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    Balling and Balling Light dosing methods explained

    Dose calcium and alkalinity from cheap bulk salts with a pump, and deal with the sodium chloride they leave behind: classic Balling adds a salt-free mix, Balling Light relies on water changes instead.

    Last checked . How we check

    Cost
    Low (bulk salts)
    Effort
    Medium (mixing, calibrating)
    Suits
    Medium to large stony coral tanks
    Needs
    A three-head dosing pump

    How does it work?

    Calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate (or carbonate) supply calcium and alkalinity. Dosed together, they leave sodium chloride behind and nudge the ion balance. Classic Balling adds a third solution, a salt mix without sodium chloride, to put back the other ions in proportion.

    Fauna Marin's Balling Light drops that third part and the magnesium sulphate. Its three canisters are calcium chloride with trace elements, magnesium chloride with iodine, and sodium bicarbonate alone, and it relies on about 10% weekly water changes to keep the balance.

    How are Balling Light solutions mixed?

    The 2009 instructions use 2 kg of calcium chloride dihydrate per 5 litre canister, 2.5 kg of magnesium chloride hexahydrate per 5 litres and 500 g of sodium bicarbonate per 5 litres. A newer Fauna Marin sheet uses 2.0 kg of calcium chloride in 4 litres plus 25 ml of each trace complex (typical, check). Start at about 1 ml per 3 to 4 US gallons (11 to 15 litres), split through the day, and expect a steady schedule in about two weeks.

    Its targets: calcium 380 to 420, magnesium 1200 to 1350, alkalinity 6.5 to 8 dKH, salinity 33 to 35 ppt. Fauna Marin warns against mixing it with other brands or with kalkwasser.

    Does sodium chloride build up?

    A little. With a weekly water change of a fraction f, anything added at a steady weekly rate settles at about the weekly amount divided by f (our arithmetic): a 10% weekly change holds it at about ten weeks' worth. That is why Balling Light insists on the water changes. The water change calculator shows the effect.

    How do I get started?

    1. Measure how fast alkalinity falls with daily tests for a week.
    2. Mix the solutions in RO/DI and label the canisters.
    3. Calibrate each doser head.
    4. Start below the daily need and split doses through the day.
    5. Raise slowly over two weeks until alkalinity holds.

    What are the common mistakes?

    • Mixing calcium and alkalinity solutions in the same line, which precipitates.
    • Dosing alkalinity in one large shot.
    • Skipping the water changes on Balling Light.
    • Uncalibrated or worn doser tubing drifting over months.

    Where do sources disagree?

    Where sources disagree
    TopicWhat sources sayOur reading
    Classic or Light
    • Classic: the salt-free part keeps the balance without water changes
    • Light: simpler, cheaper, uses water changes instead
    		Light for keepers who already change 10% a week.

    Sources

    1. Reef Builders, Fauna Marin Balling Light instructionsPublished 11 September 2009. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.
    2. Reef Builders, how and why to dose your reef tankPublished 19 September 2023. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.
    3. Fauna Marin knowledge base, phosphorus and phosphateRead 21 October 2026, read in full.
    4. Tropic Marin, All-For-Reef and Pro-Reef salt (label figures read via retailer listings)Read 21 October 2026, search summary only.

    Figures from sources read as a search summary only are shown as typical figures: check them before you rely on them. Found a mistake? Tell us how to fix it.