Going proper..

[Rudz Vankovic]

Hey guys.. I've done marine w basic set ups with mostly hang on backs eqpt. Failed spectacularly after almost a year due to neglect (2 tanks, work and family). After much consideration and sort of a long hiatus from the hobby, I'm gg for a bigger set up, w sump after reading up..

 

What's the pros and cons of RoDi water vs Tap water? After all the sea isn't made up of RoDi or tap water per say..

 

Where can I learn about corals, it's natural habitat and maintaining a successful marine tank?

 

Are brands a must though mostly functions the same? (More on how deep one pocket is to me)..

 

Do share ur thoughts..

 

Learning Reefer..

 

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[Solo77]

Different is nutrient lvl. Tap water may cause algae issue in Yr tank. Hence, if u keeping corals, may not be suitable. For me, I use tap waters, bad example. So if u can, use distilled water or rodi. 

[Danieltwx]

I noticed that when i switched to rodi water, the algae in terms on brown algae on glass is lesser compared to using tap water with dechlorinator.

Good to invest in an rodi. However cons is that a lot of wastage water which can be used to wash clothes

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[soggycookies]

A bigger system will definitely be better because of stability given greater water volume. if you have a busy schedule, a single medium-large system is a a great choice imo. And yes, a sump is most ideal for us on the marine side of things for better management of filtration and equipment.

 

RoDi water is the best route if you’re keeping a mixed reef with different corals or going for mostly hard corals. Personally I use distilled water but I only keep softies, and they do just fine even in tank heavily-stocked with fish. Our tapwater is one of the best in the world so you need not worry about it contaminating your tank(though i would advise against it long-term as the small amounts of nitrate and phosphate will build up eventually, if you do little to no water changes or have no alternative means of nutrient export like a refugium growing macroalgae for e.g)

 

You can check out BRStv on youtube for more in-depth videos, guides and discussion regarding this hobby. Do understand that there will be differences here and there though, since their market is mainly for those living in the states. They will mention things like needing a heater and not having a chiller turn on except during the summer months. For us here in SG, especially if you want to run your tank’s water temp below 28 degrees, your chiller is going to be switching on daily.

 

 

Hope this helps

Cheers

 

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[R0B]

First off, Dechlorinated water vs. RODI.... We are so lucky in Singapore to have some of the cleanest water available, but it still contains various elements that you wouldn't want in a reef tank!

RODI systems firstly remove sediments, silt, clay... (it's amazing just how dirty my sediment filter gets from tap water!). The carbon filter and RO membrane remove any unwanted chemicals like chlorine, chromium, pesticides.
Whilst the DI resin typically focuses on the removal of heavy metals like copper. Combined they remove impurities, microorganisms, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, and even naturally occuring radioactive nuclides!

Now whilst Declorinated tap water is okay to use short term all the above elements even in extremely small ppm/ppb will build up over time (Silicone even absorbs heavy metals). This will start to cause issues for you. Tap water vs. RODI... imho It's the difference between breathing in the haze and clean fresh air. Both will keep me alive, but I know which one I would prefer.

Where to learn about corals??? YouTube is excellent. BRSTV is fantastic at putting together informative videos about gear and how best to implement a successful reef tank. For Corals specifically look for videos from "Tidal Gardens". Than Theim with his smooth voice will teach you everything you need to know about each different type of coral and much more.. Reefbuilders is another good website and YouTube channel. If you want I know "Reefbum" on youtube even has a subscription tutorial along with a book which is step by step guide to setting up and maintaining a successful reef tank. Reefdude, Reefnerd, reef dork, Reefman, Milehighreefers, Parker's reef, Aaron's aquarium, Fishofhex, americanreefchannel, and inappropriate reefer are all interesting channels to name but a few. Reef2reef is a great resource on every topic, from quarantine through to programming your Apex or GHL.

Brands.... I have honestly wasted thousands buying cheaper gear, killing corals and fish, then slowly upgrading (please dont tell the wife). My advice to you is get the best from the beginning. If i was starting out again i wish i had gone with an established package (like a red sea ref tank.. plus all the trimmings) from your LFS. Or pick up a decom system here! If you want to build it up yourself BRSTV did a 'best of 2019' series, it's a good place to start to figure out what is what.

Good luck. If you need any help just ask here there are many reefers here willing to help and guide where we can.





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[Rudz Vankovic]

Thank u everyone for your valuable input especially wrt to the water topic.

I started off w tap water and boy did the algae bloom in my tank.

Initial set up: 100% Tap water w dechlorinator.

