Smaller place, bigger tank...My 200DD build
- Thread starter eric b 125
- Start date
eric b 125
Active Member
eric b 125
Active Member
LOL, thanks. It was beautiful but the island was very touristy. I rented a motor scooter and traveled the entire island, stopping at different beaches to cool off along the way. I would go there again but with less expectation of experiencing a different culture.
It's the northern most reef in the world and experiences 20 degree temperature changes throughout the year. The colors were drab but it was cool nonetheless.
eric b 125
Active Member
Was hoping to do a w/c with RODI instead of Kati/Ani tomorrow, but I'm working a 16 hour shift so I'm not sure if I'll feel up to it. I'm really REALLY hoping that this is the source of my problems.
eric b 125
Active Member
Tomorrow I will try the RODI w/c and see what comes of it.
I'm not getting any growth out of my frags, really. Part of it could be that I haven't been doing regular water changes b/c of the dino's (and the dino's themselves) but I kind of wonder what part my lights are playing in this as well. IF there is an improvement with changing my source water then I will change my lighting parameters and increase the intensity. One thing at a time, though.
Luckily the LFS I'm getting the RODI from uses Reef Crystals at a similar SG as my tank, so I'll be able to just lug 30 gallons home and do the water change after siphoning out every trace of ugly from the display.
I'm not getting any growth out of my frags, really. Part of it could be that I haven't been doing regular water changes b/c of the dino's (and the dino's themselves) but I kind of wonder what part my lights are playing in this as well. IF there is an improvement with changing my source water then I will change my lighting parameters and increase the intensity. One thing at a time, though.
Luckily the LFS I'm getting the RODI from uses Reef Crystals at a similar SG as my tank, so I'll be able to just lug 30 gallons home and do the water change after siphoning out every trace of ugly from the display.
eric b 125
Active Member
Assuming everything goes the way I hope it will (HA!) I'll order the Water Saver RODI with all the fixin's and the QD drivers for my MP40's next month. With the two trips I have planned, my gf's 30th birthday, and the dental work I'm getting done I think I'm about at my limit for this month. I'd really like to head-in to "reefin season" with guns a'blazin if I'm going to keep the DT.
eric b 125
Active Member
Siphoned a bunch of stuff off the rocks this morning and will be heading out to pick up water in a little bit.
The more I've been thinking about (hopefully) having to switch to RODI, the more I want to. The Kati/Ani is great but I have to pull it out of the "fish room" (read: walk-in closet filled with fish stuff) every time I need it and then I have to run the hoses. I can't really mount it in the closet because the hoses are just slip-fit and aren't that tight so water drips. With a RODI unit, I can mount it in the closet and have the lines where they need to go, then whenever I want to run water I'll just need to connect the feed line to the sink. I would zip-tie the waste water line to the feed line and just drain the waste water right down the sink. With an auto shut off I think it would be much less hassle than the K/A is anymore.
Fingers crossed for positive results today.
The more I've been thinking about (hopefully) having to switch to RODI, the more I want to. The Kati/Ani is great but I have to pull it out of the "fish room" (read: walk-in closet filled with fish stuff) every time I need it and then I have to run the hoses. I can't really mount it in the closet because the hoses are just slip-fit and aren't that tight so water drips. With a RODI unit, I can mount it in the closet and have the lines where they need to go, then whenever I want to run water I'll just need to connect the feed line to the sink. I would zip-tie the waste water line to the feed line and just drain the waste water right down the sink. With an auto shut off I think it would be much less hassle than the K/A is anymore.
Fingers crossed for positive results today.
eric b 125
Active Member
I did the water change and picked up a floating hydrometer since the LFS was out of calibration fluid for refractometers. It seems like my refractometer is off by a few points, which explains the spots on the naso tang. Hopefully today marks the turn-around for all this nonsense.
Kristin1234
Active Member
Those pics are awesome! Hope you had fun. And I love your tats!
pegasus
Well-Known Member
Once you get your RO/DI set up, you'll wonder how you ever got along with out it! LOL!
I know calibration fluid is more accurate, but you can use distilled water to set your refractometer to zero, and it will be pretty darn close. I'd trust it 1000 times better than I would a hydrometer. IF you were to test your water at a temp of exactly 25C (mfg calibration temp), and there were absolutely no micro bubbles on the swing arm, you might get an accurate reading. Just my 2c...
I know calibration fluid is more accurate, but you can use distilled water to set your refractometer to zero, and it will be pretty darn close. I'd trust it 1000 times better than I would a hydrometer. IF you were to test your water at a temp of exactly 25C (mfg calibration temp), and there were absolutely no micro bubbles on the swing arm, you might get an accurate reading. Just my 2c...
eric b 125
Active Member
Thank you so much!
It's a floating hydrometer. I use kati/ani which gets comparable results to RODI, however can cause pH issues. It just hasn't been doing the trick since I moved...4 blocks from where I was before, LOL.
+1
eric b 125
Active Member
So, the results of the RODI w/c are only marginally better than with Kati/Ani. But, marginally better is better nonetheless, so I'm going to go ahead and get a beefy RODI.
