Reef Journal - First Build Ever!
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It will really depend on how much you use for drinking water if thats something you want to do. At 5 gallons a week for your tank the filters won't need to be replaced very quickly.
+1 to Barbara's point on having it on hand. Only been at this for 9 months or so and already had a few Oh sh!t moments where something went wrong and I needed an unscheduled water change.
+1 to Barbara's point on having it on hand. Only been at this for 9 months or so and already had a few Oh sh!t moments where something went wrong and I needed an unscheduled water change.
Skimmer modification:
RSM Skimmer was making a LOT of noise.
I did some research and found this solution, http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/37316-skimmer-question.html">http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/37316-skimmer-question.html</a>.
One drill + 1 drill bit + one skimmer lid = peace and quiet. :yes:
The next project is to get my temperature regulated. I bought a digital thermometer that suctions to the outside of the tank with a sensor that suctions to the inside of the tank. I positioned the sensor far from the heater. I'm trying to dial in a water temperature of 79 degrees Farenheit but it's fussy. I'm right at 82 degrees right now and would rather not deal with a chiller. I'll keep you posted.
RSM Skimmer was making a LOT of noise.
I did some research and found this solution, http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/37316-skimmer-question.html">http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/37316-skimmer-question.html</a>. One drill + 1 drill bit + one skimmer lid = peace and quiet. :yes:
The next project is to get my temperature regulated. I bought a digital thermometer that suctions to the outside of the tank with a sensor that suctions to the inside of the tank. I positioned the sensor far from the heater. I'm trying to dial in a water temperature of 79 degrees Farenheit but it's fussy. I'm right at 82 degrees right now and would rather not deal with a chiller. I'll keep you posted.
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One last thing, unless you work right next to a LFS, you'll have to factor in driving there, waiting (though most of us won't mind that), etc. When gas hits $4/gallon again this summer, you will be looking at a few bucks just for the drive there, much less the water.
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Welcome aboard! I'll be looking for you at the next meeting.
I think you're looking at paying too much for R/O DI supplies. Let me introduce you to our friend http://www.bulkreefsupply.com">Bulk Reef Supply</a>. Most DI carts are refillable, so just buy the bulk DI color changing resin and you'll save a fortune.
[QUOTE=][B]Ace of Spades;344449 wrote:[/B] I make top off water every day, and in my case, it's over a gallon a day.[/QUOTE]
Just an aside: Large batches of water are cleaner than smaller, frequent batches of water. If you have an inline TDS meter you'll see you get an initial spike right when you your unit turns on. It's not a big issue, but something to keep in mind if you ever find yourself fighting cyano, algae, or diatoms.
I think you're looking at paying too much for R/O DI supplies. Let me introduce you to our friend http://www.bulkreefsupply.com">Bulk Reef Supply</a>. Most DI carts are refillable, so just buy the bulk DI color changing resin and you'll save a fortune.
[QUOTE=][B]Ace of Spades;344449 wrote:[/B] I make top off water every day, and in my case, it's over a gallon a day.[/QUOTE]
Just an aside: Large batches of water are cleaner than smaller, frequent batches of water. If you have an inline TDS meter you'll see you get an initial spike right when you your unit turns on. It's not a big issue, but something to keep in mind if you ever find yourself fighting cyano, algae, or diatoms.
In addition to saving money with RO/DI, one trip of filling up the tank with Publix RO/DI water - carrying it up 2 flights of stairs - convinced us the purchase was worth it.
The stairs were all it took to convince us.
Oops, where are my manners?
Welcome to ARC. Your tank build looks great.
Tank looks awesome, i love the aquascape!
And I would STRONGLY recommend getting your own RO/DI unit. It will pay for itself in convenience alone! I work at an LFS (non-sponsor, so i'm not supposed to mention the name...) and get free RO/DI water, and even with only a 20 gallon tank I got tired of lugging top-off and water change water home. I spent the money on an RO/DI unit and my tank has gotten more water changes in the few months I've had the unit than in the 2 years I've had the tank lol. It's worth it 100%, trust me. Also, your DI resin should be lasting you at least a year if the RO membrane is good. We go through at least 4,000 gallons a month at the shop and one DI membrane isn't exhasuted until after 6 months with us getting O tds the entire time, so a few gallons a week should keep yours going for a LONG time.
