# I Surrender.



## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

So my wife's been hankering for a SW tank for approximately FOREVER(!). After failing dismally at Valentines this year (D'oh), I saw an ad posted online here at GTAAquaria by BKTruong, so I decided to surrender and go take a peek at a 40G tank with 20G sump...

It was apparent that the seller (a)knew his hobby (b) looked after his tanks and (c)was extremely fair and personable to work with, so we shook hands, and last night I spent the early part of the evening putting the plumbing together and mixing my first ever batch of salt-water! (BKTruong - you're a real upstanding guy to buy from, and I have no hesitation in recommending you to others. Thank-you.)

Now to begin the endless stream of noob questions & experiences:

GOOD Experience #1 - Went and met with Ken @ SeaUMarine yesterday lunchtime to hear his opinions regarding setup and cycling - walked out with a Koralia powerhead, bucket o' salt, a refractometer and a ton of advice, suggestions and recommendations. Great guy, great shop and just around the corner from where I work - Will be going back today to pick up a protein skimmer, and also likely some live rock, and....?!?

Not so Good Experience #1 - I tried to join AquariumPros to help widen my field of educational resources, (and after reading such positive feedback from a number of other members here)... my 'membership' was accepted. Now to begin reading yet more and seeking help from seasoned vets. Cool.

... and then promptly rejected just this morning!! Their e-mail reasoning being (and I quote):

"Unfortunately your registration at .::AquariumPros.ca::. did not meet our membership requirements. Therefore your registration was deleted. The most likely reason would be registering with bogus data in the system/tank profile fields - ie. n/a or 0 or other nonsense. Please READ the stipulations and guidelines to register."

I realised it was likely because I couldn't fill in all the parameters for my tank because at the time of joining (yesterday morning), my tank still belonged to someone else! Still, their rejection note was rude (implying that my intentions were questionable - by not "READ"ing the guidelines I'm obviously a spammer, and clearly not a noob seeking valued advice/help), so I'm in NO hurry to attempt to prove that I'm worthy of joining their elite little gang! Sorry guys - you're stuck with me! 

My first REAL question: My wife's ultimate ambitions are to (eventually) keep soft and hard corals together with a couple of fish and a few inverts too (if possible). I have FW test kits up the wazoo, but I understand they're all but useless in salty-ville, SO I'd really appreciate some help/advice on what we should be regularly testing our water for (other than salinity!) at this very early stage, and which are the better types, brands and/or kits to consider?

Will post some pics just as soon as I remember where the heck I "safely stored" my camera...

Thank-you (and in the words of KnaveTO) for enabling us - buggrit!


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Nitrate, Phosphate, KH, Calcium, Magnesium should get you started!

To begin with, Nitrate and Phosphate are more important - Calcium and Magnesium more so once you start introducing corals.

I use the API Reef master test kit on a regular basis, which includes nitrate, phosphate, kh and calcium.


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## Mike (Feb 21, 2010)

I too am (re)starting.
In my chemical test box I have a NITRITE test as well as NITRATE and Ammonia. This gives me a concept of where the biological system is in terms of the cycling process. (Tank ammonia becomes nitrite which gets changed to Nitrate). 
If you tested your water today, it would contain no Nitrate-but that does not mean your tank is cycled. Everytime you put something into your tank, there will be a wave formed from Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate. I want to be able to track it.


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## Mike (Feb 21, 2010)

*protein skimmer NOW???*

NOOB QUESTION:
Should WINDOWLICKA be buying his protein skimmer now or wait until he has enough live rock in his tank first?

His tank is newly started, and prolly not have any protein to skim. 
Put his pennies into the live rock,get his tank going and THEN get a good skimmer?

Any seasoned aquarist want to chime in?
P.S (Sorry to hi-jack)


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

skimmer first


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

My recommendation is to get all of the equipment you need before getting into anything live (which includes your rock).

Hence why my upgrade is taking so damn long


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## derekc85 (Oct 23, 2008)

If i were in your shoes, i would save some money and buy dry rock from UTC... you would need to cycle your tank anyway, just save a couple of bucks on rocks and get a better skimmer.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks guys (and good question, Mike) - I bought a Vertex IN-100 skimmer from SeaUMarine (and based on Ken's recommendation)... in less than 24hours it's already creating a beige skim (not yet "Chocolatey Brown"), and pulling crap from the water column.

Also bought 30lbs of live rock to start the cycle going - will need a fair bit more, but the wallet has taken a pretty hefty pasting thus far, so all in good time!

