Cleaner shrimp help?

[mary]

We have a well . It is pumped as any water would be, but our well water is high in phosphates. With five bathrooms in the home none of them have room for an or system without really ruining the appearance. This home was built in 1777, some areas are newer in that within its history, a portion of it had burned. We have the water tested every two years. Neighbor next door had a vegetable garden , close to our well; have always been concerned as to when all that fertilizer they spread, would eventually pass through the ground and get into the veins of water that feed our well. I really think that ten years of doing that it has finally started to show in the rise of phosphates. In between water changes , three times I add three TBLS of calcium, two Tsp. of strontium, and a Tsp. of iodine. Not all at once but between water changes it adds up to that. My point is salt solutions can't last over a three week period. through evaporation of water, I have to add water and additives. I add a gal. a day in the winter! That is how dry this house is. Now it is about a qt. a day. The person who installed our tank, made it such that we can't have a cover over the bottom tank. Of course the top is opened to help the cooling process, in hot weather. Have a fan on one end of the lights, and an air conditioner in the room.

 

[beth]

You don't have to put an RO system in the bathroom. It just needs a water line drawn to it. It can be placed anywhere.
Alternatively, you can use bottled water. This is what I did before I got tired of lugging bottles and got the RO. Bottom line is, if you are dumping phosphates in to your system with every water change, you are just fighting a loosing battle.
Try adding some macro algae such as Halimeda. This is a good algae that may naturally uptake some of the phosphate. Can you set up a refudgium?

 

[mary]

Yes Beth, if I want a divorce. My husband enjoys the tank but it is an irritation as to the upkeep costs so I play a low key in talking maintenence costs. Kinda like, when I sell a sculpture, I then buy what I need, and he doesn't notice? I used to have 5 tanks. But as an artist realized that my real drive over everything else is to sculpt or paint and a lot of time in caring for these tanks was, well, you know. So, I now have two and he still gets very upset when he sees the credit expences. A refudgium would be the answer. At some point the ro system will be added but when I have my own money. I did not realize a line could be connected. Makes sense. Thanks.

 

[beth]

Yes, just a simple water line from the source of water to the RO. Same line you might use if you have an icemaker or water dispenser in your refrigerator. In fact, mine is connected to the same line as my refridgerator. Just spliced into that line.
In the meantime, get 1 large Trochus snail. He might mow down your filament alage.

 

[mary]

Thanks so much. Haven't heard of that snail, but will search. SWF may have it. As I was writing this, called my LFS and they will get some for me. Never had them in before. I thank you for your time, Beth and your expertise.. If the LFS doesn't come through with them, will check SWF... Just traded some blue legged hermits for four large turbos.

 

[beth]

Mary, SWF.com does have that snail. Take care that you get the correct one-- large one or just a few small ones If you get too many they will starve and die within a short amt of time. My one large one mowed down all the algae on my glass within a month. Take a look at the pic here so you know what it will look like.
Trochus
Note the lopsided "turban". a.k.a: Mexiacn Turbo Snails.

 

[mary]

Thanks Beth! Will not put more than two in, given the number of large turbos I have, who eat very slowly. There is a very small snail that came in with a few turbos that does work very fast as it skims over the glass. It has a sideways swirl and has a rounder shell than the others. My turbos are funnel turbos. I suspect that the small one may be a trochus. Wish it would stay on the glass. Something keeps the algea off the rock work. I think it is the only beneficial thing the blue hermits do. All I know is. my red hermits of which there were many are gone since the blue hermits were added. Red hermits are not necessarily perfect fot the tank. I have watched them pick away at coraline algea on areas of rock until it is gone. They must eat it. There is red slime that I keep brushed off. Nothing I guess eats that except as you say the trochus.