Hello Everybody
Hello Everybody
Hi, my name is Warren and this is my first post. I have a 92 gallon corner with plentiful live rock (can't remember how many pounds now, cost over $900), a 20 gallon sump, 400W MH light in a custom hood, and a Tunze wave controller with two pumps.
I've had things going for about two years now, but the water quality has never been right. I have anemones, clownfish and other fish doing very well, leather and duncan corals that are thriving, Green Star Polyps spreading about, but anything more difficult dies. Clams bite the dust in short order, as do any sensitive corals. Lately even the GSP has lost it's brilliant green, for the first time, and it's spreading seems to have slowed.
I've purchased both high end test kits from API; all the tested parameters are pushing ideal. Whatever the problem is, it's not detectible in normal water testing. I've checked for copper and iron in the source water as well, both are negative.
The source water is a well nearly 300 feet deep, from beneath a thick shelf of granite. The water has low PH and is very hard. I run it through a TMC V2Pure 50RO filter, then later added a dual-bed ionizer, which helped. Before the dual-bed ionizer nothing thrived, afterwards the tank began doing well for it's current residents. However, it would still kill a clam in no time. Filtered water runs under the floor through plastic icemaker tubing to a float-valve in the sump, to replace evaporative loss. There is a valve and a T in place for getting water-change water out of the system, which I make up 10 gallons at a time using Tropic-Marin Pro Reef salt mix. A new Saline Reflectometer is reading 1023, which is a little low. I'll be boosting it during the next couple of water changes.
There is a TDS meter on the input and output of my little filtration system. The input runs about 21 and the output 5. The output should be zero from what I understand. I have replaced all the filters a couple of times, and the TDS results are consistent. Whatever it is, it gets through an RO and a dual-bed ionizer.
I'm thinking of adding an activated charcoal stage to my source water that replaces evaporation, in front of the RO, and to begin purchasing the water-change water instead of producing it myself. I change 10 gallons every other weekend. Whole Foods has RO water for about $.32/gallon if you bring your own container.
If that would be wise could someone recommend a unit? Thank you all very much. I haven't figured out how to post tank pics yet, but will when I do. The tank has been very beautiful at times despite it's limitations. I now have a pair of Ocellaris Clowns bonded with a pair of Rose Anemone's that are just beautiful. The anemones are also grazing on my other fish now and then, my sister just saw one of them eat an Anthius of almost 4"!
Cheers,
Warren
planning on doing coral for a bit in that small tank so far it's fun
