Salinity Issue

[Cjx0r]

I understand where you are coming from. Why spend money where you don't need to when there are plenty of things you will need to spend on. If you are happy with your hydrometers then continue to use them. (I have to add my 2 cents, the refractometer is work buying $23 on amazon)

Anyways, at least you got to the bottom of why your salt levels weren't where they needed to be.

Can I ask what your plan is for water? I used conditioned tap water to start cycling and even considered it for continuing the hobby but last week I pulled a copy of my local water report and quickly changed my mind.

I'm going to condition it for the time being. What did your water report say tho? What was in there that you were concerned about?

 

[fishgate]

I must have missed the part where I was rejecting advice. Just went through the 1st page and no, looks like I'm accepting advice there, I even thanked people and told them I was going to try out specifically what they said. Kinda seems like accepting advice to me.

If you're gonna sit here and try to berate me for wanting to wait and see before running out and making a purchase, you probably shouldn't be posting in the "new to hobby" forum, it comes off as unnecessarily rude.

I didn't buy 2 refractometers, he gave me 2 refractometers.

I understand you all spent a good deal of money on your tanks and setups, and I never said at the end of the day I won't be putting as much if not more into mine, just not all at once. I'm buying what I need, as I need it. To sit there and try to tell someone who just started that "no hydrometers are crap, you HAVE to buy a refractometer or get out of these forums" is just one of the rudest ways to offer an opinion. I haven't even been on these forums for 24hrs and already I'm being told "get out of the hobby if you're not willing to run out and buy anything we tell you to the moment we say it"

lol - I hear you, sadly, get used to it. Just wait until you have other issues like Algae and you're expected to go buy $1000 worth of test kits to test every parameter known to mankind before anyone can possibly help you. Or being asked for the millionth time if you let your skimmer break in or have it in the proper, consistent water level. It gets old but just smile and take it.

God forbid you ever get a Tang in less than 1000 gallons of water. Getting 2 Tangs in the same tank means you are the devil incarnate.

 

[Happyschneider]

Hey, good luck! It is a great hobby and not all of it needs to be expensive. It is easier and faster if you spend a lot of money on it, but it can be done cheaper as well!

Where I would not safe is in water tests. Get decent want that are reliable. It is much more expensive when animals start dying. apart from the fact that animals died of course.

All the best, and keep asking. Even the "harsh" answers are meant well.

 

[MichelleMas]

I'm going to condition it for the time being. What did your water report say tho? What was in there that you were concerned about?

My water is high in: Nutrients, Pathogens, Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Pesticides, Metals, and Other Inorganics.
I don't know what most of those things are but I have water delivery with Crystal Springs so my family will not be drinking this water and I will not subject my fish to it either. I was surprised and disappointed to see my water quality so low.

 

[nvladik]

God forbid you ever get a Tang in less than 1000 gallons of water. Getting 2 Tangs in the same tank means you are the devil incarnate.

Ohh snap... I just added #4 and #5 yesterday.

 

[Cjx0r]

My water is high in: Nutrients, Pathogens, Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Pesticides, Metals, and Other Inorganics.
I don't know what most of those things are but I have water delivery with Crystal Springs so my family will not be drinking this water and I will not subject my fish to it either. I was surprised and disappointed to see my water quality so low.

Oh wow, that's interesting. How much are you paying for water delivery? You honestly sound like a perfect candidate for an RO/DI system. Definitely look into it; I really think for you in your situation it could be a huge benefit. (Depending on how much you're paying now)

 

[MichelleMas]

Oh wow, that's interesting. How much are you paying for water delivery? You honestly sound like a perfect candidate for an RO/DI system. Definitely look into it; I really think for you in your situation it could be a huge benefit. (Depending on how much you're paying now)

I do plan on getting a RODI system. I am contemplating where I will put it. We are using every possible space in my garage. I keep meaning to check my laundry room to see if it has plumbing for a sink. Water delivery is expensive

 

[nvladik]

I do plan on getting a RODI system. I am contemplating where I will put it. We are using every possible space in my garage. I keep meaning to check my laundry room to see if it has plumbing for a sink. Water delivery is expensive

If you have a laundry, you have a water source and a drain. My RODI is in the laundry, added a splitter for the water source, and I am draining into the same pipe washing machine drains into.

