Fauna Marin is a German manufacturer of widely understood marine aquarium chemistry. The company offers products necessary for running and maintaining stable conditions for animals in the tank, and the highlight is the Balling Light Set, which is the basis for the tank running method proposed by Fauna Marin. In this article you will find everything you need to know in order to run a tank along its lines.
The main components of the Light Balling Method:
- A three-component dosing system, based on the actual change in the fundamental parameters in your tank (KH, Ca, Mg).
- Weekly water changes of 5% to 10% of the tank water.
- Provides both macro and micro elements for the tank.
- The use of Organic Peptide Polymers to stabilise chemical reactions and remove excess elements
The Light Balling Method from Fauna Marin is a well-known balling method that has been adapted and tailored to the needs of a modern aquarist. According to the manufacturer’s information, its use makes it possible to achieve stability of fundamental water parameters in a marine aquarium by combining a system of manual tests and ICP, calculating the actual consumption of macronutrients and adjusting the dosed quantities of individual components accordingly, as well as performing systematic water changes.
Deciding to run the tank using the Light Balling method, we start by purchasing the Balling Light Set, the contents of which are
– 1 x 2 kg (4 lb) Balling Light Calcium Mix
– 1 x 2 kg (4 lb) Balling Light Magnesium Mix
– 1 x 2 kg (4 lb) Balling Light Carbonate Mix
– 1 x 250 ml Balling Light Trace 1
– 1 x 250 ml Balling Light Trace 2
– 1 x 250 ml Balling Light Trace 3
– 3 x 5.0 Liter (1.32 US gal lqd) Canister with hose connection
– 3 x Connecting hoses 4/6 mm
– 3 x Identification labels for canisters + for the doser
– 1 x ID CODE for free-use of AquaCalculator Premium Account
In the kit, we receive the components in powder form, which we need to dissolve in appropriate proportions in RO water in order to prepare a ready solution of liquids for dosing. At this stage, it is very important that we use proportions as recommended by Fauna Marin. Below you will find instructions on how to prepare each of the three solutions.
How to prepare Calcium Mix
Dissolve 2 kg (4 pounds) of FAUNA MARIN Balling Light calcium mix
in 3 liters (0.79 US gal lqd) of RO water. Add to this container:
25 ml Balling Light Trace 1 25 ml Balling Light Trace 2
Fill a 5 liter (1.32 US gal lqd) canister to capacity.
The total amount of solution will be more than 5 liters (1.32 US gal lqd),
this is normal and intended.
When calcium is added to water, the liquid in a canister will heat up rapidly due to the reaction.
How to prepare Magnesium Mix
Dissolve 2 kg (4 lbs) of FAUNA MARIN Balling Light Magnesium Mix in 3 liters (0.79 US gal lqd) of RO water.
Fill a 5 liter (1.32 US gal lqd) canister to capacity.
The total amount of solution will be more than 5 liters (1.32 US gal lqd),
this is normal and intended.
NOTHING MORE IS ADDED TO THIS CONTAINER!
How to prepare a container of carbonate mix
Dissolve 500 g (1 lb) FAUNA MARIN Balling Light Carbonate Mix in 3 liters (0.79 US gal lqd) of RO water.
Add to this container:
25 ml Balling Light Trace 3.
Fill a 5 liter (1.32 US gal lqd) water canister completely.
The total amount of solution will be more than 5 liters (1.32 US gallon lqd), this is normal and intended.
How to prepare the dosing schedule
With all three solutions prepared, we proceed to the step of adjusting doses of each element. This is the process of testing the water and dosing specific doses of each component, in order to measure by how much the parameters in our aquarium will change. The consumption of Ca, Mg, KH and other elements can vary depending on the selection of animals in the tank, so in the Light Balling method, before we set a dosing schedule we will periodically test and dose to read the real change in a given parameter. Below is an example:
- Test calcium BEFORE the first dose
- Then add 50 ml of calcium (canister 1) for every 500 liters (132,086 US gallons lqd) of water in the aquarium.
The calcium concentration before the first dose is 380 mg/L.
- Test for calcium again 1 hour after dosing, and the new value should now be closer to 400 mg of calcium.
The above example shows that by adding 50 ml of calcium to a 500 liter (132,086 US gal lqd) aquarium, the calcium content increases by 20 mg/L (0.264 US gal lqd).
Knowing this, you can prepare a dosing schedule to add 7 ml of calcium every day; 50 ml of the total solution added in 7 days (7 ml * 7 days = 50 ml)
- After 1 week, if you test for calcium again and find that it is now only 390 mg/L (0.264 US gallon lqd) instead of 400 mg/L (0.264 US gallon lqd), further adjustment will be necessary.
The above method will help to determine the actual calcium consumption that needs to be supplemented. The actual decrease in calcium may be due to chemical precipitation or coral growth.
- You can now adjust the NEW dosage amount by simply taking the previously calculated dose and adding 3 ml per day to the daily dose.
50 ml = + 20 mg/7 days = 7 ml
To reach + 30 mg, add 75 ml/7 days = 10 ml.
Using this simple calculation, you can easily adjust each of the desired values over several days and automatically re-dose.
The entire process of adjusting the dosage should not take more than 4 weeks. Fauna Marin also offers its customers an online calculator – AquaCalculator – to streamline the process of calculating dosages and avoid errors. It should be noted that this method requires constant water testing to control the levels of individual parameters, especially when there are changes in the population of the tank. Additionally, it is recommended to change 5 to 10% of the water in the tank at least once a week. According to the manufacturer, the Organic Peptide Polymers contained in the product help both the chemical reactions and the subsequent removal of excess individual elements from the water.
Summary
This being said, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the Light Baling Method from an aquarist’s perspective? Let’s try to put it in a pros and cons summary.
Advantages:
– dosage selection adequate to the actual needs of the animals in the aquarium, which allows you to create optimal and stable conditions for the development of life
– basic mixtures contain both macro and micronutrients, which reduces the need for additional dosing of micronutrients
– strong concentration and no expiration date for the prepared solution
– automatic calculator for calculating dosages and creating dosing schedule based on water testing performed
– possibility to dose manually as well as with a dosing pump
Source:
https://www.faunamarin.de/en/balling-light-set/
https://www.faunamarin.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/FM_HTU_Balling_Light_System_EN.pdf