WC: Using salt mix from Iwarna (Back then I had trouble (lack of knowledge basically of salt to water ratio) and dumping salt straight into tank.. (had to leant from all these bad decisions)

Top Up: RoDi also bought from Iwarna

However, I would also contribute the bloom to my inexperienced and lack of knowledge about lighting.

Started w 2 simple lights (aquaknight - don't laugh at me pls) then moved to maxspect 130w 15k.. Didn't know about photoperiod for marine set up and blue/white intensity. So just anyhow whack to see what's pleasant to my eye for 12hrs. Hence voila, a good contributing factor for algae growth..

Wrt to pt2, I've been watching brstv. But there's just too many episodes, and they don't have an indexing of which comes first. So I tend to jump topic, and at the end of it all.. left kind of confused. I guess will have to really sit down n think of where I want to start and make a list of things to watch.. I do like how they explain things though. I'd definitely check out those others that ROB pointed out..



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[Clement Chen]

Algae growth also can be contributed by excess of nutrients. Just the lights is one factor.  When building a tank look at the various nutrient exports out there. Just skimming or water change wont be sufficient esp for a bigger tank. Some of the common ones are using chaeto, running biopellets, carbon dosing such as nopox. 

[Rudz Vankovic]

Was wondering... What are the function of the different reactors (sulphur, cr, biopellets, fluidized etc) and what do we really need?

Algae growth also can be contributed by excess of nutrients. Just the lights is one factor.  When building a tank look at the various nutrient exports out there. Just skimming or water change wont be sufficient esp for a bigger tank. Some of the common ones are using chaeto, running biopellets, carbon dosing such as nopox. 

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[soggycookies]

Was wondering... What are the function of the different reactors (sulphur, cr, biopellets, fluidized etc) and what do we really need?  Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app   

 

 

 

 

Depends on your system demands and goals. For e.g. to absorb phosphates you might want to run a simple fluidized reactor with granular ferric oxide(GFO). sulphur denitrators do something similar but are more for nitrate control. calcium reactors are for if you have a high stocking of hard coral(or if you want to grow them faster) that need the extra oomph to thrive in a system where water changes alone won’t be enough to maintain those levels. Biopellets in a biopellet reactor host bacteria that reduce nitrates(also similar to sulphur)but be careful using these as suddenly shutting it off could cause major stablity issues in your system.  

 

 

if nitrates and phosphates are constantly an issue in your system and you’re looking for more compact options that don’t require additional space(and lighting) for a refugium to grow macroalgae as nutrient export, these reactors can be a great help when implemented to reduce and/or control nitrate levels in particular. as for calcium reactors.. potentially a staple if you’re into keeping a lot of hard coral that need calcium to grow.

 

cheers

 

 

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[Rudz Vankovic]

Ah thanks for the summary@soggycookies.. at least I have a general idea of what they r used for.

Atm, I might probably run a fr to control my phosphates in line for future sps keeping.. for a start I'll learn how to control/tweak my parameters

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[Rudz Vankovic]

Anyway, wrt to having a DC return pump, does it makes sense to operate a single pump high output pump that runs thru (chiller, reactor, sump and dt) or use 2 medium output pump?

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[Otaku Reefer]

Anyway, wrt to having a DC return pump, does it makes sense to operate a single pump high output pump that runs thru (chiller, reactor, sump and dt) or use 2 medium output pump?

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that is a bad idea, 1 pump dead = all dead


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[R0B]

I would agree with @Otaku. I personally run two return pumps. If one dies I can still get water to each part of the system. Best advice now is to go with slightly lower power pumps that share the load and not one massive over sized monster. Just make sure that a single pump can still keep the system running for a few days whilst you source a replacement or repair (I.e. has enough head pressure).

If you for some reason cannot go with a two pumps suggest you invest in a quality return pump to reduce chance of an issue.

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[Rudz Vankovic]

@R0B and @Otaku, what pump and specs would be ideal for a 422 set up?

I would agree with @Otaku. I personally run two return pumps. If one dies I can still get water to each part of the system. Best advice now is to go with slightly lower power pumps that share the load and not one massive over sized monster. Just make sure that a single pump can still keep the system running for a few days whilst you source a replacement or repair (I.e. has enough head pressure).

 

If you for some reason cannot go with a two pumps suggest you invest in a quality return pump to reduce chance of an issue.