Lights are in - a quad-T5HO jobbie by Aquatic Life - nice looking unit so far - includes moonlights and also an automatic timer (a nice bonus). I hope it lives up to it's expectations and positive web reviews.

On a related (yet separate) note - HUGE kudos to Aquatic Designs... This guy was responding to my frantic PM's re: a leaky bulkhead, and into the wee hours of this morning... then was kind enough to let me drag him away from his family this morning to help me get all of the plumbing pieces I needed to remedy the problem (now fixed)... THANKS ain't enough, Jason.


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## derekc85 (Oct 23, 2008)

looks like you are on the right track... all you need now is patience and wait for the 4-6 week cycle... a quad T5HO will let you keep most corals/ clams, and you have the option to change up your colours =)

ps. do not add damsels as starter fish as they will be problematic later on.

good luck


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

DerekC - We're not damsel fans, I'm afraid, and I understand them to suffer from "small dog syndrome": extremely territorial and aggressive and in a 40G tank we just won't tolerate that kind of behaviour! 

Ultimately we'd like to add a dwarf angel and a pair of (obligatory!) smaller clowns, and perhaps a blenny and or a smaller wrasse (if at all possible).. Not too sure what else, but we certainly will not be over-stocking this. There's plenty of time to read & research before the tank's even close to adding any fish though.

On the plus side, the tank was already in use prior to us buying it, so the existing sand is hopefully pretty well established (bacterially speaking). Our ammonia readings do not even show on the API test kit charts yet, and our nitrites/nitrates are negligible... I'm hoping that the ammonia either spikes soon, or alternatively doesn't spike at all... we'll keep monitoring daily for the next couple of weeks.

REALLY pleased with how the skimmer and the lighting are working out so far...

Anyway, here's a couple o' quick iPhone snaps - not the best, but still can't locate my damned camera...!


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## Aquatic Designs (Apr 2, 2006)

I didn't hear back from you. I take it all is well?

Anytime you need anything I'm right down the street. You know the number DO NOT hesitate to use it if you need.

And it was no skin off my back. Another fishy adventure and a story to tell for me.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Aquatic Designs said:


> I didn't hear back from you. I take it all is well?
> 
> Anytime you need anything I'm right down the street. You know the number DO NOT hesitate to use it if you need.
> 
> And it was no skin off my back. Another fishy adventure and a story to tell for me.


Hey fella,

Yes - although this tank has taken a LOT more time/work/effort to setup than any other tank I've ever worked with (with all the messing around, changes and equipment needs, it consumed the _entire_ weekend and through into last night too) it's now stable and holding water without issue.

Added a further 15lbs of nice live rock from SeaUMarine on Sunday (total: 45lbs), then glued them together into a couple of decent structures with lots of shelves/flat areas using an aquarium safe epoxy.

Based on some research, I upped the return pump to 700G/hr for turnover, but it was WAAAAAY too much power, and was hurling micro bubbles (from the protein skimmer) into the tank at a rapid rate, so I swapped that out for a 500G/hr Marineland NJ1800 pump instead, and that problem seems to have resolved itself now - no more micro-bubbles = no more salt-spray on the light fixture.

I'm amazed at how much life exists in this thing already - several worms have created tunnels out of sand, we have a couple of tiny (~3mm) oval shell-less slugs/snails that we've seen - apparently they're harmless, but I'll try to get some pics for others here to perhaps help verify? And Herman the stowaway Hermit (as the kids have named him) is thiving and enjoying exploring a whole 40G tank all too himself!

Salinity = 1.026 (a little bit high - working on lowering that to around 1.024)
Ammonia = 0
Nitrates = 0
Nitrites = 0
pH = 8.2
KH = "all good" (! I don't have a test kit for this yet, but took a sample to BA's where the response was your water's in great shape, though the salinity's a ~little~ high... will still get a test kit to monitor this though - when I can find an API one where nobody's nicked the colour card out of it!)
Calcium - not tested at this time.
Phosphates - not tested at this time

You're welcome to stop-by anytime, man (or rather any time that we're not ferrying kids around for music/sports/birthdays - Tuesday and Wednesday nights are the busiest, therefore worst nights for us) - I'll pm you my address/contact info and will put a cold brew in the fridge with your name on it - I'd welcome your input/comments on how things are coming on (both my existing cichlid tanks and also this new toy... 

Cheers!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Nice! Tank is looking great!

The little slug guy is probably a stomatella sp. snail.

Why do you have your return kicked up so high? I hope it's not your primary flow. There are many views out there, but one that makes sense is that you match your skimmer pump flow rate to the return rate, the idea being that your skimmer can process most or all of the water that comes through the return section.

Looks like you're off to a great start!


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

ameekplec. said:


> Nice! Tank is looking great!
> 
> The little slug guy is probably a stomatella sp. snail.
> 
> ...


Thanks Ameek - we're really pleased with how it's coming along so far. Having read through your last (current) build-thread, and enjoying the present one too, then comments from seasoned vets like you (and others) are much appreciated.

The Skimmer is rated for tanks "up to 100G", so speaking with Ken, I needed to match the output which meant going with a pump rated for 400-500GPH... I thought to go a little higher (and from my FW experience - more turnover is always better, right?) and was dead wrong. There. I said it. Now that I've actually decided to listen to the advice I was given, then no more micro-bubbles, and much clearer water. 

By swapping the return pump for a "smaller" unit, and dropping the output down the ratio is now pretty much bang-on now.

Your concern is valid - the return pump is not my sole method of creating flow - I have a Koralia 1 powerhead and also a smaller Fluval (I think) p/h that I had kicking around.

I bought a Koralia nano p/h from Ken, but I broke the stub when trying to attach it to the mount (they're a royal PITA to put together!), so I'm using the Fluval while I wait to see whether Ken's Koralia supplier will "look after me" there (I fully admitted it was 100% my fault - apparently the "if at first you don't succeed, then get a bigger hammer" approach doesn't work on small plastic parts!)

The p/h's are in the tank and positioned to try and eradicate any 'dead-spots', though as the tank develops, and livestock are slowly introduced, then there will be the undoubted 'tweaking' required to ensure that detritus doesn't settle on the sandbed


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Couple more pics, with the extra rock epoxied into place, and a close-up of Herman:


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Hey all,

Buying RO/DI water from Big Al's isn't necessarily expensive (at around 69c/G), but the inconvenience of having to actually go out to get it (plus fuel and my time) will make the whole 'w/c planning process' a PITA in the long term...

I understand that installing an RO/DI unit in the home will therefore quickly pay dividend - trouble is I have no idea what kind of system I should (or shouldn't) consider. Anyone here able to help shed some light on this subject for me?

I guess that with my top-offs and 5% w/c each week I'll be looking for around 10G-15G/week for this tank , but then if I have this unit, I can also use it for my 90G, 65G and 20G FW tanks too (around 35-40G total per week)

From others here, I understand that BWI is the place to go, but I'd appreciate any reefer's experienced input here to help understand what I _should _ consider as "essential", and what might be more of a "nice to have". I'd be particularly interested to learn more about low/zero waste units if possible.

Also interested in how others have set up auto top-offs on their tanks (sumps?).

Thanks!


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks Big Ray - I looked through your posts, but didn't see any pictures relating to plumbing or RO/DI... do you recall which thread you posted them within?

I have been advised that the lower the salinity of the water, then the less likely one is to attract parasites... anywhere between 1.022 and 1.025 is considered 'optimal'. Again, I'm new at this, and am only regurgitating what I've read/been advised... please don't shoot the carrier pigeon if that transpires to be a crock!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Everyone's seen my top off container - and apparently a bucket next to the stand doesn't cut it for the fancy types like Doctor_T and Conix (must be a married folk thing or something....)

As for the type of RO/DI unit you need, as with everything it really depends.

Really, you'd be looking at a 4 stage filter - sediment filter, carbon filter, RO membrane, DI cartridge. That's your basic RO/DI unit.

Now, you'll probably want to have a way to test the TDS of the output water as a measure of the efficiency of the system and it's general condition. You might need a booster pump if your mains pressure is too low. Also if you want to automate the whole thing you'll need float/optical valves and solenoids and other things. 

But the basic 4-stage from BWI is an excellent inexpensive solution.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Windowlicka said:


> I have been advised that the lower the salinity of the water, then the less likely one is to attract parasites... anywhere between 1.022 and 1.025 is considered 'optimal'.


Just to clear the info but you will still get the same "degree" of parasitic problems in that salinity range. _Ideal_ hyposalinity treatment is in the 1.010-1.013 range and the drop should span a period of 3-4 days. Of course one can't really do this with inverts and coral (not an issue here) though they can tolerate as low as 1.017.

LFS that claim to treat fish w/hypo method and sell under a minimum 4week treatment period...they are just uninformed of the proper procedure.

HTH


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks guys...

