Getting that color??

[gary faulkner]

You can't beat Spectrapure! We ran two of the 180/day for over a year at an LFS I was associated with and never had any problems. I still have one of the 180s now. Best not to skimp on the most basic things.

HTH

 

[dkerns06]

I run a mud filter with some rock and chaeto in it. I don't zeovit food 7, coral vitalizer, jod compley, and sponge power, as well as seachem reef plus and kent trace elements. Evertyhing is under a 250 watt 12k hqi bulb and my acros have realy bright purples and pinks and look better than they ever have. Mind you though that my tank is only 54 gallons so I don't have to use a ton of the expensive zeovit stuff. Just a thought.

 

[allsps40]

DI add on ordered.

 

[Alex T.]

I think many of your problems will soon be solved. You'll be shaking your head wondering why you didn't start like this from the beginning. In a few months time your rocks will be cleaned out and polyp extension, coral growth and coloration will be your reward for the better water quality.

Do yourself a favor and start taking some comparison pictures every week at the same time.

 

[saltygeek]

DI add on ordered.

:thumbsup:

 

[allsps40]

I think many of your problems will soon be solved. You'll be shaking your head wondering why you didn't start like this from the beginning. In a few months time your rocks will be cleaned out and polyp extension, coral growth and coloration will be your reward for the better water quality.

Do yourself a favor and start taking some comparison pictures every week at the same time.

Will do. I will takes pics of my favorite sps and the ones that lost the most color every week and post them up to see if there is a change.
I hope my DI will be here soon, most likely mid next week. I ordered the one in the second link I posted because it it the same style as all the RODI DI canisters and it has color changing media. Spectra Pure, they are local wanted $75 for the same DI add on plus extra for the color changing resin. SO I got a good DI and saved s few bucks that can go to a new frag. I really really hope this is my problem and that this will make a huge change. I am thinking of taking my TDS meter to a LFS and testing their water and if it is 0 TDS then getting some top off water and 10g for a water change.

 

[Pallobi]

i have been following this thread the whole way, and dont mean to hijack it at all but i often wonder... I use well water, that is only RO'd... double whammy i know lol, or so some may say... however i have incredible colors imo, polyp extension, and good growth... i couldnt even tell you what my tds is as i have never even checked... i have been using the same water supply (my well) and RO'ing it for over a year now... no issues at all...

so perhaps, jus maybe, its not the DI situation some seem to claim? jus throwing it out there for conversation sake...

 

[dzhuo]

i have been using the same water supply (my well) and RO'ing it for over a year now... no issues at all...

That's the frustration part of this hobby. If you look at bio-pellets, for example, there are enough people raving about amazing results that lots of people are jumping in to try it out. On the other hand, you have a group of people who claim it does nothing but crash people's tank. Seemingly, what works great for one person and applied to another tank can give you completely different result. The dynamic of a reef tank is different from person to person. I think the statement you made is another classic example of this. TDS measures anything but water. 8ppm in my water could mean calcium, bacteria, algae spores, or debris. 8ppm in another person's water from another region could mean ammonia, copper, phosphate, nitrite or silica. So to assume 8ppm is fine when you aren't having problem is just a guess at best. Obviously, to say 8ppm is the problem is also just a guess but i think at this point, it's really down to elimination trying to isolate where the problem is.

To me, a reliable RO/DI unit is really essential regardless. I think $60 is really nothing in this hobby and it's money well spend.

Again good luck to the OP and hopefully you will have good news to report back in a few months.

 

[Pallobi]

i completely agree with you Dzhuo... you have some great points and your doin a great deed by trying to help the OP narrow down the possiblities... by no means am i suggesting the OP not get the DI, i was jus sharing for the sake of conversation, not intending to hijack at all... jus open it up a bit... but OP, definitely go with the DI, it can only help...

Good Luck Neal... OH wait, thats my name too

 

[allsps40]

Yeah I really hope its the 8 ppm in my water. I have tried just about everything else from carbon dosing, lighting, less feeding, more feeding which has helped, different coral foods, GFO, no GFO, different salt mix(had issue with old salt as well), questioned my husbandry........ Running out of ideas. I want my DI now! I dont feel safe using my water and it tops off about 1 gallon a day.

 

[gary faulkner]

Yeah I really hope its the 8 ppm in my water. I have tried just about everything else from carbon dosing, lighting, less feeding, more feeding which has helped, different coral foods, GFO, no GFO, different salt mix(had issue with old salt as well), questioned my husbandry........ Running out of ideas. I want my DI now! I dont feel safe using my water and it tops off about 1 gallon a day.

Patience, Grasshopper, patience.

 

[allsps40]

^^ with a Japanese accent lol. Yeah not going to make any more changes for now. Playing the waiting game now. I will be sure to post weekly pics of certain corals to document any changes, if there are any.

 

[Alex T.]

It took time for that 8 ppm to build up, and it it will take time to remove it as well. I still think that once you get the DI that you should simply continue your regular water change schedule. How would you know if it was truly the DI if you perform 30% or more water changes like others have stated? If it works better how would you know it was the DI and not the larger water change volume? I've always tried to patiently figure out a problem by changing only one factor at a time and observing. Changing too many things will leave you guessing as to what is working.

 

[dzhuo]

If it works better how would you know it was the DI and not the larger water change volume?

Personally, at this point it seems pretty silly knowing there is 8ppm of something (most likely bad things) accumulated in this tank for so long and not taking faster action trying to correct it. If I were to make a decision to either have my tank fixed faster or insist on knowing exactly what's causing a problem with the risk of having my corals suffer for longer, I would take the first choice anytime. On top of that, 20% to 30% is not large at all. Most people (myself included) do 15% water change bi-weekly which comes out to be roughly 30% monthly. As long as you keep alk, cal, mg and pH stable (which you should for every water change regardless of size), 30% cleaner water is unlikely going to hurt anything. A long time ago (most users are probably too new to remember this) there was a study done on water change either by Eric Borneman or Anothny Calfos that 100% water change every month shows significant improved coral grow and coloration. Obviously, this is almost impossible to maintain long term by most average hobbyists but this shows water change (when done right) has tremendous benefit in a closed system.

One thing I forget to mention: after you add the DI and prepare for fresh mix, make sure to check sg. DI will remove this last bit of impurity which could affect the amount of salt you have to add in order to mix it to 1.025. Most likely, you will have to add a little more salt. Just another thing to remember.

Btw, if 20% to 30% is considered large in your normal routine, what % of water change do you do monthly or weekly?

 

[allsps40]

I do 10% weekly water changes which is 5 gallons.

 

[allsps40]

I am hoping to see my DI show up today. If it does I will be making some water and if all goes well I will be doing a good water change.

 

[allsps40]

Yes! My DI came in showed up. I will be making some water. Here are some pics just taken before 0 TDS water.
Red Planet getting its green back already.

ORA Blue Bottle Brush all brown.

here it is when I got it had nice blue tips

new unknown multi color acro

millis

ORA Hawkins

Undata

ORA Scripps milli

 

[allsps40]

Blue polyp green cap, it seems to be getting a purple rim to it

FHI Granulosa, it is coloring back up

can you see the colors coming back at all in the pics??

 

[allsps40]

What could be in the box?? I just dont know.

Could it be the answer to my problems? I sure hope so.

Hooked up and running as I type. Letting in run for a bit to flush out the DI. Then I will check TDS if it is 0 water time, cant touch this.

 

[clowndude]

Excellent news. Hope u have lots of salt on hand. I hope this is the end of your worries.