 

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[Rudz Vankovic]

As I'm doing my own plumbing, I still have the chance to customize how it runs as I haven't get the pumps yet

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[Otaku Reefer]

my tank rsr 350 so i follow the red sea recommended specs which is 3k liter/hr, for me, return pump need to stand alone, i think this is most critical, other pumps i do share like i sharing chiller with reactor etc, dont link 1 pump to all ur critical stuff. as far as possible try to use 1 pump for each component as different component might need different flow, just my 2 cents. also spend a bit more on good brand return pump, reliability is key.


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[Rudz Vankovic]

What pump would u recommend? Skimz? I see alot of people using (support local)

my tank rsr 350 so i follow the red sea recommended specs which is 3k liter/hr, for me, return pump need to stand alone, i think this is most critical, other pumps i do share like i sharing chiller with reactor etc, dont link 1 pump to all ur critical stuff. as far as possible try to use 1 pump for each component as different component might need different flow, just my 2 cents. also spend a bit more on good brand return pump, reliability is key.


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[R0B]

[mention=25915]R0B[/mention] and @Otaku, what pump and specs would be ideal for a 422 set up?

 
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It is recommended to have 3 to 5 times tank turnover through the sump. A 4x2x2 tank holds approx 420ltr (based on inside dimensions). So that means around 2000ltrs an hour . However, the issue is you need that at approx 4 to 5 foot of head pressure. Now add in a few elbows and you are most likely going to need a pump capable of delivering 2000ltrs at 1.8m of head pressure. With more items and distance covered this number clearly goes up.

Various pumps perform significantly differently depending on their ability to handle head pressure. A Jebao 6000ltr return pump will give you 50% of its rated power at 1.8m (3000ltrs). Whilst an Ecotech Vectra despite being rated at just 5300ltrs is a lot more powerful and would be capable to pumping 3600ltrs at 1.8m. So the lesson learnt here is do check out the head pressure curves.

Another consideration is heat. A pump running at lower power is likely to run cooler at any given pressure. So one way to keep the temp down is to set up a manifold. This will allow you to operate various items at differing flow rates. With some interesting plumbing you can even use it to circulate water in the sump, keeping it free of detritus.

Good luck.




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[Rudz Vankovic]

Nice.. I have a manifold on standby for chiller and reactor, w valve to control flowrate to each eqpt. Only thing now is have to relook into my plumbing. Will definitely take a look around. Thnx @otaku and R0B for ur valuable inputs

It is recommended to have 3 to 5 times tank turnover through the sump. A 4x2x2 tank holds approx 420ltr (based on inside dimensions). So that means around 2000ltrs an hour . However, the issue is you need that at approx 4 to 5 foot of head pressure. Now add in a few elbows and you are most likely going to need a pump capable of delivering 2000ltrs at 1.8m of head pressure. With more items and distance covered this number clearly goes up.

Various pumps perform significantly differently depending on their ability to handle head pressure. A Jebao 6000ltr return pump will give you 50% of its rated power at 1.8m (3000ltrs). Whilst an Ecotech Vectra despite being rated at just 5300ltrs is a lot more powerful and would be capable to pumping 3600ltrs at 1.8m. So the lesson learnt here is do check out the head pressure curves.

Another consideration is heat. A pump running at lower power is likely to run cooler at any given pressure. So one way to keep the temp down is to set up a manifold. This will allow you to operate various items at differing flow rates. With some interesting plumbing you can even use it to circulate water in the sump, keeping it free of detritus.

Good luck.




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[Otaku Reefer]

Nice.. I have a manifold on standby for chiller and reactor, w valve to control flowrate to each eqpt. Only thing now is have to relook into my plumbing. Will definitely take a look around. Thnx @otaku and R0B for ur valuable inputs


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no problem, thats what forums are for, to share exp and knowledge, last piece of advise, since urs is custom tank, do plan your equipment around ease of maintenance. i am no expert but base on my journey so far, Stability of water params, reliability of equipment, ease of maintenance and lastly automation (optional) is key to successful reef tank. the automation part is to prepare the transition from hardworking reefer to lazy reefer lol..


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[Rudz Vankovic]

@otaku I like the last part

I'll come back again to the topic of Dosing.. for now I'll head back to my drawing board for my plumbing

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[Rudz Vankovic]

Guys, does anyone knows how to fix an external probe to a hailea 66 chiller?

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[zack85]

Guys, does anyone knows how to fix an external probe to a hailea 66 chiller?

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I pm u the vid.

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[Rudz Vankovic]

I pm u the vid.

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[Rudz Vankovic]

Guys, how do I adjust the height of this hanging kit? The small Allen screw only adjust the horizontal axis.. help..

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