I'm re-doing the fish walk-in closet today and tomorrow before my shifts.
Also, the naso died in QT. The PBT is fine but the Naso was showing signs of what I thought was ich. I think it's weird if the Naso had ich and the PBT showed zero signs, though. Anyways, I'm in the middle of a large w/c on the QT since I have to get rid of some water. I guess today starts the countdown for the PBT. Poor guy. I can't wait to see him in the DT.
I'm re-doing the fish walk-in closet today and tomorrow before my shifts.
Also, the naso died in QT. The PBT is fine but the Naso was showing signs of what I thought was ich. I think it's weird if the Naso had ich and the PBT showed zero signs, though. Anyways, I'm in the middle of a large w/c on the QT since I have to get rid of some water. I guess today starts the countdown for the PBT. Poor guy. I can't wait to see him in the DT.
pegasus
Well-Known Member
The Trophonts (spots on fish) can stay up to a week before dropping off. They then go into the reproductive stage (Tomonts) which can last up to 3 weeks before they become free-swimming (Tomites) and looking for a host. It depends on how long they'd been in the QT, and at what stage the Ick was at as to whether the PBT became infected or not. If you haven't been treating the QT for Ick, there's a good chance that it may develop a case of it... if it was indeed Ick. Fingers crossed...
lmforbis
Well-Known Member
It is weird that the PB was not infected. It seems that if any of the fish were to be infected it would be the PB first. I know you had them in QT together for a long time in hypo. Longer, I think, than my two. Makes me wonder if it was something else just no clue what it could be.
eric b 125
Active Member
Thanks for the info. I've had these fish in QT for literally months. Several weeks ago I was raising the salinity from hypo b/c the fish showed no signs of ich for 4-6 weeks. The next day the naso started getting spots again. The anthias that I had in there also started getting spots, but they weren't fine, salt-like spots. I treated several times with prazi pro and kept the tank at hypo. Over the last few weeks that the tank has been back to hypo (or what I thought was hypo) the PBT showed zero spots while the other fish died off. Also, I should add, no signs of trauma and never saw the PBT have a go at the other fish.The Trophonts (spots on fish) can stay up to a week before dropping off. They then go into the reproductive stage (Tomonts) which can last up to 3 weeks before they become free-swimming (Tomites) and looking for a host. It depends on how long they'd been in the QT, and at what stage the Ick was at as to whether the PBT became infected or not. If you haven't been treating the QT for Ick, there's a good chance that it may develop a case of it... if it was indeed Ick. Fingers crossed...
It's so strange. I would think that if any of the fish I had in QT were going to show signs of anything, it would have been the PBT.
eric b 125
Active Member
Fish closet went from this:
To this:
Had to downsize from 33 gallon cans to 20 gallon. I marked the DT with the water level of a 20 gallon water change and a 40 gallon water change. Despite what I decide to do with the DT, changing the cans around and getting a RODI will both benefit either tank. I also removed a strip of paint from the side of my ATO reservoir so I can see the water level better, rather than looking through a small hole in the top of the blacked-out 10gallon. I have to add water to the reservoir every 3 days so even though it seems like a small change, it makes a big difference since I have to do it so often.
To this:
Had to downsize from 33 gallon cans to 20 gallon. I marked the DT with the water level of a 20 gallon water change and a 40 gallon water change. Despite what I decide to do with the DT, changing the cans around and getting a RODI will both benefit either tank. I also removed a strip of paint from the side of my ATO reservoir so I can see the water level better, rather than looking through a small hole in the top of the blacked-out 10gallon. I have to add water to the reservoir every 3 days so even though it seems like a small change, it makes a big difference since I have to do it so often.
eric b 125
Active Member
I think that tomorrow I will change my light schedule around a bit. I'll probably increase the intensity and decrease the photoperiod.
eric b 125
Active Member
I did notice some stuff on the rocks a few days after the water change. I siphoned what I could out through a 100 micron filter sock (the same thing I've been doing) and decided to dose with AlgaeFix. So far: NO UGLIES!!!!! I don't want to get ahead of myself, but this is the first time that the DT is looking okay after a few days of doing nothing.
I'm still not sure what to make of it, though. I did have a small bloom of something after the RODI water change and I'm still using kati/ani for my ATO. Nevertheless, I think I will go ahead and get a RODI with dual TDS meters and auto shut-off, and mount it in the closet. I can keep 40 gallons of FW for ATO and every two weeks add salt to one (or both) of the containers for a WC. For every benefit of the Kati/Ani there is a downside and while it worked well for my last system I'm starting to see that there is a reason that these units aren't used too often.
I'm still not sure what to make of it, though. I did have a small bloom of something after the RODI water change and I'm still using kati/ani for my ATO. Nevertheless, I think I will go ahead and get a RODI with dual TDS meters and auto shut-off, and mount it in the closet. I can keep 40 gallons of FW for ATO and every two weeks add salt to one (or both) of the containers for a WC. For every benefit of the Kati/Ani there is a downside and while it worked well for my last system I'm starting to see that there is a reason that these units aren't used too often.