emmett0122
Reef enthusiast
my tank has been setup for 5 weeks took 2 weeks to cycle it ive done 2 water changes so far using my tap water witch is from a well so far other then diatoms and knock on wood no problems so far
No water changes?
- Thread starter Merc Dr.
- Start date
I was actully looking at the plans in the DIY section under "Sump 101" and was planning on getting an Octopus skimmer as it's the one everybody recommends. Ebay has some baffle kits someone is selling for like $45. It seems resonable for being precut and tinted to keep the light in the fuge area.
emmett0122
Reef enthusiast
you can buy smoked plexi and silicone them in that is what i used in mine but i had the plexi. my skimmer i have less to 40 bux in it
bjohanson1234
.........
IMO, head to home depot or your local hardware store. Go to the window section and look for the sheets of lexan or plexiglass. You can get it in tinted and will be alot cheaper than 45 bucks. It is very easy to cut. Just a razor knife and a straight edge. Score it four or five times and then snap it with it hanging over the edge of the counter or table.
emmett0122
Reef enthusiast
i used 1/4" But you can use 1/8" or 3/16" it really up to you
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
Definitely a good investment. If you use tap.you may end up finding yourself with bad algae problems. Even if you set up a FOWLR, I wouldn't go w/ tap.
little_fish
Moderator
5 week is absolutely nothing in term of length of time for a saltwater tank. It can take some time for an algae problem to develop and you will spend even more time trying to deal with it.
With regards to doing water changes, (to borrow yote's excellent phrasing) you dont wait until your car is broken before doing an oil change? Your tank is like that, do little things to take care of it now to prevent big issues down the road.
bjohanson1234
.........
I think the quote is more "Ya'll don't wait till yer car is broke down before doin' an oil change" in a northerner's best southern drawl:mrgreen:
And I think the stuff your LFS puts in a sock and under the live rock is "reef mud" or something. It is supposed to replenish the trace minerals. However, from my knowledge, there has been no research that supports this idea.
emmett0122
Reef enthusiast
im not saying i wont have a problem and not saying not to use RO/DI water. all im saying is it can be used if need to be not every one has the money to dump all at once. i plan on getting a RO/DI system when i have the money. and not everybody lives in where its a 5 or ten minute trip to buy distilled water or have a LFS any where close to buy RO/DI water. not looking to cuz trouble or anything like that. and if read my post i do do water changes. the only point im a making is you dont have to dump 2 or 3 grand into your setup right off the bat. you can get it started and add stuff as you go as long as you dont try and put to many fish in your tank to fast. ive done alot research before i started my tank. and most algae needs nitrates as a food source. for me i try and keep my nitrates under 10.
bjohanson1234
.........
IMO, an RO unit should be on the list of things you should get with your initial set up. I originally used tap water. Tank went good for about a year. Then it went down hill. Could never get the algae under control. Once I started humping water from the LFS, it took about another year to get the tank stable again. So IMO, starting with good water will prevent unnecessary aggravation. That said, there are plenty of people that have excellent tap water and can get buy on not having an RO unit.
emmett0122
Reef enthusiast
well i should have mine with in the next month because i will not add corals to my tank with out it cuz i dont have any way to test for any heavy metals in my water
Ted
Living one day at a time
Ok I am gonna run the risk of the RO police coming after me.....When I was married and having to do my tanks on the uber cheap. There was no way I was going to get a RO or even be able to buy water I went to Wally World an bought a dupont faucet filter. It takes 95% of this and that blah blah blah out of the water. I live where we have hard water. You take a glass of water straight from the faucet and you can see the lime in in. So I figured what the heck if I get that out then I am golden. Started using it for all top off water, mix water and even drinking water. Guess what I dont have hair algae. I do use prime in the water before it goes in the tank or gets salt mixed with it. I dont put prime in my drinking water that would be weird. :D I am not saying that would work for you but it has worked for me. Since the divorce I have been looking at RO units but to be honest I dont think I am going to buy one. We have very strict water restrictions and the thought of wasting 3 gallons to every one I get just make me shudder when I look at my poor yard. Ya I could collect the waste water and put it in the yard but then a neighbor would turn me in to the water police and I could get a really big ticket. Ya its that bad. Anyway the filter I use is rated for 200 gallons a cartridge and it has a meter on it. So I change the cartridge every few months. Just my :twocents:
