Hard water

[dwayne.aycock]

Actually, my filtration system is outside. I made / built the one I have. Remember Home Depot / lowes is your friend. Also you local swimming pool supply store. I got the cannisters from lowes for about $15 each and the filters I got the reusable ones from the pool supply store. I used the fuel pump from a car (new of course) to increase the PSI of the system. All I got was a AC to DC converter to make it run. I found other parts on ebay. I didn't do it all at once mind you. I built the system one stage at a time. I found a 6 stage R/O DI system on ebay for $60. The pool filters were $10 each. The most expensive part of the system was the R/O membrane at $45. Take a look at the PICs, it is really simple and not very expensive. Oh yeah, the 64 gallon drum was $60. So in the end, I make very high quality water for 2 tanks for about 19 cents per gallon, and I can make about 60+ gallons per day.

 

[crazychris]

I will have to definitely go that route instead of paying an outrageous price that a major company would make you pay. I've got a good friend of mine that's a plumber and he could most likely hook it all up for me if I got him the parts for it. He also had a 125 gallon saltwater tank that he did all of the plumbing on and he ended up putting 4 grand into an elaborate filtration system cuz his water was bad at his house too. So I might enlist in his help. It's sad to say but he had to sell it and didn't even get a grand for it. I'll look at your pictures and then I'll do the research too.

 

[dwayne.aycock]

Yeah the water is that good. I don't know how much you know about Discus, but they demand high water quality to say the least. They are said to be the most difficult of fresh water fishes because of the strict water requirements. I have been able to keep them with relative ease. My secret...the way I filter and store water in conjunction with frequent water changes. It has been my key to success with Discus as well as Angels.

 

[crazychris]

Yeah I don't know a whole lot about the Discus fish. I just did see a few of them and they are not cheap. I'd be pretty mad if one had died. Can you tell me what TDS' are? I'm pretty much new to the fish keeping world so the abbreviations don't mean a thing to me. I like fish but in order to keep the ones you have healthy and happy is like having kids. Lol. Another question for is why does everyone keep their ph at 8?

 

[dwayne.aycock]

TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids. Think of it this way...you are driving 60 mph on a motorcycle through the desert and the wind is not blowing. The sky is calm and clear...there would be little to irritate your eyes lungs, skin, mucous membranes, airway etc. Now imagine the same motorcycle and speed, but you are driving through a sand storm......lots of damage, irritation and if left in the environment for very long, eventually death. That is the environment our fish are in when in the aquarium. The more things we add to the tank, (chemicals, salts, minerals, stabilizers, etc) add to the ammount of stuff the fish have to contend with. It is both very stressful and there is no escape. When we add things to the tank, we think we are helping, and in the short term we are...but in the long run we are making things worse. The only way to reduce TDS is through frequent water changes and the elimination of things that contrubute to TDS. Think of it another way...water that is said to be hard has high TDS. Water that is said to be soft has low TDS. Certain fishes like low TDS like Discus, while others can tolerate high TDS, like African Cichlids. There is another water perameter called conductivity which is measured in Micro Siemens, or the ability of the water to conduct electricity. The higher the conductivity, the more stressful it is on fish due to osmoregulation. There is a guy called Joe Gargas who lives near me. He wrote the book on water quality and chemistry. Go to this site: Aqua Research Center
Joe had a small book there $20.00 that will make you a water expert! You will NEVER have fish or water problems again, because you have a thorough understanding of water and water quality. You will learn what to do and especially what NOT to do. If you are spending loads on dollars on aquarium chemicals, you will stop and save your money. I have not used any chemicals whatsoever in more than 9 months and my fish are doing just fine! As a matter of fact, they are thriving.I have 17 discus and 11 Angels, and they are growing like mad! No disease, distress, death, loss of appetite, eye or skin problems...absolutely nothing. And all I do is 50% WC on my 135 per week, and 80% WC on my 75 per week....no excuses. I can change out 40 gallons of water (40 out and 40 in) in about 15 minutes. No special tools....just a power head and a hose....thats all.

 

[dwayne.aycock]

By the way, I keep my PH at 6.6. Remember that PH is not nearly as important as the need to keep it stable. Most fish can acclimate to changes in PH over time. They have difficulty with PH that changes frequently, for example 8.0 to 7.0 to 7.6 to 6.8. This would be a wild ride that would kill a lot of fish.

 

[crazychris]

Wow I'm definitely getting that book or finding it on ebooks. I have a lot of learning to do I know that for sure. I may have to eventually upgrade my 55 gallon since a few of my fish will out grow that one. I might need a 90 gallon to hold them all since one of my fish can grow to 2 feet in length if I can keep it healthy. I would love to see that happen. You have taught me a lot in the short period of time I talked to you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me.