Thirty Gallon Build!!!

[needmorecowbell]

It looks fine to me. The feeder tentacles are out like mine.

That was it before, I'll get a pic of it now at some point, it's over extending and almost green.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Hegan has some excellent single t5 fixtures you can get on amazon. By the way, my brother set up his 75 with a combo of T5s and LEDs and his corals look way better with both then with either alone.

I'll check them out, thanks. I just don't know what bulb I want, since I can only have one lol. I'm thinking maybe fiji or uv actinic..

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I'll check them out, thanks. I just don't know what bulb I want, since I can only have one lol. I'm thinking maybe fiji or uv actinic..

Both are excellent. The fiji is surprisingly whiter than I expected it to be when I first got one. More like a 12000k in effect.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Oh, alright.. I'll have to look at the spectroscopies then.. Ugh, not this again lol. I wish I could fit two bulbs in but I can't, it's not possible. That way I could put both parts of the spectrum that I'm missing, but maybe I'll find something that covers most of what I need.

 

[needmorecowbell]

So, after making a thread about it and reading a lot, I'm probably gong with the ati purple plus and the Hagen fixture when I have the cash.

Good news about the tank: bryopsis on corals is slowly dying off, maybe even dying off the rock too, but I can't really tell.

Bad news: cyano is worse, it's getting on the rock and corals.. Yay :I I got till Friday until the second dosing of it. I might not dose then though.. I'm might just do tons and tons of water changes. The only problem with pwc's are that it removes magnesium from the tank, the main thing I'm dosing.

 

[Sniperhank]

Just keep siphoning and doing your water changes. Don't worry about the mag, it is a side thing compared to your 2 issues.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Well, the reason im dosing is to get rid of the bryopsis. So it's really a decision between which to get rid of first. I'm thinking bryopsis since I already dosed to highish levels. Then comes another war with cyano, but I've done it before, so its not as bad.

 

[needmorecowbell]

If my rodi filter could breath, I'd strangle it... Just measured the ratio of waste to pure water, and it's at 1:1 lol.. No reason I'm getting cyano and bryopsis, my water levels are completely out of control. So now comes another purchase, a replacement filter pack coming in at 36$. Guess the t5 supplement will have to wait. Luckily my corals all seem happy, except for my mother colony of seriatopora and my clove polyps, which are both being smothered by algae. Sometimes this hobby is so stressful.. Well, that's enough complaining, good news is all my fish are happy and the nitrates aren't spiking. The sand is slowly going to my fuge and should be gone at some point.. The bare parts look nice I think. I'll be putting sps on the bottom to encrust.

 

[Sniperhank]

For your bird's nest, get it as close to the strongest your flow is in your tank. That is how I'm keeping the algae off of mine. I have it borderline infront of a PH that is pointed at the glass. It loves it.

You want SPS to encrust onto the bottom of your tank? Why?

 

[needmorecowbell]

Alright I'll try that, anything is worth a shot now. I just think it would look cool to have something like that on the bottom. I'm not talking the whole thing, just some spots.

 

[needmorecowbell]

So I haven't been doing water changes because of the filter being messed up and my algae has slowed down drastically... Is this confirming my rodi is junk? I bought distilled for topoff water.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

So I haven't been doing water changes because of the filter being messed up and my algae has slowed down drastically... Is this confirming my rodi is junk? I bought distilled for topoff water.

Sorry to hear that. Do you think changing the membrane and prefilters would get it in working order?

Oh, wait!!! You may need to check your flow restrictor. I had my flow restrictor go bad on me a while back add I had to replace it. I found that out only after I replaced everything on it and it still didn't work correctly. The good thing out of all that was I was able to get one for a 75 gpd membrane and I upped both the flow rate on my RO and improved my TDS levels out of the system. If that's your problem you can call BRS for the parts. The flow restrictor has to match the membrane.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Sorry to hear that. Do you think changing the membrane and prefilters would get it in working order?

Oh, wait!!! You may need to check your flow restrictor. I had my flow restrictor go bad on me a while back add I had to replace it. I found that out only after I replaced everything on it and it still didn't work correctly. The good thing out of all that was I was able to get one for a 75 gpd membrane and I upped both the flow rate on my RO and improved my TDS levels out of the system. If that's your problem you can call BRS for the parts. The flow restrictor has to match the membrane.

Well I bought a replacement kit today so I hope if will help.. Flow restrictor? I don't have a brs, mines from purewater club on ebay

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Well I bought a replacement kit today so I hope if will help.. Flow restrictor? I don't have a brs, mines from purewater club on ebay

I don't have a BRS RO filter either. As long as your filter uses the standard membrane they are all interchangeable. Almost every RO manufacturer uses DOW membranes. The good thing about BRS is they sell better quality replacement filters and parts than almost any other company for crazy good prices.

If your RO still gives you trouble after you use the replacement kit let me know. I'll try to troubleshoot it with you to get it working properly. Hopefully the kit you ordered will do the trick though.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Alright, thanks, I'll definitely hit you up if I need to. Id like to upgrade slowly with it also, get the inline tds reader and stuff. I really hope it works, I want my tank to be happy again

Before I added the hawk I was getting crazy growth and good colors, I'm hoping everything will settle soon. Also, I took the canopy off for a bit, I really like how it looks without it now lol. The Black trim I painted on made it much nicer.

 

[jjamontan]

Just thought I would chime in. I also have the cheap unit from eBay ever since I got it ky algae growth has been crazy. I guess turning my facet all the way up it is not filtering filtering correctly.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Just thought I would chime in. I also have the cheap unit from eBay ever since I got it ky algae growth has been crazy. I guess turning my facet all the way up it is not filtering filtering correctly.

Well, If they all use the same filters, why does that happen? Have you used a more expensive filter also? Also, I'm not sure what you mean about the faucet, mines connected to the hose.. Do you not have enough pressure?

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Hey adam whats the plan for the tank? How the corals and fish look? We have both had some dumpy luck lately :/

 

[jjamontan]

Well, If they all use the same filters, why does that happen? Have you used a more expensive filter also? Also, I'm not sure what you mean about the faucet, mines connected to the hose.. Do you not have enough pressure?

I am using the filter that came with it. It is connected to the sink in the laundry room. When I turn the water up all the way it will make 7 gallons in around 45 minutes so I turned it down to run slower.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Hey adam whats the plan for the tank? How the corals and fish look? We have both had some dumpy luck lately :/

Yeah I know.. It stinks.. Im slowly getting rid of my softies and some lps to get more sps. Today I'm meeting with mrc, a member here and im trading him all of my seriatopora and my acan echinata. He's giving me in return a zoa, chalice, and 2 sps frags. I'm probably not getting any more fish, unless my tank starts to get better fast. Maybe I'll get one in a half a year or so.. Idk. The corals aren't as happy as they were, but they are getting there. My purple plasma looks great, bonsai is encrusting and coloring up. Once the replacement kit comes, im going nuts on water changes, maybe 1 gallon a day till it's gone. That would work I think.. Im going barebottom if you didn't know. Should look good once I have it cleaned. My lfs has a barebottom reef tank that looks stunning so I'll get some tips from them today. That's about all!