OK, one more question...

[gillianandjoe]

Is it possible that my weekly water changes are causing my brown algae problems? My 55 FOWLR still gets brown slime in it, and I'm thinking it's due to the water changes. I just use dechlorinated tap water for changes, and instant ocean salt. The corraline in there just barely hangs on for life, the fish are fine, the nitrates are about 20ppm. I keep seeing people talk about RO water only, I don't have one of those. Should that be my next purchase? Thanks everyone.

 

[Gordonious]

I wouldn't say the "changes" would be causing the problem, but possibly the "water". The tap water is probably the cause and it is likely because of phosphates. Weekly changes are good, so your timing is probably right.

I would say for surity an RO/DI filter should be your next purchase. If not at least a TDS meter so you can get a little better idea of how your tap is, but you will likely want to buy at least the RO soon.

I would say your next step would be to read about RO/DI and then you'll see it's importance.

I think it's sad many people don't start off with RO water because one of the biggest frustrations for newbies is algae outbreak problems. And 99% of the time it is do to there water.

Jon

 

[Gordonious]

Oh when I say it's trouble for newbies don't think you've made any bad mistake. Even Melev from reef cast, a pretty good source, went through this problem and so do most people.

 

[logans_daddy]

thats pretty good advice. the TDS probably isnt necessary until you get a RODI but it will probably motivate you to purchase one

some people will claim that they get along just fine without one but i think it really depends on your water quality. IMO it is a must.

check out these guys: http://www.airwaterice.com/

their product is top notch and their customer service is even better. they also sell an inline digital TDS(which i just installed this week) thats awesome. its less than $20 and it gives you your input and output TDS level at the push of a button.

shawn:bum:

 

[gillianandjoe]

Thank you to you both. TSD? Total Disolved Solids? Sorry, I really am new.

 

[Gordonious]

You got it. Basically technically... How much stuff is in the water. There is a lot of "stuff" that could be solids. But if your TDS shows your tap water has 200 ppm solid stuff in it then you run it through you ro and end up with 2ppm you know the RO is hooked up pretty well and your membrane is working fine.

A lot of people say to find out from your water provider what is coming from them. Like here the city of Newark should tell me what is coming out of the water tower. That doesn't tell you the whole story though. I live in an old rented house. You can just tell how bad the pipes are looking at them and that puts soooo much in my water.

 

[Gordonious]

You also want to read about chlorine and chloramines(sp.). Read read read. It's all I do. Now I need to go start reading for my 8am class. I tend to study what chemistry too much and not enough school stuff, lol.

But then again I know a red neck way way down south that tells me all the time, "you do too much reading". Well he loved his porcelain crabs. Bought three of them. They were his favorite thing in his tank. Then he bought a hawk fish with out doing any reading. He pretended like he didn't care and he liked the hawk fish better. (Moron) It's one thing to make mistakes, but to never learn from them and to never learn to read....

 

[Shnabbles]

Purchasing an RO machine and using RO water to me is as important as actually adding salt to the water you mix. If you use tap water you are only asking for problems and setting yourself for frustration and possible failure.

There are many different kind of RO machines available, just search around on ebay or different sites, and TDS machines are also pretty easy to find.

While your shopping on line pick up a refractometer. It measure you salt/specific gravity PERFECTLY... Hydrometers can be way off and are not accurate at all.d

 

[gillianandjoe]

Thanks again for your posts! I will look into it this wknd

 

[kaptken]

I'll second that notion about research and reading before hand. about a year and a half ago i bought a checkered hawk fish on impulse at the fish store. and low and behold, 3-5 weeks later my prized 3 year old shrimp, 2 cleaners and 4 pepermints, disappeared. anybody want a nice fat hawk fish? i still have to fish him out so i can get more shrimp. one of these days....

 

[Gordonious]

Hum... kaptken I have a french angle which I can not house with much of anything any more and have just started to realize I didn't have to set up a tank just for him, I could set up a tank for him and other non reef safe fish. If you want to send him to a good home, just let me know. Btw would you be interested in a Yellow Gorgonian frag? I was holding onto them a bit for trading leverage, but you've been very helpful and supportive on the forum. I would also like to get some pieces out to people who can take good care of them in case I have any problems with my tank. Let me know, PM me if you want so we don't get too off topic on the thread.

gillianandjoe let us know if you have any questions or need any pointers when you get reading into things. If your really starting to get into things and want to do them right perhaps some good books would come in line. Do you have any reef books yet? I know I get extremely frustrated reading in the forums and on different hobbyist websites when trivial debates and newbie info skews the time tested info that some of these authors have.

Jon

 

[kaptken]

I'll keep you in mind when i get around to hooking the hawk. its a nice fish. likes to perch. just eats all my shrimp and who knows what else in the tank. i threw in some new nassarius snails and saw him picking at them for a while. but he seems to have given up though once they got into the sand.

 

[Gordonious]

The guy I new down south who had a hawk would try to bring hermit crabs home and the hawk would rip them out of their homes before they hit the substrate.

 

[Gordonious]

And I love hermit crabs. I think that is possibly what I am going to study. Going to be looking into grad schools the next couple of weeks. My parents are starting to suggest I take some time off and work a little bit between now and grad school. I know too many people though that have turned that year off into 30-40 years off and still have the intent to go back at some point.