I am not sure how old the RO unit is. It came with the system when I bought it. My husband and I was just talking about replacing the filters in it.
Every fish needs to be fed 1-4 times a day. I will agree with that when they are new plus it’s fun feeding new fish. But once they are in the tank a while reduce feeding. I rarely feed 3 times a day If I average it out over the past few months I would say I feed once every other day. But then I’ll go a month feeding 2 times a day. The phosphate is pretty high shoot for below .10 but not horrible. Nitrates are high but they can easily be reduced. I swear by denitrate. It helped me when I needed it but you won’t notice a difference for about a month or two. I’m in the opposite boat as you all my numbers are low. I want to raise them. When nitrates are high everyone does a water change which is good but I have read and heard a lot of times that it doesn’t help, I wonder what they’re changing their water with? Make sure your ro is good. Use a Tds meter to test. And does it have di also? Make sure that’s not shot. Ideally we want 0 Tds because 3 Tds can be 3 of something bad.
If it was sitting and not being used I would just repalced the filters and the membrain may need to be done as well.OK here is my plan.
I am going to replace the filter and membranes.
Cut feeding back to every other day
I dont have a sock filter, so I am just going to use a filter from my fresh water filter( its same as a filter sock but rectangle) put the denitrate in it and attach it to my return water.
Do a water change.
Get some macroalgae and put it into my sump with a light.
anything I left out or you would do different?
I dont have a TDS meter.
If your coming to the meeting Monday bring a sample of your RO water and I'll try and remember to bring my TDS meter and we'll check it.[quote=“billrob71, post:45, topic:6844”]
If your coming to the meeting Monday bring a sample of your RO water and I’ll try and remember to bring my TDS meter and we’ll check it.[/quote]
sounds great!!!
Good plan all summed up :
:
the light can just be a cheap home depot light fixture with just a regular house hold bulb right?? if so what wattage?
A couple 25 watt 100w comp. cfl warm white seems to be the most common I think right around 2700k depends on the area you’ll be lighting
how long do i have to leave the light on??
[quote=“nerak, post:50, topic:6844”]
how long do i have to leave the light on?? [/quote]
Yeah just a Cheap clip or hang on will work 6500 k compact florescent will work and usually run after the lights go out to help with a PH SWING
I am going tonight to get some macro algae. Is there one that everyone prefers or one that is better than the rest? Or are the all the same?
[quote=“nerak, post:44, topic:6844”]
I dont have a TDS meter.[/quote]
I found my TDS meter on ebay for 2 bucks and it got here within a week. Has worked great for me for almost 2 years. Replaced battery once. ::
[quote=“BigCase, post:53, topic:6844”]
[quote=“nerak, post:44, topic:6844”]
I dont have a TDS meter.[/quote]
I found my TDS meter on ebay for 2 bucks and it got here within a week. Has worked great for me for almost 2 years. Replaced battery once. ::[/quote]
Thanks Casey I will check into it.
[quote=“nerak, post:52, topic:6844”]
I am going tonight to get some macro algae. Is there one that everyone prefers or one that is better than the rest? Or are the all the same?[/quote]
Most of the macroalgae are the same, does the same purpose. The ones that everyone uses are called cheato. it looks like green spaghetti.
[quote=“reefman66, post:55, topic:6844”]
[quote=“nerak, post:52, topic:6844”]
I am going tonight to get some macro algae. Is there one that everyone prefers or one that is better than the rest? Or are the all the same?[/quote]
Most of the macroalgae are the same, does the same purpose. The ones that everyone uses are called cheato. it looks like green spaghetti.[/quote]
thats the one I got !!!
Give the chaeto good light with some actininc, and lots of flow around it, and it grows like crazy. if you have too little flow, whole sections of the bundle will starve. and dump again. so fuges do need reasonable flow to pass the nutrient laden water over the macro so it can feed on it. still water produces nutrient deserts in the middle of the chaeto ball. so keep a powerhead in the chaeto tank to mix it up. it will work great.
[quote=“kaptken, post:57, topic:6844”]
Give the chaeto good light with some actininc, and lots of flow around it, and it grows like crazy. if you have too little flow, whole sections of the bundle will starve. and dump again. so fuges do need reasonable flow to pass the nutrient laden water over the macro so it can feed on it. still water produces nutrient deserts in the middle of the chaeto ball. so keep a powerhead in the chaeto tank to mix it up. it will work great. [/quote]
thanks a lot I wasnt aware it needed the flow.
Yes, without good flow, any macro will quickly deplete the water near its surface of nutrients and then go hungry. flow keeps a constant supply of nutrients moving over its surface, to feed on and remove.
Its pretty much like corals too. thats why they also need good, smooth flow to bring nutrients for their symbiotic algae. and to supply it with CO2 during the day, and Oxygen at night.
Flow is very important to good tank health.
One of the things I liked in my last fuge was that I added a powerhead pointing in the opposite direction of the sump flow at the bottom, this created flow, and required tumble, ensuring the water stayed in the fuge long enough for the macro to be able to absorb the nutrients out of it.