So you got a new fish tank Newbie
- Thread starter WaterKeeper
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I'd wait till the cycle is over. It won't hurt but the UV tubes do age and wear out pretty fast.
So today I went to the LFS to do a little window shopping. 
I bought a big piece 25# rock that I think is going to make a great center piece. My question is this reaf rock is dead it wasnt even in water, only cost $1.25 a pound. is there anything I need to do it or when I cycle the tank or can I cycle it with live rock?
I bought a big piece 25# rock that I think is going to make a great center piece. My question is this reaf rock is dead it wasnt even in water, only cost $1.25 a pound. is there anything I need to do it or when I cycle the tank or can I cycle it with live rock?
Just stick in in there with the LR. Do be aware however that you should strive to have around 1 lb./gallon of real LR.
I can't beleave I read the whole thing!!!
I'm not exactly new but I still am learning. Started a 65 gal Reef tank a little over a year ago and I'm now moving up to a 125 gal. I have at least a 5 in. DSB with some of it being the sand from my old tank. Boy was that a chore to scoop out. And now I will admit to being naughty. I have used tap water since day 1. I do use a special filter material that is suppose to remove all the metals, etc from the water though. And yes I did fill my new tank with tap water too. Oh No!!
My questions is -- in the last 39 pages I don'r remember hearing much about RO/DI s. I reading posts on other threads some people are advocating 4-5 canisters. Is this many really necessary? Is one brand any better than another?
One question at a time. I take that back. Two Questions.
I have a Blue Line HD 70 pump but I never hear anyone talking about this make. What gives? I'm feeling a bit paranoid like maybe there is something wrong with it.
Thanks, for all your support WK and a great thread! Its awesome! :rollface:
I'm not exactly new but I still am learning. Started a 65 gal Reef tank a little over a year ago and I'm now moving up to a 125 gal. I have at least a 5 in. DSB with some of it being the sand from my old tank. Boy was that a chore to scoop out. And now I will admit to being naughty. I have used tap water since day 1. I do use a special filter material that is suppose to remove all the metals, etc from the water though. And yes I did fill my new tank with tap water too. Oh No!!
My questions is -- in the last 39 pages I don'r remember hearing much about RO/DI s. I reading posts on other threads some people are advocating 4-5 canisters. Is this many really necessary? Is one brand any better than another?
One question at a time. I take that back. Two Questions.
I have a Blue Line HD 70 pump but I never hear anyone talking about this make. What gives? I'm feeling a bit paranoid like maybe there is something wrong with it.
Thanks, for all your support WK and a great thread! Its awesome! :rollface:
First time poster, long time lurker
First time poster, long time lurker
And from Water Keeper
I been interested in starting up a reef tank and been reading alot of threads here and other places about various topics related to SW tank keeping. I've seen alot of arguements for both sides of the uv sterilizer arguement and the way I understand it the sterilizer would remove some of the tanks copepod, amphipod, and other small organisms. On the other hand removing the harmful "small populus" is what you're shooting for.
Well the only time, from what I can see, that diminishing the good copepod et al. population would not be good is if you had a tank full of Cnidarians and other filter-feeding invertebrates that relied on them as food. I would assume that the "smalls" population that set up house in a sand be would be fine since your not sterilizing the sand bed.
So I would say that the price is right, so you should go for it.
With all that being said, remember that I don't even have a SW tank (yet) and am relying on the word of others. But I figured at least this way if I'm wrong WaterKeeper and others will scold me and I'll go sit in the corner for another 3 months before posting again.
And yes I really have been lurking in shadows reading your every word for 3 months. (It has taken me quite a bit of time to read some of WaterKeepers threads.
)
First time poster, long time lurker
And from Water Keeper
I been interested in starting up a reef tank and been reading alot of threads here and other places about various topics related to SW tank keeping. I've seen alot of arguements for both sides of the uv sterilizer arguement and the way I understand it the sterilizer would remove some of the tanks copepod, amphipod, and other small organisms. On the other hand removing the harmful "small populus" is what you're shooting for.
Well the only time, from what I can see, that diminishing the good copepod et al. population would not be good is if you had a tank full of Cnidarians and other filter-feeding invertebrates that relied on them as food. I would assume that the "smalls" population that set up house in a sand be would be fine since your not sterilizing the sand bed.
So I would say that the price is right, so you should go for it.
With all that being said, remember that I don't even have a SW tank (yet) and am relying on the word of others. But I figured at least this way if I'm wrong WaterKeeper and others will scold me and I'll go sit in the corner for another 3 months before posting again.
And yes I really have been lurking in shadows reading your every word for 3 months. (It has taken me quite a bit of time to read some of WaterKeepers threads.
)
Hi Funloven,
For a good RO/DI you need a prefilter, followed by carbon, then the RO and finally the DI. That can be done with as little as 3 stages if the prefilter and carbon are housed in a single stage. A 4 stage usually has two carbon filters and is needed mainly if you have water treated with chloramine. You can check with your water supplier to find out. Filters following the DI stage are not needed for an aquarium and, in fact, may lower water quality. Read [rodifaq] for more on the subject.
I really can't say about the Blueline as I've never owned one. I haven't heard of any complaints if that helps.
Hi Mtfish
[welcome]
My own feeling for UV is that most tanks don't need one. A good canister filter armed with a micron polishing cartridge will filter more water faster, is cheaper and will remove just about everything a UV does. However, if you have some extra $$$ to spend then a UV is fine to use. They are great to use on a Q-tank or hospital tank as there the need for disinfected water is much greater.