 

[homer1475]

If you have a laundry, you have a water source and a drain. My RODI is in the laundry, added a splitter for the water source, and I am draining into the same pipe washing machine drains into.

100% the same. Supply is T'ed off the washer, and waste goes into the same drain as the washer. I have enough space on the side of the dryer for a dirty clothes hamper and the unit is hanging on the wall above it. I put my 5G buckets on the dryer when filling them and just set a timer to remind me to check it(2 1/2 hours to make 5G).

 

[GimpyFin]

First all, congrats on getting started on your new tank. It can be a very fun (Yet sometimes overwhelming) task as I'm sure you're seeing. It's definitely a money sucking hobby and putting money towards important things makes sense.

I'll just throw in my opinion from what I learned when I started. Some of the most important things to invest in are good testing equipment. A refractometer (I know it sounds repetitive), and a good set of chemical testing kits (Which you may already have) are must-haves.

Also, if you don't want to invest in a RO/DI system, I would buy RO/DI water from your LFS to mix with a good marine sea salt. Using water conditioner in lieu of this should really be avoided and will likely get you off to a bad start.

Anyway, just my 2 cents. Good luck!

 

[leviburns89]

You should check out the "how much does it cost" thread.

Even a 40g tank will cost you around $2000 just to get up and running.

Bare bones system will still cost over $1000 easy.

I have a budget build thread started, and it's cost cutting every possible way. And I'm over $2000.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[BigBlueTang]

There's a steep learning curve in this hobby. That's never been debated. People on these forums are harsh, because they have made mistakes, and they don't want you to make the same mistakes. So honestly, when someone posts that you are doing something wrong, or something against the norms on RC, it's probably a good idea to listen to them... Again, it's your tank. Nothing anyone says on this board will change your tank, unless you listen to it. We're just trying to save you some heartbreak. You're going to make mistakes, but the way you bounce back from them will show if you're going to be successful in this hobby or not. This hobby is brutal. People get frustrated when they aren't listened to, especially when they may be repeating the same advice 10x a day.
Again, your tank, your money. In the long run, this site has probably saved me 1500$+ and I already have 2k in my tank..

 

[CStrickland]

Wow, I'm impressed that you rebounded after that salt mistake!
Don't worry about folks getting fussy when you don't listen. It's cause they're trying to help (mostly) but if you followed all the advice on the internet you'd be chasing your tail. I mean, it's hard to think of anything in this hobby that doesn't have more than one opinion. One thing that helps me is to look under people's name to see how long they've been a member, and give more credit to folks who have been around longer. It's not perfect because plenty of people were at this a long time before they got online, and plenty of people have been doing things wrong for many years, but it's something. Ive also noticed that it's awfully rare for someone who has been at this for a while to make snap judgements about who does or doesn't belong in the club. Likely because they've seen lots of folks fail while throwing tons of cash at the tank, while others succeed on relatively little using intelligence and elbow grease. Also, I'm right about everything even though I'm a noob, so the rule doesn't always apply

Fwiw it took me a year to break $500 on my 55g and I had a ton of fun doing it.

 

[izza1125]

Let me put my 2 pennies in. With all due respect I'd advise you not to waste your money on products such as Hydrometers, cheap R/O systems and etc. Chances are that you'll end up upgrading to a better, more expensive replacements shortly thereafter because cheap stuff always brakes, doesn't work properly and gives you all kinds of headaches. Wait a bit longer, save a bit more and buy better components for your system. You'll save more in the long run.