even with highly stocked reef aquariums.

To conclude, if you are new to reef keeping. Learn and get used to manually maintaining parameters by using off the shelf additives, then as you progress and start stocking many SPS and LPS corals move on to the "balling lite" method. If you then decide to keep a large reef aquarium of 500 litres or more, you might consider the use of a reactor and stirrer.

Are You Thinking of Using Balling Lite to Supplement Your Reef Aquarium? Is It the Best Method?

By: Gareth P

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