Quick Guide to Mastering Reef Tank Chemistry - Become an expert reef tank chemist without a degree!

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BRStv - Saltwater Aquariums & Reef Tanks

Күн бұрын

Our Mastering Reef Tank Chemistry mini-series helps you understand the chemistry behind achieving the tank of your dreams and it's as simple as following these basic recommendations. Become a master in your tank's salinity, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrates, phosphate, pH and more...and it all starts with today's overview!
Master Reef Tank Chemistry in just a few episodes!
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The content contained in this video is general information on the topic and should not be relied upon as your sole source of information or safety advice for this project or topic. Each product or situation is different and has its own concerns related to successful completion and safety that must be fully researched by the individual considering the project or product.
The purpose and content of this video is to provide general information regarding the products and their applications as presented in the video. Aquatic sales solutions, inc. And its officers, directors, employees and agents disclaim all express or implied warranties, in any way, related to the products and their application as presented in this video, make no representation or warranty regarding the products and the application as presented in this video and shall not be liable for any direct or indirect losses or damages of any type, including but not limited to punitive damages, or from personal injury or death resulting from or in any manner related to the video, and the products in and contents of the video. The viewer expressly agrees that aquatic sales solutions, inc. And its officers, directors, employees and agents shall not be liable for any damages or losses related to the products in and content of the video and hereby agrees to hold the foregoing harmless from any such losses or damages.

Пікірлер: 85

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

Be honest... Do you think Reef Chemistry is difficult? :)

@Algaewarrior 4 жыл бұрын

I don't think it is as long as you know what to look for, i.e. indicator corals, and you are testing on a regular basis. I'm guilty of being a lazy tester but when I do test often, I'm much more in tune with my tank.

@markrogers9376 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks to the information you provide it's not difficult. Figuring all this out on your own would be extremely challenging.

@nan0908 4 жыл бұрын

It sure is at first! But if you listen to the trusted experts it begins to sink in over time.

@keciatre 4 жыл бұрын

No, I think once you understand the main parameters you have targets to strive for. The difficult part is understanding what products to use as there are a plethora out there to help achieve idea tank chemistry. As a newbie to mixed reef tanks, BRS has been very helpful with informative videos and forums on reef keeping. What I have discovered and as a chemist myself is to stick to a regiment of maintenance and limit switching products until you have a fundamental understanding of the effects of the products used on water chemistry. Thank you for the support BRS, you have a new loyal fan!

@tedieswildworld8144 4 жыл бұрын

Super scary

@ThomasBReef 4 жыл бұрын

SO EXCITED FOR THIS SERIES!!! Can I fanboy over BRS; is that weird? lol

@ReefingwithO 4 жыл бұрын

Nope - what's weird is having an empty tank in the corner while reviewing products. Come on Thomas, when are you going to get that thing up and running? The amount of equipment that passes through your hands for reviews, just throw some of that stuff on the tank. Ryan totally won't mind. I think you are one of the only people who work for BRS that doesn't have a running tank. Now that's weird.

@tomthebomb3189 3 жыл бұрын

Ya get that empty tank up and running

@gustavohernandez7342 4 жыл бұрын

You all answered my prayers. This is the video I needed !! Thanks!

@Mike2k30 Жыл бұрын

I'm learning so much!! Thanks Ryan and all of the staff at BRS! ❤️

@enzomontini758 3 жыл бұрын

You guys helped me set up my reef 2 years ago best thing I have ever done your my main research channel but shout out to other you tubers

@billyhenry4488 4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely love these guys, the information they give you is amazing, it's free, they have spent thousands in educating themselves, they are helping for free, amazing!!!

@ireneklauber4008 2 жыл бұрын

They get paid.

@markrogers9376 4 жыл бұрын

Very excited for this series!!!

@istandwithisreal8883 4 жыл бұрын

Good to see you again Ryan

@himmat_dhillon 4 жыл бұрын

I have been waiting for this video!

@DoubleCFit 4 жыл бұрын

Looking forward to this series!!

@sandroaces 3 жыл бұрын

I've learned alot from this channel very good work. From what I gather im just going to do a full water change twice a year and it will solve alot of problems in a simple manageable way

@RogueAquariums 4 жыл бұрын

Great video Ryan. Definitely helps the Reefer avoid mistakes which can be preventable.

@madshepsreef282 4 жыл бұрын

I’m really looking forward to this series UK

@reefaddict5314 4 жыл бұрын

Another great video! Thanks

@ReefersLife 4 жыл бұрын

Great information as always!!