*Big Ray *- thanks for the link... that helps me to visualise the 'rats nest' of plumbing I need to run through my unfinished basement and up through the flooring ('cos as a married guy, I don't think SWMBO will allow me to subscribe to the Ameek method... might as well add me to the Conix/Dr T clan, no matter how much I appear to resist/kick & scream/cry!).

I ran into _Aquatic Designs_ @ BA's Newmarket last night (poor guy - he'll learn soon enough!  )... the lure of cold, fresh beer has been enough to entice Jason 'round to see my setups at the weekend and help advise on these matters too!

*WTAC* - thanks for the clarification. What salinity would you therefore encourage a beginner like me to keep my water at for the long-term health and stability of the inhabitants? Over the last couple of days we've gradually reduced the salinity down from 1.026 to 1.025, but I'm reading that 1.022-1.024 might be better?

Since our water parameters are otherwise maintaining status quo (pH = 8.2; Ammonia = 0; Nitrites = 0; Nitrates = 0; Calcium = ~400 - according to the API test kits), and that Herman the stowaway Hermit remains active and therefore healthy(?), then the saltie guys @ BA's reckoned we'd be good to add half a dozen blue-legged hermits and a couple of Astrea snails to the tank and monitor their progress... after drip-acclimatising them over a 45 minute period last night, we plopped them in the tank, and they immediately started to scurry around the tank. The guys at BA's also found a tiny scrap of rock in their snail tank that had 8 pretty little Zoa heads on it - they threw that in for me "if you can keep your water stable enough to keep this little guy alive over the next 2 weeks, then you're water's good to go"... came downstairs this morning, and all 8 heads were open - that was a great early sign, and a big relief. Now to keep them that way.

*Ameek *- thanks again for your input - in the grand scheme of things, a couple o' hundred bux for a unit will pay for itself in no time - vs. the time, fuel and opportunity cost of heading out 'specially for replenishments - with an RO/DI unit at home we have NO excuse for not keeping on top of water changes... PS: please don't go posting piccies of your frags... you'll be getting nudges from me to sell some of them in due course!


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

The most important thing is stability. If you don't have an ATO, I suggest 1.023 as water evaporates it'll rise but generally not above 1.026 by the time you add top up water .

If you have an ATO sytem...I prefer 1.023-1.024.

HTH


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Quick update: Took a trip out out Oakville Reef Gallery yesterday afternoon, and bought our first corals (other than the small zoa's that were "a gift" from Big Al's) - a Hammer and an Open Brain.

After drip-acclimatising them for 45 mins, they both took a little while to settle-in, but by this morning I was able to snap the below shots. 

We also picked up our first fish from Ken @ SeaUMarine - a wee little Ocellaris Clown. He's settled in nicely, though he's a little shy right now, happy to sit behind one of the Koralia p/h's, but then venturing out every once in a while. We've tried to entice him with a flake or two, but so far he's been reluctant to feed - will keep an eye on that, and maybe add some homemade foods...

Saw a neat trick on another forum that used egg-crate as a 'form' for making homemade frozen food cubes - SWMBO is hitting the downtown fishmarket on her way home from work to find some fresh shrimp/fish that we'll then blend with some spirulina and other goodies before freezing and bagging them - we'll see how they work out for both the reef and also my cichlids...


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

I know it's not the right section,but following on from the last post - here's a couple of snaps of my 90G and 65G cichlid tanks... just 'coz!


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks Big Ray. 

Also forgot to mention that Oakville Reef Gallery were having a sale on their HW yesterday (not sure if it's still on?), so we snagged a 100GPD Vertex 4-Stage RO/DI unit (c/w pump, TDS meter and solenoid controlled auto shut off).

Spent yesterday evening plumbing the unit in, and running two output lines = one for filling buckets (mixing salt, and for my FW) the other runs to the sump on the reef tank for auto-top-offs.

Unfortunately ORG only had the ball-float mechanism, not the smaller float switch. Nor did they have any acrylic mounting brackets to hang the ball-float mechanism from the side of the sump. No biggie - a quick trip to Lowes, where I bought a 2ftx1ft piece of scrap acrylic for the princely sum of $2.00(!), then set to work cutting/heating/forming/MacGyvering!


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

The bracket I made is quite tight against the glass, and although the acrylic wasn't overly thick, I laminated a couple of pieces together to reduce the flexing... so far it's giving a nice seal, but the styrofoam trick is not a bad idea - I may have to borrow that from you!

