John,s Reef Journal {experience Newbie}

FTS 29/08/08

Lookin Good

BigC

God dam it {bangs head on table several times }
I bought a RO unit some time back but my mate never got round to fitting it for me and I just did not trust my self {well my partner never trusted me not to flood the utility room} So I was buying my ro water from a aquatics shop 15 miles away from my home. Up to 5 weeks ago when I found an aquatics shop only 2 miles away from me. I how have loads of hair algae all over the sand I clean it every day but it just keeps coming back, do you think that aquatics shops RO unit is past its best and needs its filters changed, or could it be just a coincidence and be some thing I am doing or not doing {I change the phos pads every 6 weeks and I have just changed over to phos crystals yesterday to see if they work any better} and I also have the cheato refuge I just cant see what I am doing wrong so any help would be much appreciated thank you

Ok i have had enough of waiting for my RO unit to be fitted by a friend . So I have rang around some plumbers today and I am looking at £95 + vat to have it fitted . The guy is coming next week and is going to run a new pipe off the supply that feeds the out side tap which I use for my pond. He said he will also put a stop tap on it like the ones you use on a washing machine so if any thing goes wrong I can isolate it. so all I have to do now is work out how to pipe the ro unit up as my partner has thrown away the box and instructions :stupid: {it’s a ro_man 50 gpd 4 stage with DI unit 2P RO50 INDI I think} If any one has any pics on how to pipe it up {where to put the flush kit / pressure gauge ect I would really appreciate it} also what pressure should I be looking for on the pressure gauge on the unit?

~30PSI would be nice

SkiFletch said:

~30PSI would be nice

Click to expand...

Thanks skifletch
If my memory serves me correctly from when we had the new bathroom fitted the water pressure is about 1.6 bar and I think that is about 22 psi. So do you think this would be ok or should I order a pump to up the pressure and get it fitted at the same time as the RO unit?

Well, 22psi is a little on the low side, but it'll probably still work. You can always add the pump later, so I'd try it and if it happens to be painfully slow, then get a booster pump

Yer I am going to have to get a power supply fitted near by any ways to power the air pump and heater. So I suppose I could just put a plug on the booster pump if I need one and the water supply to the ro unit will have a stop valve on it so it should be quite a simple job to do. So yep I think I will try it out first before spending any more money thanks again for the info and ideas much appreciated john,o

Ok the good news first; I now have my RO unit up and running
{Although it is very slow and could do with a pump}
Now the bad I am still having problems with the hair algae it is only growing on the sand bed I vacuum the sand every week when I change the water so that should be ok, and I have also been removing as much of it as I possibly can when it shows its ugly head but it keeps coming back. I have tested the water parameters several times and there all ok {in fact there very good} so I just can’t understand what’s going on. So I have now changed about 75% of the water and I will change the last 25% later on tonight {don’t know why because the tests are good but at this stage I will try any thing} OK here is a list of what I have done so far hopefully some one mite be able to work out what I am doing wrong
Changed the phos adsorbed {changed from pads to crystals}
Changed the carbon
Change 20% water every Saturday
Vacuum the sand every Saturday
Planning to do next
Changed 100% water over 2 days
Turn lights down from 11Hrs a day to 8Hrs a day {what do you think will this be ok for the corals ect?}
{Just changed my job so can see a led/ main light mod coming soon so I can put them on timers}
Any think else you guys and girls can think of? PLZ HELP I am rapidly loosing my hair just a pity it’s the hair on my head and not in the tank

Have you got a sump john.....
If not consider something along the line.
I was tormented by the stuff in the early days, nothing worked, that is until I installed a small sump/fuge. with Cheato algae lit 24/7 with a full spectrum daylight energy saver bulb.
Now hair algae is a distant memory.

Turn lights down from 11Hrs a day to 8Hrs a day {what do you think will this be ok for the corals ect?}

Click to expand...

Mine are only on 8 hours a day.

Regards
BigC

Lets see some new pics of that leather!

BigC said:

Have you got a sump john.....
If not consider something along the line.
I was tormented by the stuff in the early days, nothing worked, that is until I installed a small sump/fuge. with Cheato algae lit 24/7 with a full spectrum daylight energy saver bulb.
Now hair algae is a distant memory.

Turn lights down from 11Hrs a day to 8Hrs a day {what do you think will this be ok for the corals ect?}

Click to expand...

Mine are only on 8 hours a day.

Regards
BigC

Click to expand...

Hello bigC
Unfortunately no I don’t have a sump , I just don’t have the room under the tank for a sump the cupboard is very small but I do have a custom refugium with a v2 nano skimmer and a custom led light cheato refugium which seems to be going very well the cheato is growing like mad so yea it’s all good. It’s interesting to see you only have your lights on for 8Hrs a day bigC. How long is the norm? {What times your light on for guys girls} just wondering could this be the problem ummmmmm

Post a pic of the leather tomorrow chrissaysyes I have just done a water change so it is closed up + lights are out I have only got the moons on. You won’t believe how big it has grown in such a short time.

BEAUTIFUL. Sarcophytons are some of my favorite corals. Wish I could find a nice big piece like that locally.

Yea it’s really settled in well . Its now twice the size it was when I got it from my LFS , and I have got to say it was a real bargain only £28 The picture dose not really do it any justice its much bigger than it looks its got to be 6 – 7 inches across and a really nice cream yellow color, its possibly my favorite coral in the tank at the moment