@johnnymartinez6123 4 жыл бұрын

I thank you guy's for sharing your knowledge with us. Billy Henry stated. Keep them coming. I would like to see how to program a doser ( not made by Neptune ) but connecting it to my Apex. el. .Thank you all.

@harlanmichael7088 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for making such an informative video!

@joshuaheudes1659 4 жыл бұрын

I would recommend a temperature controller above most things even frequently replacing the heater. I've had a tank crash with a new heater. There are very few things that can wipe your tank out in a matter of hours and that's one of them

@acanskywalker5631 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome idea! We can pick up a dual probe Inkbird 306A temperature controller along with a Lifegard Aquatics Digital Temp Alarm for under $100, both dependable products, and a small price to pay to protect our pets and avoid total disaster!

@MilanyFTW 4 жыл бұрын

very informative thanks

@freakygoblin3068 4 жыл бұрын

Ph.. expect it to swing throughout the day. One of the reasons testing is recommended to do at the same time for comparison purposes.

@tombo101678 4 жыл бұрын

Without a doubt one of the most informative videos I’ve watched in KZfaq. I will watch this another two times to take notes. I will be buying a backup heater and schedule in my APEX a yearly change. Dosing is something I’m scared off but as I add more corals i see my tank parameters become stable at new measurements. I will stop adding corals until I can slowly manage the parameters to recommended parameters. To be honest dosing is something I don’t know enough about. I’ve had a DOS and pair of tanks since last November that I’ve been putting aside until I get more confortable with the trident. Than you again for such a great video.

@ehno9832 4 жыл бұрын

Nice

@acanskywalker5631 3 жыл бұрын

I found it's a good idea to give your salt bucket a good shaking before every use to keep the minerals balanced!

@BRStv 3 жыл бұрын

You might find this video on that topic interesting :) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mqtppLJztJ-zn6M.html

@mosheifrah5530 4 жыл бұрын

Great Video thanks a lot!Any opinion concerning the suggestion to work with low alkalinity value (~7dH) in low nutrient tanks ? I have a 250 gallon tanks mostly populated with SPSs. I work with ESV B-ionic 2 parts solutions (amount of ~40 ml each/day) tropic marin A- and K+ solutions (4ml each a day), Tropic Marin bacto balance (2 ml/day) - my tank is doing well with this low alkalinity but I wonder what would be the impact of increasing it to 9 dH for example ( my Phosphate=0.00 Nitrate=none Salinity:1025.5, calcium 420 Mg: 1350)?

@Maximka1100 4 ай бұрын

Hi Ryan. What you recommend about new mixed water with salt for weekly changes? Should we add anything else beside the salt to keep new water chemistry similar the tank water?

@bramzii4469 4 жыл бұрын

Had to pull that heater out of my tank a week ago because it started to leak copper to the tank. Apparently the top is not waterproof and the point where the earth cable is connected to the titanium housing has some copper in it.

@joeshell2466 4 жыл бұрын

I was going to say , they have fully submerged the heater and its not submergable

@deborahstecz120 4 жыл бұрын

What dosing system would you be most likely to recommend for a tank in the 10-20 gallon range? Or at that small is it best to stick with frequent water changes to replace elements?

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

I think frequent water changes will get you a long way down the road in that small of a tank. Maybe a year or two later when your corals have higher demands for Alk/Calcium than what your waterchanges can maintain, you could look into hand dosing 2-part to keep them up. :)

@reinholdu9909 4 жыл бұрын

Ryan is back👍 ...can BRStv be revived🤗

@thekillermef 2 жыл бұрын

is there a review of the salt "salinity" from aquavitro?

@BRStv 2 жыл бұрын

We have not done any videos on Aquavitro salt, but you can find a number of great salt related videos on our channel at the link below! kzfaq.info/sun/PLBaMLrfToJyznX2stpOkHt_PNLB1NtidZ

@jojapnoy2g 4 жыл бұрын

You are recommending Two Part dosing...But the soda ash has not been in stock for a few weeks.

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

Our production team is targeting 6/2 for more Soda Ash. We're working as fast as we can, I promise. Can't wait to be back to a full staff once this Covid-19 situation dies down a bit. On the flip side, keeping our staff safe is priority 1.

