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RO/DI versus Skimming !?!?


zachtos

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I have a 15 gallon aquarium and a budget of about $150...

*I do have a AQ500 modded fuge w/ LR,LS, macro (baseball wad size)

 

***I am debating between a RO/DI which supposedly will get rid of excess nutrients etc and stop algae growth and remove impurities for the reef etc...

 

***BUT, I am also wanting a skimmer which seems to have simmilar functions (looking at CPR backpak2 or maybe cheapo prizm?). The skimmers from what i gather remove wastes from the water etc. They help control algae growth also by lowering nitrates.

 

The functions of these from my research just seem to have overlapping features and I would just like some feedback from experience.... THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING !

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I'm also a bit worried about "Overskimming" a 15gal...

 

-Off topic a bit- the aquarium is in my bedroom and NOISE IS A FACTOR too.

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I would not do a reef without RO/DI, at the very least distilled. Skimming is debated on nanos, I think you find most people do not use them, myself included. A 10% water change does wonders on a small tank, is simple, and combined with LR/LS is all the nutrient export you need (unless you overfeed). To me it's a no brainer- RO/DI. For $150.00 I'd check out aquaticreefsystems.com. I have their 50gpd 4 stage value line RO/DI and it dropped my TDS from 360 to zero.

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Reefer_Buddha

i dont think its a "Vs" situation. You really should have both. Even with ro/di water there's still detritus in the tank that needs to be removed, be it from a skimmer or invert/filters.

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You can get the new-version SeaClone skimmer for $70 at, among other places:

 

www.drsfostersmith.com

 

(The new version really is improved. I recently put one on my 50 gallon fish-only, and it's very nice - and much more effective. I am a gadget freak so I own & operate many skimmers... from Prizm & Skilter up to my AquaC EV180. I truly believe that the new SeaClone is the best deal for the money. If you want to know the worst one, I'd need to think about it...)

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Using RO water is a must (imo). The real question is how will you get the water. Before buying an RO unit, you might try picking up RO water at your LFS if you have one available. It's a good excuse to go in and check out the livestock.

 

The skimmer would help to reduce DOC while your rock is curing, or help to keep your tank from melting down if you have too high of a bioload. Btw, a skimmer doesn't lower nitrates except indirectly because of the DOC it removes from the water.

 

It's not answering the choose A or B question, but I'd consider putting off buying that equipment until you are sure you'll need it. Instead, I'd consider getting some critical spares. By this I mean a spare heater and recirculation pump. These are also handy for mixing your salt when you do water changes. Maybe you have these things already, but I would consider them must haves.

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*Note - I also am using country well drawn water that goes through a water softener, so this is not city water.... Does that make a difference in the need for RO/DI or skimming?

 

***I am also only keeping soft corals in my tank - no anenomes (fear of them moving and killing softies) - and i have 2x55W PC so I'm not sure if i could have SPS anyways...

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* Xenias, Polyps, shrooms, bubble coral, toadstool leather, 2 clowns-

 

--Lots of brown algae all over LR/LS and glass too...

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Algae is a sign of phosphates, an RO/DI unit will remove this, a skimmer will not. I would suggest going with the RO/DI and skip the skimmer, most of us with nanos do not use them. With an RO/DI you'll prevent a lot of contaminants from ever reaching the tank, a water softener won't do this. You can always add a skimmer later if you want to, but I'd address your water quality issues first.

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OK, thanks for the advice... I think I may just go w/ buying RO water from the grocery store for a while and see if I notice any changes. If so, I may invest in RO/DI unit later.

 

I may also purchase this prizm skimmer in the future since it seems to have mixed reviews and it's low price:

ps_rs_pho.jpg

 

*Will distilled water still be a major improvment or MUST I go w/ the expensive RO water from the store???

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This all depends on how good your current water is....aka how good your water is coming from the softener.

 

I think your slightly misunderstanding the benifit to a RO/DI water unit. It doesn't "stop algae growth". What an RO/DI unit does is simply give you as clean a water as possible to add your salt mix too. Algae growth can come from chemical issues in your tank though. Feeding, light cycle, age of light bulbs, water change schedules, and livestock population are just a few of the other parameters that can cause algae.