Re: SW plants & micro/macro algae... I can't say for sure - I didn't ~see~ anything resembling the above, but then again we weren't actively looking for that kinda thing... They were having a 25% sale on livestock, but it was kinda strange - nothing was labelled, and I just got the feeling that prices were being made up 'on the fly' (some stuff qualified for the discount, LOTS didn't). I could be very wrong (and I hope I am - they were helpful and seemed very knowledgeable), but that was the impression I was left with.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Fun evening so far! We grabbed some empty snail shells from Ken @ SUM late last week, knowing that at some point in the future Herman the Hermit would be looking for a new abode... he obviously saw them on the Marine MLS, and decided to change his threads under cover of the moonlight LED's - he's now sporting a rather dapper Tiger Snail suit!

Also, our wee Ocellaris is desperately trying to host with our hammer coral,though unfortunately the hammer is not really keen on the idea just yet, and keeps retracting his arms. The Ocellaris is persistent though, I'll give him that! I took this vid late last night. Excuse the image quality - it was taken on an iPhone, and forgive the lack of editing skills - it's my first ever YouTube post!:






In other news, just ordered a Vortech MP10 from J&L Aquatic (they're $40 less than I can find them anywhere else, and in stock too). The only problem? I ordered it _a whole hour ago_, and it hasn't arrived here yet. How long can it possibly take to ship from Richmond BC to Aurora ON?


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Armed with water samples, SWMBO took a trip to SUM this afternoon and after the 'thumbs up' that our parameters are in check (we think the reagants in our 2-year old Ammonia test kit are past their sell-by - a new Elos test kit is currently on it's way thanks to J&L), she came home with a second Ocellaris and a Bubble Tip Anemone.

To tease, she then sent a few pics of them settling in (and after drip-acclimatising) to me at work:


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

I have a couple of questions I'd like to ask you seasoned guys & gals, please... I've been reading posts about lighting, filtration etc, and would appreciate some input re the following:

1) My T5HO light currently has 2x 10K bulbs and 2x Actinic bulbs on a timer (+ moonlights) - is that a "preferred" combination, or should I consider changing some/all of the bulbs for better colouration/effect? (SWMBO will be keeping mostly LPS and an anemone, but would not like to rule out trying SPS in time too) 

2) Carbon. Currently our sump is configured such that the water enters the sump from the DT, flows through baffles to reduce micro-bubbles, then enters a chamber holding the skimmer before flowing into a separate chamber holding the return pump. We have around 10-15lbs of live rock split between the skimmer and return pump chambers, and some chaeto in the return pump chamber only. Should we be adding carbon too? If so, roughly how much, and where would be the best place to put it? (polite answers only, please!  )

I'd appreciate any comments/suggestions/cash donations!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I lol'd at the cash donations too. A hundred bucks for my toughts, anyone?

For the lighting, it's usually preference, but actinic bulbs generally lack PAR - they're good for colour, but not growth. Since you have 4 bulbs to play with, maybe use 1 actinic bulb, 2 blue (14 - 17k), and 1 pink bulb (KZ Fuji Purple or UV Lighting Actinic White) - the pink bulb will supplement and pop your reds and purples, while the actinic will help to pop the flourescent pigments, and help to bring out the greens and yellows, which the KZ FP/ UVL AW can wash out.

BigRay, I'd consider using less actinic tubes, and more blue tubes - as said earlier, actinics don't provide a lot of PAR so your growth will be slow, but your colours will probably be pretty good. Unless you're only going for colour 

As for carbon, I'd recommend getting a reactor, like the Two Little Fishies Phosban reactor - really helps with water clarity. I run about a cup of carbon 24/7 for a month, then change it out.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

That was quick! Thanks for the helpful responses, guys! (Thanks ameek - I'll take both the $100, and your advice, please & thank-you!  )

I might have to consider toying with some bulb combinations in due course to see how the livestock respond, and for our own (selfish) personal enjoyment.

Dammit - my first order from JL just arrived today, and my second order shipped 2 days back! I looked at the Phosban reactor they sell (around $100 or so, IIRC?), and thought about adding it to my order, but didn't really understand what I was looking at, so didn't bother adding it. Shows how much I know, eh!

Incidentally, where would one physically locate a Phosban Reactor? does it go IN water, or does it hang on the outside and draw water in through tubing? (my sump's a 20G Long, and I'm getting a little short on space!)

Thanks again.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

It is usually fed by a pump - either a dedicated pump or off of the return pump - to fluidize the reactor media.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks for the input again guys - I had quite a few bags of activated carbon lying around from canisters I've bought in the past for my FW cichlids - I rinsed one out and placed it in the sump (will follow BigRay's advice to turn it in a couple of weeks, then replace it in a month). 

