Your current Fish tank Setups!

Nasher · 26 Apr 2019 at 23:37

Spook187 said:
Get an RO system matey, not that expensive really change filters twice a year.

Yea I might install one in the kitchen at some point

Water additives I'm using do neutralise the metals as well as chlorine etc, but will still be read on a TDS meter because they are still in the water. So the reading isn't all that helpful.

rebel rebel · 26 Apr 2019 at 23:40

Nasher said:
Yea I might install one in the kitchen at some point

I used a y connector off the washing machine cold water pipe. Simple!

rebel rebel · 27 Apr 2019 at 04:36

This woman is a maniac. She doses and tops up manually, and just has a skimmer. Amazing!

user_name · 27 Apr 2019 at 11:19

b0rn2sk8 said:
^^

user_name suggested keeping the KH below 250, I think he meant TDS (total dissolved solids) because a KH of 250 is way off the scale (15 is considered high for cherry shrimp). Keeping it as low as possible isn't a bad shout though, but you can only really do that with water changes. It also depends on what the TDS is out of the tap, mine is over 200.

Are you sure the shrimp are not being predated on by your other fish?

haha ye my bad my phone wouldnt let me edit my post, i meant under 250 TDS and keep your Kh at a (lowish) stable level .

Nasher · 27 Apr 2019 at 12:16

I might try one of these for softening the water: https://www.amazon.co.uk/API-Aquari...Pillows&qid=1556363684&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0

My fish were raised in very hard water so seem ok with it. It's just the cherry shimps which seem to have issues.

RobHu · 27 Apr 2019 at 12:16

rebel rebel said:
This woman is a maniac. She doses and tops up manually, and just has a skimmer. Amazing!

That's nuts, you couldn't take even a single day away from the tank with that kind of setup!

b0rn2sk8 · 27 Apr 2019 at 14:21

Nasher said:
I might try one of these for softening the water: https://www.amazon.co.uk/API-Aquari...Pillows&qid=1556363684&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0

My fish were raised in very hard water so seem ok with it. It's just the cherry shimps which seem to have issues.

Unless you go the full RO route I wouldn't bother buying anything to change your water chemistry, all it will do is create fluctuations which are often more damaging than just leaving it alone.

rebel rebel · 27 Apr 2019 at 16:00

RobHu said:
That's nuts, you couldn't take even a single day away from the tank with that kind of setup!

I know, it's crazy how many top quality SPS she has, all growing well. She mentions how she likes swings in parameters and doses all the alk in one go.

Geodude97AD · 27 Apr 2019 at 16:04

NoobCannon said:
Its not about a “right to passage” i said that you need to be prepared to put the time in with marine fish.

You have said just now yourself that there is additional cost and complexity to a saltwater setup, a freshwater set up consists of the following.

Buy tank
Buy filter
Buy grave sand decorations
Wait for cycle and add fish

Saltwater in its simplest form

Buy tank
Learn to mix and test saltwater
Set up tank
Auto top off
Skimmer
Sand/rock
Precise temperature control
Salinity testing

And thats just the basics. I cannot honestly be bothered to get into an argument with someone over the internet but as i said in my first response to you, jumping straight into saltwater is asking for trouble with 0 experience in fish keeping. unless you are prepared to put in the time its likley to end in expensive tears

Salt water is easy but I no longer keep saltwater, one power cut when at work resulted in a dead tank full of sps, lps, soft coral, plate coral, mushrooms, fish, crabs, snail, worms, even the liverock. If your running saltwater without back up power its all going to die when the power goes out.

rebel rebel · 27 Apr 2019 at 16:06

Wasn't so easy then was it?

Geodude97AD · 27 Apr 2019 at 16:10

That was my point, keeping them is easy enough until you don't foresee an issue. I had been growing sps for years its not difficult.

rebel rebel · 27 Apr 2019 at 16:11

But one mistake and you lost the lot.

Geodude97AD · 27 Apr 2019 at 16:25

Power cut when not at home in a time before standby power was easy enough to get hold off.

Spook187 · 27 Apr 2019 at 18:29

I have the ecotech backup battery for my tank and it's rubbish on the return pump at 20% you get 40 mins, so need to set it up for the mp40's, it's all about the flow and oxygen, that's what kills your tank when it goes down, temps isn't really an issue in a powercut for a couple of hours.

Unicorn · 27 Apr 2019 at 22:58

Spook187 said:
I have the ecotech backup battery for my tank and it's rubbish on the return pump at 20% you get 40 mins, so need to set it up for the mp40's, it's all about the flow and oxygen, that's what kills your tank when it goes down, temps isn't really an issue in a powercut for a couple of hours.

I don't find temp being an issue in a power cut at all. I lost heaters overnight before due to an issue and dropped 4 degrees. Nothing seemed bothered I use an s1 and mp10 and debate the battery backup but the amount of time it actually runs for doesn't seem much

But what's the alternatives except generators

NoobCannon · 27 Apr 2019 at 23:13

Unicorn said:
I don't find temp being an issue in a power cut at all. I lost heaters overnight before due to an issue and dropped 4 degrees. Nothing seemed bothered I use an s1 and mp10 and debate the battery backup but the amount of time it actually runs for doesn't seem much

But what's the alternatives except generators

Battery powered air pumps, keep a couple around. They are enough to get
Some water movement and oxygen exchange untill power comes back

All Pond Solutions Aquarium Tropical Air Pump Battery Backup https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01KTOECAU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IrnXCbVKJ9BK6

Geodude97AD · 27 Apr 2019 at 23:50

Spook187 said:
I have the ecotech backup battery for my tank and it's rubbish on the return pump at 20% you get 40 mins, so need to set it up for the mp40's, it's all about the flow and oxygen, that's what kills your tank when it goes down, temps isn't really an issue in a powercut for a couple of hours.

Yes that was what it was, running for about 4 plus years. Very much set up like the system in the video Rebel Rebel posted, the bacteria in the liverock and the coraline algae consumed all the oxygen. If you add to that that algae consumes oxygen when the lights go out, tanks get into trouble fast. Power was off a few hours while stuck in work, so all toast. Kept it running a few months after to see what came back, nothing but a tub of dead live rock and a nasty cycle. I even bought a bigger tank after but didn't have the heart to put anything in it, gave it away and stored all the equipment and rock.

Unicorn the alternative I came to at the time was not to continune, with the better availability of battery back up now, I would run a low power air pump or a standby low power powerhead.

rebel rebel · 28 Apr 2019 at 00:02

Some people use a relay of car batteries for power in emergencies. I've not looked into it in much detail, though It's definitely something i'd consider.

Spook187 · 28 Apr 2019 at 04:21

Unicorn said:
I don't find temp being an issue in a power cut at all. I lost heaters overnight before due to an issue and dropped 4 degrees. Nothing seemed bothered I use an s1 and mp10 and debate the battery backup but the amount of time it actually runs for doesn't seem much

But what's the alternatives except generators

I think it's the head pressure swallowing all the battery, that's with even the booster cable you have to buy from ecotech to fit the vectra, going to change it to the mp40 15+ hours I should get doing that.
A geni will do the job as long as it's a inverter one for clean electric.

clubb699 · 28 Apr 2019 at 08:45

rebel rebel said:
This woman is a maniac. She doses and tops up manually, and just has a skimmer. Amazing!

Thanks for sharing going to take a look at this later