Will I Be Ok For 6-7weeks

[atmmachine816]

Ok, so I'm probably getting my LR next weekend. My question:

I won't be able to get a test kit till mid april giving me roughly 6 weeks of running a SW tank with no test kit. From what I've been reading the diatoms can get unruly, will they be ok to be out of check for 6-7 weeks or after a month would it be ok to add part of the cleanup crew to keep them in check as long as I get my water tested by a lfs and keep up with the 10% weekly water changes and top-offs?

thanks

p.s. I can't get it until then because my dad wants to order a refractometer and test kit and whatever else I might want all at once so I have to save up until I can get it.

 

[SkiFletch]

with no corals in there, go nuts

 

[bunjiweb]

I dont see why not. I havent tested the water in my 3 small nanos as I believe you can tell alot of how the water quality is by looking at the quality of life in the tank. Of course salinity needs to observe but I only have a test kit just in case I can see a decline in quality of corals, inverts or fish in the tank or I have anything like an algae bloom.

Ben

 

[tmreynolds]

I would advise that you run rowaphos from day 1 though, this will make sure your phosphates are in check. Once nuisance algae starts to bloom, its already too late really. Run it from day one and remove the cause, rather than reacting afterwards.

Diatoms however don't seem to run on phosphates so rowaphos will not stop them, and diatoms are very common, almost guaranteed in new tanks, but a good CUC should sort them out and good houskeeping. turbo snails and also reg legged hermits seem to love them and keep mine in check no probs, together with regular water changes and a gravel vac/syphon = no diatoms

 

[atmmachine816]

Ok, though are rowaphos a thing you put in your hob filter to remove phosphates or is that the water, I didn't see it in the glossary of terms and I'm a little confused?

Yes I plan on doing the regular water changes after two weeks I think right? since then the cycle should be over or should I just start off with water changes and how much?

Could I add some hermits say a month later as long as i'm up with my maintence and get the water tested at my lfs?

O this is a common sense but when I gravel vac I should hover 2" above the sand right? o how might I go about disinfecting my fw mini gravel vac just incase there's anything in it..bleache and lots of water?

thanks a ton

 

[Mr.September15]

Rowaphos goes into your HOB filter or I think in your sump. Either way it gets to your tank. Yeah its best to get your water tested at the LFS before you add livestock in case your params are out of whack, it will save you money also knowing that your tank isn't ready for fish/inverts. And for your vac NEVER use bleach when around aquarium supplies. Once its in your tank its hard to take out. If you let your vac dry in the sun and rinse it again after that will take care of the crap from your FW tank. I tend not to waste my time hovering over my sand and instead target clean, meaning that I watch for anything on the top of my sand bed (poop,small rubble,molts, etc.) and take them out. If you can't see it, its not there. Not the best theory to stand with but it works for me.

 

[atmmachine816]

Ok, well the sun won't work, it's still below freezing here, maybe it wil get warmer soon

is this it if so is zeolite another name for it?

thanks

 

[JaminRat]

Diatoms are fueled mainly by Silicate but thankfully Rowaphos removes both phosphate and silicate.

Rowaphos is a trade name for a phosphate remover but is recommended by most people in the hobby. Just google it I think they have a website.

 

[atmmachine816]

Ok thanks, do you think if I can't find that brand another phosphate remover would work the same?

thanks

 

[JaminRat]

There are others available but rowaphos seems to give the best results. The advice I recieved was to use a black wet media not the dry grey media as the later can leech phosphate etc back into the system once it's used whereas the former keeps it locked away.

Lots of places sell it online including marinedepot

 

[atmmachine816]

Ok hopefuly my lfs wiill sell it, my dad won't buy it online for me atm, later though.

Do you need to keep running this in your tank, my understanding was that ro water removes the need to remove phosphates?

 

[JaminRat]

I would advise to run it all the time. That way you stay one step ahead of the algae and their is no detrimental affect to running it 24/7. I think it lasts for up to 6 weeks so it's not a huge expense to prevent lots of problems.

 

[atmmachine816]

Ok I'll see what I can find, if not i'll have to wait till I can order it online.

Thanks a lot