Longer term I'll look to add a Phosban reactor per Ameek's suggestion (I see SUM sells them, and has them in plentiful supply - Ken agreed with ameek, they're a popular addition to reef tanks to prevent the buildup of phosphates, thereby ensuring the healthy growth of corals.)

Another question (Sorry!) I'm not sure that the heater I was given with the tank is either working correctly, or powerful enough to deal with the increased flow from a slightly larger return pump - my water temp is currently at 72F, and I really don't want something as easily rectifiable as a heat issue causing the loss of any stock. I use Hydor Inline heaters on my FW, so have no idea what the better 'traditional' stick-style heaters are anymore... Any recommendations before I head out at lunch to grab one? I think I should err with a 250W for 50G + c.15G in the sump, unless the experience of others suggests otherwise?

(MP10 arrived in Concord from JL and is sat with UPS pending delivery to me tomorrow! Woohoo!)

Thanks!


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Big Ray said:


> as of the heater brand, I have broken to many heaters to be talking


Hehe! That's exactly the reason why I prefer the inlines for FW - easy to keep another piece of equipment outta the tank (on a canister return-line) and less chance of shattering one in a tankful of rock and rambunctious african cichlids!



Big Ray said:


> also, you can run your carbon in the phos reactor as well. I just got one for myself this weekend, put both carbon and phosban in there. all corals and fish acted alot happier after the phos reactor was installed ! not sure if that had anything to do with it but it was interesting.


Would like to hear your experiences as this unit settles into production - no-one I've come across has had anything bad to say about these so far (Ameek/yourself on this forum, ReefCentral, CanReef, Ken @ SUM, etc.), and they're relatively inexpensive to buy. I don't think I'll be too far behind you with adding one of these...


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

The only complaint I (and others) have really with the phosban reactors is in getting them sealed up again, as sometimes when you're screwing the lid back on, the gasket can fold, improperly sealing the reactor and letting it leak a little. So I always make sure it's sealed up tight and check on it periodically an hour after I refill it.

I'd use two smaller heaters if you need another heater. I like the Stealth heaters as they're shatterproof plastic. The newer ones have a nifty LED indicator light on them too.


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## Mike (Feb 21, 2010)

I persoanally use two heaters in the unlikely event that one fails.
I also have 3 phos ban reactors because they have to run slow-flow (barely trickle). You can use carbon at a faster rate but my phosban and chemipure cannot be pushed as fast.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

why use phosban, carbon AND chemipure? 

Anyways, you need to run them with sufficient flow to keep everything tumbling (fluidized) to maximize contact and reaction surface area. Insufficient flow won't help you extract what you're trying to get at with the carbon and phosphate removers.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

No carbon leaches 0 ppm PO4, but some less than others.

So far I've been using Bulk Reef Supply's ROX 8.0 carbon, and rather like it, although it too does leach PO4. That's why I also run granular ferric oxide (PO4 remover) from BRS (High Capacity GFO). 

Also, I microwave my carbon in ro/di to get it to sink (about 1 cup of carbon and 1 cup of ro/di on high for 4 min) to make it easier to wash. But in the time it soaks in ro/di and cools down, it leaches out an appreciable amount of PO4. Then I rinse a few times with clean RO, and replace the old carbon. GFO I usually just rince in room temp RO then into the reactor it goes.

Everything gets changed about once a month.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

On a side note, My RO/DI unit currently has two outlets feeding from it - one runs directly to my sump, and provides the ATO function (using a ball-float). The other outlet I currently have just with a 1/4" ball valve/tap on the end that I use to fill 5 Gallon buckets to do water changes.

Like a true 'tard(!) I've flooded the (unfinished) basement several times already when I've forgotten to run downstairs and turn off the tap to stem the flow, and I've had enough! (alright - SWMBO's had enough, therefore I have to find a fix for my stupidity one way or another!)

Just found a place in Whitby that sells recycled (and cleaned) 55G food-grade containers that they propose be used for rain barrels for $40... I'm thinking that one of those sat on a 2ft tall 2x4 stand (over-constructed!), with a ball-float drilled/siliconed through and close to the top of the barrel, plus a Watts-style tap drilled/siliconed into the bottom would make a great holding reservoir for 'on tap' RO/DI water. Reckon it'll set me back around $80 with the ball float and plumbing necessary to make it work?!?

http://www.envirosponsible.com/barrels,_barrels,_barrels.html

The wife's heading out to grab one now, and then stopping-by NAFB on the way home to pick up a beautiful purple/yellow brain coral we saw on Sunday afternoon (I thought she picked it up, but instead she grabbed a fluorescent red/yellow one, as well as a cool 4-head duncan frag, an awesome frog-spawn, and a couple of ricordias. All have settled in really well and are all actively feeding - pics to follow).

