I wasn't being rude, i like tanks to look good thats all, i think it keeps the keeper more intrested if you do a tank more natural imo.
Your current Fish tank Setups!
- Thread starter Malt_Vinegar
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I wasn't being rude, i like tanks to look good thats all, i think it keeps the keeper more intrested if you do a tank more natural imo.
I used to use phosgaurd and found it leecing aluminum dangerous levels according to my icp test, went back to rowa phos, dirty and needs flushed about a bit but great for phosphates. what tds are getting from the RO water should be zero.
0 on the RO
E: I suspect it will only begin to leach once exhausted though. I exhausted my last batch and i got red/blue/green algaes forming on my pukani in a day and my corals looked very badly. I have nothing to test for aluminum unfortunately
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any recommendations for a cheap(ish) dosing setup - only really need two pumps doing ferts and liquid co2- although i could get away with one in theory...
You can get a 4 port Jebao doing pump for £60 on eBay/Amazon. The three port is a few £ less, they also do 2 and 5 pump versions. I have a 4 port, its pretty basic but does the job, the minimum dose amounts are 1ml ever day.
If you are getting down to auto dosing I would recommend pressurized CO2 if you have a decent sized tank over anything else. It's more cost effective over the long term. Liquid carbon adds up really quickly when you start doing it consistently. I also think its more effective to use pressurized CO2 and is much easier on the plants.
If you are getting down to auto dosing I would recommend pressurized CO2 if you have a decent sized tank over anything else. It's more cost effective over the long term. Liquid carbon adds up really quickly when you start doing it consistently. I also think its more effective to use pressurized CO2 and is much easier on the plants.
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thats defiantly the other option but seems to be around £150 for a solenoid based setup then tanks... plus with a dosing pump i can add ferts if i want to go down that route.
why did you bin them hassle getting gas refills ? i have tried liquid before never remembered to dose daily though, using 2kg c02 FE at the minute plant growth is rapid not sure if i can get it refilled though locally it's lasted nearly 6 months so far but i reckon it will run out soon.
I used to use a CO2 fire extinguisher and adapter.
Under £25 delivered. It was cheaper and easier buying a new bottle each time than looking for someone local to refill them. Don't know what costs are now though.
i paid £29 delivered last time refills seem to vary wildly though that's if you can find someone local to do it on ukaps forum prices range from £5 - £20 depending on where you are in the country for a 2kg FE refill
One of the local petrol stations around me stocks Adams gas cylinders. £14 to refill a 3.15kg cylinder. When I say re-fill its really a new for old swap. Tanks last an age but that really depends on the size of your tank and how much light you have.
Sure CO2 is expensive to get going, you are looking at about £150 for everything including gas. But your running costs are way less are £20 a year instead of £15 a fortnight on liquid CO2. Shop around....
I just don't understand how you can dump two CO2 kits because liquid carbon is cheaper? That's crazy mans math that is....
Also how is liquid CO2 less hassle? You have to dose it daily and it melts some plants... CO2 is set and forget.
Don't get me wrong liquid CO2 has its place and I have a bottle knocking around but it is an inferior product at growing plants compared to using gas and it is much more expensive long term if you have a decent sized tank.
Sure CO2 is expensive to get going, you are looking at about £150 for everything including gas. But your running costs are way less are £20 a year instead of £15 a fortnight on liquid CO2. Shop around....
I just don't understand how you can dump two CO2 kits because liquid carbon is cheaper? That's crazy mans math that is....
Also how is liquid CO2 less hassle? You have to dose it daily and it melts some plants... CO2 is set and forget.
Don't get me wrong liquid CO2 has its place and I have a bottle knocking around but it is an inferior product at growing plants compared to using gas and it is much more expensive long term if you have a decent sized tank.
Two co2 kits i had over the years, i don't like seeing micro bubbles in the water colomn, tropical tank that i have now is just an easy low to maintain 5ml liquid carbon a day and sqirt of ferts once a week job done tanks gets a water change with RO water every 3 weeks then add Equilibrium, alkaline buffer and Acid buffer the tank looks after itself, most of my time goes looking after two marines now.
Eugh, I've got hair algae getting out of hand now 
I tried a 3 day blackout, but all that achieved was finally killing off the xenia (was on its last legs anyway) and peeing off the toadstool!
It was mainly just on 1 rock, so i pulled that rock out and scrubbed it down in a bucket of old tank water after a water change, that stayed clear for about a week before it came back with a vengeance!
I've been pulling it off by hand whilst doing water changes, but it seems to be back even thicker within a day or 2
I've reduced my photoperiod to 10 hours (9am -7pm) and reduced feeding to every other day, but doesn't seem to be helping, I'm using rowaphos, just in a bag in front of a powerhead, nitrates 0, phosphate <0.3. Also tested my salt mix and top up water, phosphate & nitrates 0 on both.
We lost a fish a couple of weeks ago (didnt look 100% in the morning, came home from work to find a satisfied looking emerald crab holding on to a fin), so obviously that will have dumped a load of nutrients into the tank, but have done a couple of big water changes since then.
Other than that, water params are pretty stable, all corals are doing fine (still alive, montipora is growing well)
It's now almost all over the tank, not sure what the next step is really, reducing the photoperiod further? But don't want to pee off the corals if possible (although it's getting to the point I'm in there every couple of days pulling out algae to stop them getting smothered anyway!)
I tried a 3 day blackout, but all that achieved was finally killing off the xenia (was on its last legs anyway) and peeing off the toadstool!
It was mainly just on 1 rock, so i pulled that rock out and scrubbed it down in a bucket of old tank water after a water change, that stayed clear for about a week before it came back with a vengeance!
I've been pulling it off by hand whilst doing water changes, but it seems to be back even thicker within a day or 2
I've reduced my photoperiod to 10 hours (9am -7pm) and reduced feeding to every other day, but doesn't seem to be helping, I'm using rowaphos, just in a bag in front of a powerhead, nitrates 0, phosphate <0.3. Also tested my salt mix and top up water, phosphate & nitrates 0 on both.
We lost a fish a couple of weeks ago (didnt look 100% in the morning, came home from work to find a satisfied looking emerald crab holding on to a fin), so obviously that will have dumped a load of nutrients into the tank, but have done a couple of big water changes since then.
Other than that, water params are pretty stable, all corals are doing fine (still alive, montipora is growing well)
It's now almost all over the tank, not sure what the next step is really, reducing the photoperiod further? But don't want to pee off the corals if possible (although it's getting to the point I'm in there every couple of days pulling out algae to stop them getting smothered anyway!)
I wouldn't totally rely on the test kits as showing low or zero because the nutrition in the tank is tied up inside the algea itself, you can get a lot of leeching out of the rocks.
Vibrant and Fluconazole is what I use to combat my algea problems, check them out.
Vibrant and Fluconazole is what I use to combat my algea problems, check them out.
Aye you can do, I just switched it off for 5 days took it out and gave it a good clean whilst I wasn't using it.
Help, it's getting worse
Fluconazole doesn't appear to have done anything, got some more on order, will do a big water change and dose again, anything else to try?
Would getting a reactor for my rowaphos help, or is that going to be pointless because it's all tied up in the algae?
Fluconazole doesn't appear to have done anything, got some more on order, will do a big water change and dose again, anything else to try?
Would getting a reactor for my rowaphos help, or is that going to be pointless because it's all tied up in the algae?