Buffy's 1st Ever SW Build - Reef Tank

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How is everything going Buffy?

Thanks for asking. Have had alot going on, very stressful life these days, however It's going, keep battling water issues. Disassembled sump and put back Fluval 405, things got better but am over run with aiptasia. Lost my fire fish and elegance is almost gone but it is hanging on...barely. I'm at a loss. :( I don't know what to do so I am just kinda keeping a head count and watching the elegance go and aiptasia grow.
 
Sorry for your losses, Buffy. I finally have entered back into the hobby, and my first fish already has ich. QT time! :lol:

I am just happy that I caught it before I added any more fish.

I hope things get better soon!
 
Sorry for your losses, Buffy. I finally have entered back into the hobby, and my first fish already has ich. QT time! :lol:

I am just happy that I caught it before I added any more fish.

I hope things get better soon!

Glad you got back, sorry bout the ich. I took my first 2 week vacation and had my daughter do top off and feed. Everything was ok. She can't do much as if she gets saltwater or fishwater I should say (she had a freshwater tank and had to get rid of it) cause if the water gets on her, her eyes get red and they swell so much they almost close.

I need to change out the fluval. Right now I just put in carbon and floss to help with some of the issue. Any recommendations? I made an aiptasia wand last year. Not too shabby if I say so myself either. I plan on getting in there in the next day or two and using it ALOT.

I keep getting this dusty type stuff. no clue what it is. I also have bubble algae that comes and goes. Couple of months ago it was BAD, then it started going away and I can see it hasn't gone completely but is much better but it looks like it may be coming back. I lost my furnace again last night and repair man should be here soon, so after I run to bank I am going to do all my water tests again. They are not spot on but they weren't too bad last time either. But if I can get them spot on I think things will get alot better.

Some corals are getting bigger...the zoas but not very fast. I lost a couple of them too. I have this coral with about 9 heads, I forget what it is but that thing opens up and it gets HUGE. It is thriving in this nasty water LOL.

Elegance still has a little life in it. I love that guy, I hope he makes it. He is struggling to make it and is still hanging in there and gets a little bigger here and there and then goes small again. There is just a little of him left in his shell but he is still there.
 
RO/DI Regeneration

I have a 4 stage RO/DI setup. I've been through hell and working my way back so I can't afford to replace contents. Does anyone know how to regenerate it?

Thanks
 
Hey Buffy,

I dont know of anyway to regenerate the carbon or DI resin. If you shop around you can get the di resin for maybe $10 for enough to refill the single canister.
The carbon is about $8 at the fish store and the sediment filter can be as low as $3/.
 
I'm still hanging in there lol. Still have my 75 gal though it is going south and I am trying to recover and bring it back. Growth is not going well at all, just the opposite actually and has been. I know these guys probably hate me right now.

Unfortunately I don't have even 8 or 10 dollars right now Carey.

I lost 2 pumps last week and a wrasse.

My TDS is over 80 so I know my algae problem is part bad ro/di water.

I removed the sump back in November and reinstalled my fluval 405 and added the Marineland Emporer back on, trying to get some filtration/water movement going with what I had on hand. (on the side though). Am wanting to reinstall my sump.

I also need to get ATO and Auto feeder somehow as I am trying to take vacations to Florida 3x a year in prep to retire and move there (One of my daughters moved there so I just need to save gas money and a hotel for 2 nights to go). I want my tank to go with me alive and well.

I have 1 working circ pump going besides the 2 filters.....the sump will help me with flow I hope.

I am still using the LED's I bought (shown somewhere in this thread).

My CUC is very low also and will remain so for a while.

Thanks Redsea, it's good to be back, kinda.....lol just wish it wasn't with a slew of problems.

Nice to see you two are still around. Missed you guys.
 
Buffy, one of the things I had to do when my ro/di went down was use just distilled water you can get at walmart. It ends up being 88 cents a gallon. Ends up being real close to the price of replacement filters and such a month if I do the math right...but it is MUCH better that the high tds you are getting right there if you can swing it.
 
Hi Buffy...you can regenerate DI resin, but it's a pretty lengthy process I wouldn't advise. Pretty much same case with activated carbon. Good luck with your tank, sometimes priorities change.
 
We have RO/DI's at work and water polishing units but they are of course industrial size and we regenerate them all the time, I just didn't know if I could do it on a small home scale. I don't have acid/caustic here at home LOL.

I could replace the DI part (it still looks good - it's in a clear cylinder) but I am concerned with the first 3 stages, ummm sediment filter, crap forgot what the 2nd one is - carbon something I think and the third being the ro membrane. Those cylinders are not clear for me to get a visual.

Looks like I am gonna have to somehow come up with the money to replace the unit.
 
I want clear cylinders so I can see things expire before I get into this fix again and it doesn't appear to cost much more if I get the set. Then I can just replace filters and resin.
 
Think I should start a new thread or something since this one is sooooo long? And it's not a "new" tank anymore, just trying to "restore" it.
 
Good news

So I talked to one of the lab guys at work that is on my shift who also happens to have a tank (29 or 39 cube I think plus a little one) and he is gonna see if he can regenerate my ro for me. I have no problem replacing resin as I still have some from last time plus I can get some at work. With acid/caustic in bulk at work, gonna see if we can do the little home ro. If it doesn't work, I also talked to the lab supervisor yesterday and he said I can bring demin water home and alot of the guys do that. Just found out yesterday a few of the guys with tanks don't have ro's they bring water home from work. lol WHEW. So I will bring in a few of my 1 gallon containers and start hauling when I have to work.

I brought home a conductivity meter and tested my water. It is 112.48mho's. It should be 0 after leaving ro/di. (Least it is at work lol). Which this means that my tank is high in conductivity. Anything I can do to fix that besides working on water changes? I can only bring so much home at a time. We do have camera's on the property all over and even though I have permission there still is a chance someone will get pissed since some of them still have a target on my back, so I don't want to bring much home. Least during daytime lol and I don't work nights for another week.

So I know of at least 3 guys at work who have tanks now, didn't know any did. I knew one had one but he is off my shift now and he had dismantled it but since seeing mine he has started his back up lol. I am so glad my lab guy has a tank, but a few minute conversation with anyone there dealing with tanks turns into a half hour or more and then we are busting butt trying to catch up on our regular jobs LMAO.:whistle:
 
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