@jetskiwillywilly7970 3 жыл бұрын

On a nano tank, LPS's, are these chemicals needed? I can do a 50% water change with 3-4 gallons. Calcium, magnesium etc being in my salt (orginal/normal source for these elements)....is water changes the answer for nano tanks?

@BRStv 3 жыл бұрын

Ultimately, it will depend on how much coral is in the tank. Water changes will likely keep up in the short run, but keep testing your alkalinity and calcium and if your water changes are no longer keeping up, you'll have to start dosing.

@karennation3580 2 жыл бұрын

I live in florida and cant keep temp below 81 in summer sometimes winter as well since it dosnt get cold here much. What should I do? The inside temp is around 77 but the lights put out a lot of heat and they are leds? Chillers are crazy expensive! I hate having an ugly fan clipped to the top of tank. How bad is 81 degrees on health and growth of fish and corals??.Also wanted to say that my hubby bought me a 4stage rodi by brs for xmas!!!! I cant waiit to get it hooked up and not have to go to my lfs every 2 weeks for water! I have made a early new years resoltuion and that is to wear gloves when my hands go into tank which is pretty much everyday since I bought these large fighting conchs that knock off my corals constantly! A another good recommendation is to buy 2 under size heaters intead of one in case one fails! I had one get stuck on and luckily caught it or it would have crashed my tank I noticed it by my fish behavior and swimming franticly! I guess he/she was trying to keep cool!

@BRStv 2 жыл бұрын

81 degrees F is pushing it, but you should be ok as long as it doesn't get much above that. The fan is always a good option for keeping the tank a degree or two cooler, but it can be a little unsightly.

@OCNcheffy 4 жыл бұрын

I had a frustrating situation with Alkalinity that caused a lot of stress on my SPS. I used a Hannah alk checker and a Nyos test kit, and both reported the same numbers, which were 7.8-8.0. Upon going through weeks of sps tissue loss/death, I found out through the making of some red sea Part B check solution of 10dkh that both kits were off by 1.5-2dkh. When I used a red sea coral pro alk kit, the numbers were spot on to the reference solution and found that my tank has an alkalinity of 5.5-6. When I brough it to a red sea reported 8.0dkh, everything is now healed and growing very well. Very frustrating that sometimes you can go through these inconsistencies with test kits.

@weggy3 4 жыл бұрын

WILL THE RECOMMENDED 10% WEEKLY WATER CHANGES AND A HOB PROTEIN SKIMMER BE ENOUGH FOR HIGH QUALITY REEFING, OR WILL WATER TESTING AND CHEMICAL ADDITIVES STILL BE REQUIRED , IF SO CAN YOU RECOMMEND A WATER TEST KIT THAT WILL DO THE JOB,

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

For a reef tank, some amount of testing is unavoidable. If you want a nice kit, Red Sea's Foundation kit tests what I like to call the "big three" of coral health. Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium. There are a ton of other brands and kits available too depending on what you'd like to test.

@_FERG 2 жыл бұрын

“Its not difficult” proceeds to explain exactly how difficult it is

@alexsulewski2497 4 жыл бұрын

What is the minimum tank size that a calcium reactor would be worth installing on?

@istandwithisreal8883 4 жыл бұрын

It must be a large tank perhaps since the low pH will dramatically affect Coral

@cache8207 4 жыл бұрын

I have one on a 50 gallon tank ph is 8.1 to 8.3 throughout the day. I also am using brs’s co2 scrubber on my skimmer intake.

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

Although there may not be a "minimum" tank size, Just A Reefer brings up a great point about tank pH effects that a calcium reactor might pose for smaller tanks (especially those that already struggle with pH issues). I think for most reefers who decide to go down the Calcium Reactor rabbit hole, it's more of a decision based on high demands for Alk/Calcium, easy low maintenance supplementation options, and a desire for reef gear with a "cool" factor attached to it.

@cache8207 4 жыл бұрын

Bulk Reef Supply high 3 part dosing here, I’ve used CalRx for years on larger tanks and saw a small one from aquamaxx. I can tell you it was a little harder to dial in then a typical sized reactor, that said I’m super happy with the outcome and she runs steady and true. Now I I just turn up the effluent as they grow.

@dirtydogsanddiesel 4 жыл бұрын

Boom 😄👍

@dr.joelpeterson1389 4 жыл бұрын

Anyone run their tanks hotter than 78 without (or with) issue? I gave up trying to keep mine below 82/83 without a chiller a month ago and my corals look healthier than ever.

