My System Works!

[Paul_MTS]

my 31g nano reef system has been running about 2 months now i think and my filtration is working very well.

i haven't water changed for about 3 weeks now i think. i recently got some ro water off a mate mixed it up ready and thought i would water test before i did it and there were no nitrates at all.

So i think i'll put the water into storage just bubbling over until I need it!

My feeding is every other night with some micro or red plankton and with a small bit of either, artemia, daphia, tubifex or cyclops. and i use Red sea coral food liquid.

 

[steelhealr]

Paul...I would caution you about not doing regular water changes in a nano reef. Although your nitrates and 'params' may look normal, your tank will be consuming things that you may not measure. Eg, doing regular water changes will replace used up calcium, magnesium, strontium and molybdenum. In addition, there are things such as dissolved organics, materials secreted by corals and even phosphates that can accumulate from feeding food. I strongly recommend that you reconsider and do regular water changes. A nano tank crash comes swiftly and sometimes with little warning. These systems just don't behave like a 75 gallon mini-reef system. JMO. SH

 

[Paul_MTS]

opps kinda forgot about the trace elements bit

 

[Lynden]

If you use hard water, you dont have to use certain supplements, since the water is mineral rich in the first place. But yeah, in such a small amount of water, the minerals will be used up very rapidly, leaving you with a lower-than-desired pH level.

 

[Navarre]

err no

Hard water can carry all sorts of mineral just as soft water can but what type of minerals? This is a frightening thought and RO water is the safest way forward.

 

[Paul_MTS]

I use 100% RO and kent salt for water changes. I have been using TMC but this wasn't getting the PH up but now using the kent it's on the up.

 

[Lynden]

Well, isnt soft water called "soft" because of lacks of minerals? To take care of this "hidden mineral" thing, there is all sorts of things you can do, from running the tap for awhile before filling, to simply using a more powerful dechlorinator for heavy metals. The only problem tap water has ever caused for anyone ive ever asked is the occasional algae bloom(im expiriencing a mild one right now). Im personally a little afraid of using RO and ion exchanged water because of how soft the water is that your dumping into the tank....


We are an ocean away from eachother, our waters must just be a little different.
Sorry for the bad advice )

 

[steelhealr]

Chestnut...wrong thinking. Dechlorinator 'dechlorinates'. There are some products that may remove heavy metals, which you know, are toxic to marine fish in accumulating doses. Soft water has 'less' minerals, not zero minerals. Phosphates are NOT considered in the soft/hard equation, so, you can have soft water with high phosphates.

No matter how you try and slice it, RO water is scientifically the BEST and most OPTIMAL water you can use to recreate salt water in your aquarium and reduce the risk to your livestock. And you aren't 'dumping' it into your tank..it is mixed with sea salt, right? Topoff water is minimal with regards to the entire volume of the tank. SH