I temporarily fixed the heating issue by adding a spare (cheap) hang-on 50W heater to the DT last night - temperature was much better @ 79F (and holding) this morning. In the meantime, Big Al's are sending a new Stealth Pro Heater, Phosban reactor/pump/hoses to me tomorrow (price-matched over the phone with JL - no problem whatsoever), and 'brown' should be delivering my Vortech MP10 & also a grounding cable from JL through the course of today!


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Big Ray said:


> Nice
> 
> I hold RO water in a 5 gallon bucket, but lately, Ive noticed changes int he PH and .... of the RO/DI water held int he container for too long !!!
> 
> ...


Good point, and one I hadn't considered. Maybe a spare powerhead (& small heater?) dropped into the reservoir might help to at least turn the water over? I'll let you know once we've got it home, cleaned, and set-up. They're apparently not pre-cleaned, and have residue brine in them - any ideas on what I might use to clean it out? (in conjunction with a power washer... Baking soda perhaps?)

Cheers.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

The amount of top up water you should be adding at a time won't have a significant impact on parameters - even adding 2 or 3 litres won't have a significant effect. My RO/DI container sits still and unheated, and my reef is doing pretty okay.

Another failsafe I don't see ANYONE putting on the barrels and such is an overflow - drill a hole almost at the top of the container, attach a bulkhead and a length of tubing going to the drain - this way, in the event of solenoid/float valve failure/operator forgetfulness/stupidity, the container won't overflow and destroy your basement/living room/bathroom/marriage - it'll just simply flow back to the drain via the simple overflow. And there's no worry of clogging the overflow as there will be nothing but clean water in the container.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

ameekplec. said:


> The amount of top up water you should be adding at a time won't have a significant impact on parameters - even adding 2 or 3 litres won't have a significant effect. My RO/DI container sits still and unheated, and my reef is doing pretty okay.
> 
> Another failsafe I don't see ANYONE putting on the barrels and such is an overflow - drill a hole almost at the top of the container, attach a bulkhead and a length of tubing going to the drain - this way, in the event of solenoid/float valve failure/operator forgetfulness/stupidity, the container won't overflow and destroy your basement/living room/bathroom/marriage - it'll just simply flow back to the drain via the simple overflow. And there's no worry of clogging the overflow as there will be nothing but clean water in the container.


Smart thunkin'. I'll tap a hole into the side of the barrel c. 1" or so above the float valve, then run a 1/4" line straight to the drain, along a gradient. I have plenty of spare hose kicking around, the water will enter the reservoir from the RO/DI unit via the same diameter hosing, and not under pressure so little/no chance of this failing. Easily done, and a simple, good idea. Thanks!


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## Aquatic Designs (Apr 2, 2006)

It is ill advised to use 2 heater unless you are using a heater controller. You will never get 2 heaters set exactly the same. If you use one main heater and one smaller heater(set slightly lower) in case the main heater fails that is OK. But 2 lower wattage heaters trying to do the job of 1 bigger heater i bet your actually using more power (consumption) as they are working harder then 1 larger one would.

Larger heaters heat more water faster and are on less. And are more stable.


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Big Ray said:


> have you ever checked the PH of the RO water reserved ? I thought it should be 7.0 PH with KH of zero, but I was wrong !!! PH was about 9.2 and KH about 5 !!!! I was shocked !!! and my tank PH is VERY stable, so maybe the high PH is helping a bit as well,
> 
> the time I measured the PH and KH, the TDS metre showed 9 PPM !
> 
> ...


Hmm.. that does not sound right. TDS should be 0, Ph should be neutral, KH should be zero. Are you sure you checked the "filtered" water from RO/DI? There are two outputs unless your system is zero waste - waste water and filtered water. The parameters appear to be in line with the waste water.


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## Aquatic Designs (Apr 2, 2006)

BTW. You need at least a 3/4" over flow. The 1/4" city pressure line will fill faster then a 1/4" gravity fed drain line. 

I would use garden hose fittings as they are cheaper and everywhere. And use a section off the old garden hose. Recycling at it's best.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Test the TDS of your feed water - 9 ppm sounds pretty low, so everything is probably working fine. If you run the RO/DI unit for an hour, where does it get down to? What TDS does it start at? Is the TDS high after the RO membrane, and does it get lower after the DI or does it stay the same? Either of or both of your RO membrane and DI resins may be exhausted.