After 3 months of reading my stuff you should have learned not to believe a thing I say.
For a good RO/DI you need a prefilter, followed by carbon, then the RO and finally the DI. That can be done with as little as 3 stages if the prefilter and carbon are housed in a single stage. A 4 stage usually has two carbon filters and is needed mainly if you have water treated with chloramine. You can check with your water supplier to find out. Filters following the DI stage are not needed for an aquarium and, in fact, may lower water quality. Read [rodifaq] for more on the subject.
I really can't say about the Blueline as I've never owned one. I haven't heard of any complaints if that helps.
Hi Mtfish
[welcome]
My own feeling for UV is that most tanks don't need one. A good canister filter armed with a micron polishing cartridge will filter more water faster, is cheaper and will remove just about everything a UV does. However, if you have some extra $$$ to spend then a UV is fine to use. They are great to use on a Q-tank or hospital tank as there the need for disinfected water is much greater.
After 3 months of reading my stuff you should have learned not to believe a thing I say.
Thanks WC for the RO/DI FAQ site. It did have some very helpful info especially for my other half that will be doing the instillation. I haven't asked yet on any of the other forums what brand everyone is using. I did do a serch on Kent Marine and thought I was going in the right direction until ---
The FAQ says that TFC is the most common type of membrane sold in the US. The Kent Marine unit I was looking at has a High Silicate Removal membrane according to the specs and I haven't a clue if this is a TFC or not.
Does anyone have a clue about this?
The FAQ says that TFC is the most common type of membrane sold in the US. The Kent Marine unit I was looking at has a High Silicate Removal membrane according to the specs and I haven't a clue if this is a TFC or not.
Does anyone have a clue about this?
I imagine it is loven. The CA, cellulose acetate, membranes are very weak at removing silica (only in the order of 80-90%. Thin Film Composites, TFC, can remove 95% or better and probably could be advertised as "High Silicate Removal". I would think Kent would use the TFC as all the competition does.
ReefKeepa,
Always a pleasure to hear from those still in New Orleans and still keeping a reef. :thumbsup:
ReefKeepa,
Always a pleasure to hear from those still in New Orleans and still keeping a reef. :thumbsup:
One more question for today. No lets make it two more.
The RO/DI FAQ link states that GPD should be around 25, but I'm getting some conflicting input on this and am being told that 75 GPD is what we want. Is that correct?
I've been reading Eric's Coral Recipe which I would like to try, but I haven't a clue where to get most of that stuff from. I'm sure no one gets it from their LFS as that would be very expensive that way. Can you point me in the right direction for on-line shopping?
:rollface:
The RO/DI FAQ link states that GPD should be around 25, but I'm getting some conflicting input on this and am being told that 75 GPD is what we want. Is that correct?
I've been reading Eric's Coral Recipe which I would like to try, but I haven't a clue where to get most of that stuff from. I'm sure no one gets it from their LFS as that would be very expensive that way. Can you point me in the right direction for on-line shopping?
:rollface:
Loven,
That depends on the brand and size unit you buy. Some small unit only make 25-35 gpd. Some big ones 50 times that. The 75 is popular as the Filmtec membrane it uses gets very good rejection rates. I am told that the 100 gpd and above has lower rejection rates, not terribly lower but enough to make you buy DI cartridges more frequently.
I need to leave today so I'll get back to you on Eric's menu. The seafood is easy but you pretty much need to get the other things at the LFS or on-line. Raising phyto is easy for a DIY'er. See the Breeding forum for how to do it.
That depends on the brand and size unit you buy. Some small unit only make 25-35 gpd. Some big ones 50 times that. The 75 is popular as the Filmtec membrane it uses gets very good rejection rates. I am told that the 100 gpd and above has lower rejection rates, not terribly lower but enough to make you buy DI cartridges more frequently.
I need to leave today so I'll get back to you on Eric's menu. The seafood is easy but you pretty much need to get the other things at the LFS or on-line. Raising phyto is easy for a DIY'er. See the Breeding forum for how to do it.
It is because I often disappear or at least you Newbies wish I would.
OK here goes this may sound a bit stupid, in reading about overflows and standpipes in particular, i cannot find any info about where the hole in the tank goes. reason i'd like to know: i have a glass 55gal i bought real cheap and the bottom cannot be drilled, so i'm wondering if its possible to drill it on the backside at the bottom?
Sure you can drill the back of the tank. You need at least one, although I prefer two, holes for the overflows. Some people also drill for the return but that is a matter of preference as your return can just be an El into the tank. With overflows it is up to you. You can drill at the bottom and have a full tank height weir or at the top for a shallow overflow. See sumpman Marc's site for all sorts of options.
I've been surfing the threads and have some questions I hope someone can answer.
What is a 'weir' box?
Where would you get Polishing filters from?
What are 'eggcrates' that some people put over their tanks to keep fish from jumping ship? The only eggcrates I know about go on beds!
What it the benefit of using a Closed Loop?
I still have so much to lean.
What is a 'weir' box?
Where would you get Polishing filters from?
What are 'eggcrates' that some people put over their tanks to keep fish from jumping ship? The only eggcrates I know about go on beds!
What it the benefit of using a Closed Loop?
I still have so much to lean.
eggcrates is a fluro diffuser panel can be found at home depot or lowes its a 4' x 8' panel with little square holes in it. a wier is a hang on the back of your tank type overflow. as for closed loop you'd have to hope someone else can answer that as i'm still learning too. hope this helps you.
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