@BRStv 4 жыл бұрын

78-80 degrees F is pretty normal. If you're having an issue with high temps, you may want to try a fan blowing over the surface of the water. Evaporative cooling works really well. Just be aware that this will mean that you'll have to top off the tank more often, so an auto top off situation is recommended.

@cikgumatematik1494 3 жыл бұрын

Be honest what brand kh... Mag.. And cal.. Do u use in your tank?

@BRStv 3 жыл бұрын

The two most popular around here are the BRS two part or Tropic Marin's All-For-Reef.

@porcu12345 3 жыл бұрын

The thought of the tank crashing really puts me off getting in to saltwater. I've been keeping freshwater for years and I don't really have to worry about calcium, alkalinity, phosphates, etc. Routine water changes from the tap has always been enough to keep things stable. If the water chemistry is slightly off, or the heater fails, I'll lose fish that cost significantly less to replace, and I won't need to worry about the several hundred dollars worth of corals that would have died had it been saltwater. I really really want to get in to saltwater, I just can't get past the fear. Heard too many horror stories of people coming home from work or waking up in the morning to find disaster in their tanks.

@BRStv 3 жыл бұрын

That's fair enough. There is a lot that goes into protecting a tank from crashing. Truth is, most of the saltwater species that we're caring for are just more sensitive than the average freshwater fish.

@porcu12345 3 жыл бұрын

@@BRStv Thanks for the reply! I've been thinking about going with a 15-20 gallon as my first reef tank to keep the overall cost low, but I've heard that it's much harder to keep stable water conditions in tanks that size. The water chemistry doesn't seem overly complex unless you plan on keeping SPS corals though, so maybe it isn't as difficult as it seems. My current plan is to keep mostly softies, some red macro algae and a limited number of LPS. Would water changes with a high quality salt be enough to meet the calcium and alkalinity needs for a set up like that?

@davidling3821 3 жыл бұрын

What do you guys at BRS use to measure PH ?

@BRStv 3 жыл бұрын

Usually an Apex, but if that's not within the budget, PinPoint and Milwaukee both make some great pH monitors.

@davidling3821 3 жыл бұрын

@@BRStv Thanks.

@davidling3821 3 жыл бұрын

@@BRStv Have you looked at the Hanna PH kit ? What are your thoughts on it ? Thanks.

@davidmiao2397 4 жыл бұрын

like this video, but i do have a PhD in Biology

@joshpitts25 2 жыл бұрын

How many of you refers have a backup heater??

@BRStv 2 жыл бұрын

Definitely!

@ZsaZsaUmbra 4 жыл бұрын

Why isn't there anything like this for freshwater? Obviously not from BRS but I mean, isn't ocean water pretty much the same all around? The freshwater fish hobby is seriously lacking. I "make" water for all my different fish and it was a real PITA trying to figure out how to do it. That's how I found BRS. My >3,000 US gallons of aquariums collectively say, "thanks BRS."

@marcelrodriguez2067 4 жыл бұрын

Im just waiting till the day i beat dinos. 4 months and all corals dead and still cant beat them, from dosing phosphates and nitrates to dr tims to vibrant to removing sand to raising temp to 83f nothing. After only being 1 year into the hobby im ready to call it quits. Or just leave the tank be and just feed the fish, maybe just keeping it fowlr for a year or so itll resolve on its own.

@rickycranham5780 4 жыл бұрын

Marcel Rodriguez uv worked for me

@cristy1735 4 жыл бұрын

Marcel Rodriguez don’t give up..have you been on R2R for help? Lots of knowledge there..

@marcelrodriguez2067 4 жыл бұрын

@@rickycranham5780 yea i forgot to mention i have installed a UV aswell i believe o have amphidinium.

@marcelrodriguez2067 4 жыл бұрын

@@michaellash4050 thanks for the tip, mines bloomed when i added a refugium and rescaped my tank ( i removed the rocks for 24 hours so that probably caused a massive die off of the bacteria) indeed my alk consumption has fallen dramatically to the point where im only dosing 4 ml of alk a day to my 90 gallon which is almost nothing. Good idea with the only adding enough food to feed the fish. I was always told to feed alot and let the tank get "dirty". Also whats your opinion on dosing phytoplankton? Also isnt keeping phosphates above 0 needed or else the dinos will never leave?

@cache8207 4 жыл бұрын

Maybe silica? Have you tried a 2-3 stage di unit? We installed one on my buddies system and the Dino were gone within weeks.