And I would STRONGLY recommend getting your own RO/DI unit. It will pay for itself in convenience alone! I work at an LFS (non-sponsor, so i'm not supposed to mention the name...) and get free RO/DI water, and even with only a 20 gallon tank I got tired of lugging top-off and water change water home. I spent the money on an RO/DI unit and my tank has gotten more water changes in the few months I've had the unit than in the 2 years I've had the tank lol. It's worth it 100%, trust me. Also, your DI resin should be lasting you at least a year if the RO membrane is good. We go through at least 4,000 gallons a month at the shop and one DI membrane isn't exhasuted until after 6 months with us getting O tds the entire time, so a few gallons a week should keep yours going for a LONG time.
Based on feedback in this thread I have redone my RO/DI analysis:
Here are my notes from trying to figure out whether to buy a RO/DI unit or buy LFS RO/DI water.
Initial equipment cost of RO/DI unit and parts:
- New 6st 100GPD Reverse Osmosis RO+DI+TANK Water Filters from http://www.purewaterclub.com">www.purewaterclub.com</a>, this comes with the saddle valve and a 3 gallon pressurized drinking water kit, $123
Total: ~$123
Maintenance cost:
- Cartridges, change every 1-2 years, $23 or$15 annually
- TFC filter, change every 2-3 years, $35 or $14 annually
Annual total cost ~ $29
Salt mix is $0.30/gallon
Can buy RO/DI salt water from LFS for $1 per gallon.
Water use:
- change 10% of the water weekly, this is 3.4 gallons x 52 = ~177 gallons of salt per year
- fresh water topoff, estimating 3 gallons per week x 52 = ~156 gallons of fresh per year
Total water purchase: $177 + $156 = $333 annually
Compare this with annual water filter cost of $29 + salt of (177 @ .30) $53 = $82
Basic difference of $251 per year but with an upfront cost of $123 I breakeven in less than a year.
Conclusion: Buy RO/DI unit! :w00t:
So...
Is this one a good one to order? It is from [IMG]http://www.purewaterclub.com">www.purewaterclub.com</a> as recommended above.
[IMG]http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq215/VoxHog/22-211-gjpg.jpg alt="" />
Here are my notes from trying to figure out whether to buy a RO/DI unit or buy LFS RO/DI water.
Initial equipment cost of RO/DI unit and parts:
- New 6st 100GPD Reverse Osmosis RO+DI+TANK Water Filters from http://www.purewaterclub.com">www.purewaterclub.com</a>, this comes with the saddle valve and a 3 gallon pressurized drinking water kit, $123
Total: ~$123
Maintenance cost:
- Cartridges, change every 1-2 years, $23 or$15 annually
- TFC filter, change every 2-3 years, $35 or $14 annually
Annual total cost ~ $29
Salt mix is $0.30/gallon
Can buy RO/DI salt water from LFS for $1 per gallon.
Water use:
- change 10% of the water weekly, this is 3.4 gallons x 52 = ~177 gallons of salt per year
- fresh water topoff, estimating 3 gallons per week x 52 = ~156 gallons of fresh per year
Total water purchase: $177 + $156 = $333 annually
Compare this with annual water filter cost of $29 + salt of (177 @ .30) $53 = $82
Basic difference of $251 per year but with an upfront cost of $123 I breakeven in less than a year.
Conclusion: Buy RO/DI unit! :w00t:
So...
Is this one a good one to order? It is from [IMG]http://www.purewaterclub.com">www.purewaterclub.com</a> as recommended above.
[IMG]http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq215/VoxHog/22-211-gjpg.jpg alt="" />
Update: Crystal clear!
I woke up today and my tank water is now crystal clear!
I also played around with the white balance on my camera (set to Kelvin 10,000 to match the lights) and took some new pictures.
You can see the rock placement better now that the water is cleared up. Here's three from a few different angles...
(1) from the left of the tank
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(2) from the front of the tank
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(3) from the right of the tank
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(4) Here's a picture of the front with no lights so that you can see how it looks in natural light
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(5) And the entire tank
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(6) Bonus picture. Can you see the big kissy lips and long face?:tongue2:
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I woke up today and my tank water is now crystal clear!