Aquatic Designs said:


> BTW. You need at least a 3/4" over flow. The 1/4" city pressure line will fill faster then a 1/4" gravity fed drain line.
> 
> I would use garden hose fittings as they are cheaper and everywhere. And use a section off the old garden hose. Recycling at it's best.


Except when the city feed has to pass though a 75 - 100 gpd RO/DI unit, and it's only pushing out a few gallons per hour. Of course to be safe a 3/4" drain would be good, but I'm sure a simple 1/4" hole is probably fine, but if you're going to do it might as well go bigger


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

A few update pics. (I know - the glass needs a scrub)


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

A few more:


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## cablemike (Jan 7, 2009)

your tank is looking great, but can I give you some advice because I learned the hard way my self.. slow down on adding the corals.. your tank is still quite young and it can still have drastic changes as it matures.. I would slow down to adding one new thing per month as it wont hurt as much as loosing an fortune in corals because the chemistry takes a sudden shift. for the first year reef tanks are pretty unstable. Patience is the key to success with reef tanks..

I my self have lost well over a thousand dollars of live stock in the first two years because i just kept replacing dead things with new things without trying to figure out why it died in the first place.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks Mike - your advice is very much welcomed

I fully admit, the temptation to add life to an otherwise empty, dull and lifeless tank is (and has been) HUGE, but at the same time, we've tried to be sensible (afterall, they're our own $'s we're potentially at risk of wasting, and the lives of our pets that we're in danger of eliminating through our own selfishness, ignorance and impatience!).

We've taken samples of water with us whenever we've planned on buying stock, and conscensus has been favourable regarding the conditions of the water (albeit "at the time of testing" - I appreciate that a one-time test does not in any way suggest that we have stability, though getting the consistent results on a regular basis does provide a welcome measure to work from).

We have religiously monitored pH (8.2), Salinity (1.024), Calcium (420 - maintained through daily dosing), Ammonia (0) Nitrites (0), Nitrates (0), dKH (10) daily since the tank was setup and we've been changing 5G of water each week (with RO/DI pre-mixed to 1.024 salinity, heated & mixed with a pump for 24 hours prior to adding to the tank). Again, I understand that this is 'routine maintenance', and does not in anyway determine whether all is well and healthy, but the water is clear, and we have not lost anything yet, nor does anything appear (visually) sick/unhealthy/uncomfortable/bullied.

I do hear your comments, and again, I (very much) appreciate your input - we're new to SW, but not new to fishkeeping - a lesson I learned a long way back is to forget the livestock, we're not keeping fish - we're keeping _water_. if the water parameters are otherwise stable and within widely accepted tolerances for the creatures within, then life will sustain itself according to laws mandated by mother nature herself.

That said, I do appreciate that a SW "crash" can be very quick to happen, and potentially devastating - we have enough healthy life now to sit back and watch, monitor and learn for the next couple of months before considering adding anything else to the community.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Over the last week, the clowns have decided to leave the Hammer alone, and instead have opted to host a Bubble-Tip Anemone instead... here's a couple of snaps of them all together (including an (also resident) porcelain crab):


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

And a quick vid:






Sorry for the sideways letterbox - I forgot to hold the phone "correctly"...


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Pretty decent video from iphone, it must be 3GS.

I enjoyed it very much. I really like the rock work.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks Conix- yes, Santa treated me to a 3GS for Christmas and I can't say that I'm not pleased to be BB free at last! The camera app used is the one native to the fone.

I'll try to remember to hold the phone sideways for a landscape view next time!


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Hey all, seeking some advice, please...

Over the last 2 weeks our soluble calcium levels have slowly, but steadily dropped to a (now stable) 360-375... we're conducting 2-part daily dosing using B-Ionic calcium solution, and to the prescribed instructions, but can't seem to raise this level into the magic 400-450 quadrant...

The result is that the calcium seems to be coming out of suspension and is instead adhering itself to the glass (we're cleaning a thin, yet obvious layer of white residue from the glass with algae scrapers daily). Our KH remains stable @ 10, and I've heard suggestion that the prime suspect might be a lower than suggested level of magnesium. I'd really prefer not to have to fork-out $60+ for a test kit specifically to check trace magnesium levels unless it's absolutely necessary (or recommended), so thought I'd throw this question out there for your help/suggestions/advice? (FWIW the salt-mix we use is D2Ocean)

Despite this slight challenge, the overall health of the system seems to be (visually) extremely good at this time, and water parameters remain otherwise stable.

TIA!


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