I also played around with the white balance on my camera (set to Kelvin 10,000 to match the lights) and took some new pictures.
You can see the rock placement better now that the water is cleared up. Here's three from a few different angles...
(1) from the left of the tank
(2) from the front of the tank
(3) from the right of the tank
(4) Here's a picture of the front with no lights so that you can see how it looks in natural light
(5) And the entire tank
(6) Bonus picture. Can you see the big kissy lips and long face?:tongue2:
Test kit experiments & getting the temperature right:
Temperature was still high at 82 degrees so I installed the optional water cooling fan. Hopefully this will give me enough air circulation that I don't have to install a chiller.
I played around with my test kits today. Here's what I have:
(1) Instant Ocean Hydrometer
(2) API Saltwater Master Test Kit
(3) Jungle Quick Dip Aquarium Multi-Test Kit
(3) Sera Ca Test (not used yet)
(4) Red Sea Mg Test (not used yet)
First up, the Hydrometer: Salinity of 1.023, the trick here is to make sure you don't have air bubbles on the needle. :doh: I'm happy with the salinity and it seems to be in line. The target for reef + fish is 1.0235?
Next, the API Test Kit:
PH: 7.8 (low, I'll need to fix this)
Ammonia: 0.5 ppm
Nitrite: 0.5 ppm
Nitrate: 0.0 ppm
Alkalinity: n/a in this kit
Now to compare this with the Jungle Quick Dip Aquarium Multi-Test Kit:
PH: 7.8 (the same as the API Test Kit)
Ammonia: n/a on this strip
Nitrite: 2.0 ppm (seems to be a BIG difference :mad2
Nitrate: 10 ppm (seems to be a difference but not a big one)
Alkalinity 300 ppm
Now to figure out if any of these are reliable. :whut:
Temperature was still high at 82 degrees so I installed the optional water cooling fan. Hopefully this will give me enough air circulation that I don't have to install a chiller.
I played around with my test kits today. Here's what I have:
(1) Instant Ocean Hydrometer
(2) API Saltwater Master Test Kit
(3) Jungle Quick Dip Aquarium Multi-Test Kit
(3) Sera Ca Test (not used yet)
(4) Red Sea Mg Test (not used yet)
First up, the Hydrometer: Salinity of 1.023, the trick here is to make sure you don't have air bubbles on the needle. :doh: I'm happy with the salinity and it seems to be in line. The target for reef + fish is 1.0235?
Next, the API Test Kit:
PH: 7.8 (low, I'll need to fix this)
Ammonia: 0.5 ppm
Nitrite: 0.5 ppm
Nitrate: 0.0 ppm
Alkalinity: n/a in this kit
Now to compare this with the Jungle Quick Dip Aquarium Multi-Test Kit:
PH: 7.8 (the same as the API Test Kit)
Ammonia: n/a on this strip
Nitrite: 2.0 ppm (seems to be a BIG difference :mad2
Nitrate: 10 ppm (seems to be a difference but not a big one)
Alkalinity 300 ppm
Now to figure out if any of these are reliable. :whut:
honestly, although it is unique, I don't like the kissy lips (but thats just me).
Looking good. Since you're only using API, before you begin adding fish, I would get all your results verified by your LFS (a free second opinion at least).
Depending on what you plan to keep, I've seen sort of a consensus on the ARC that a slightly higher salinity is better. (1.026) But where you have it is good.
Looking good. Since you're only using API, before you begin adding fish, I would get all your results verified by your LFS (a free second opinion at least).
Depending on what you plan to keep, I've seen sort of a consensus on the ARC that a slightly higher salinity is better. (1.026) But where you have it is good.
+1
Frankly, I don't like the kissy lips either. I didn't do it on purpose, it's just a "face in the clouds" that randomly popped out after I had it all together. I liked the "lips" because they will make a nice coral ledge. After I have some coral growing on the rocks Mr. Kissy Face will disappear forever.
Well, I personally like the kissing lips. Kinda unique looks one large rock. Oh BTW welcome to the club. I live in Marietta but like to visit Creation Reef on Hwy. 92. If you ever need anything LMK. I'm no veteran by any means but always willing to help and meet new people.
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