 

I do recommend using a RO/DI water or distilled water source as tap and well waters can have iron, copper, lead, on and on and on....you never know.

 

As mentioned above skimmers don't remove all things that promote algae either. A RO/DI is much better to have than a skimmer.

 

You say noise level is an issue? The prizm is not a skimmer you will likely want then....they are not quiet....I find them annoyingly loud personally.

 

One thing I don't think you mentioned was any problems you are having....did I miss a post or something?

 

Anyway...do your self a favor and either get an RO/DI unit or start buying distilled water for your reef. It's much safer than your current source. The dabate on skimmer could go on forever and it's up to you. I'd say that since noise is a concern than get the RO/DI unit, see if it improves things (although I don't even know if you currently have any tank problems), and if it does to a level you are happy with (tank is problem free and growth/health is great) than don't bother with a skimmer.

 

Cameron

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Originally posted by zachtos

* Xenias, Polyps, shrooms, bubble coral, toadstool leather, 2 clowns-

 

--Lots of brown algae all over LR/LS and glass too...

 

How much and how often are you feeding the clowns? This might be another reason for the brown algae.

 

I agree with the comment above about phosphates in the water.

 

Your lighting, the 2x55 sounds great. How long have you been running the bulbs? I'd say after a year you will want to replace them and they will shift in spectrum as they age. This could also contribute to you not getting the quality you can out of your tank.

 

Also, how long did you cycle your tank before adding corals and fish? If you are getting brown algae on the glass instead of coraline, it may not have fully cycled. Again just thinking of the possibilities.

 

Are you getting profuse coraline growth, or did it take off then seem to fade from it's peak? If it has, this would indicate to me that you have depleted levels of calcium in the tank. At the risk of adding another element to this thread for people to divide over, Are you using some additives to address this deficiency?

 

BTW, another "eyeball" style of test is to look through the long dimension of the tank to see what color the water looks. Is it clear, green, or brown? If it is clear your tank is doing good. If it is brown, you are overdue for a water change and have high DOC (disolved organic compounds aka fish sh!t). This is also a problem that can be helped by a skimmer. My advice on a skimmer would be to consider buying an airstone skimmer before you spend money on one of the more eccentric small skimmers. It will do the job every effectively for your size tank. If the water is green then you need to solve some algae problems. Again a short term adjustment can be had by doing a water change, but you still need to solve the long term problem. Need more info to give good advice on that.

 

What are the specific noise issues you are facing now?

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I have a problem with brown algae growth.

 

*I will now be using distilled water from the store for 10% weekly water changes.

 

*I will put off buying a skimmer till I see the results down the road.

 

I was feeding the clowns about a dime size pinch of flakes/clown. Is that too much?

 

The lights are 2 months old. The tank has cured LR in it, 1/2 of the rock is from a prior 1 year old tank, so it may not be cycled then since its only 3 weeks old since new cured LR added.

 

I do have some wonderful purple corraline algae growth on some rocks now, but not as much as I'd hoped for.

 

Clear water in the tank. I did add (using directions) Kent iodine, calcium and strontium before my xenia shrived up (they are recovering I think now). I don't have a test kit for Calc, Iodine, Nitrate yet. PH=8.8, Nitrite=0, Ammonia=0. So I'm not sure if I have too little calcium, I'm afraid to overdose...

 

Tank is currently in my room and runs quietly for now.

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Physh pretty much said it all. You're comparing apples to oranges. You should invest in an RO/DI unit right away. It will help you avoid a whole bunch of problems down the road. The water your aquatic organisms live in is akin to the air we breathe. You want it as pure as possible. Don't skimp on water purity.

 

A skimmer is another issue. Lots of people don't use them, some do. I do & I even have the mixed review Red Sea Prizm. I have a 15 gallon tank connected to a 10 gallon sump/fuge. The Prizm operates inside the cabinet that houses the sump. Physh isn't kidding. The Prizm is LOUD. Even contained in the cabinet I can hear it humming away. But it doesn't really bother me, but that's just me. The benefit, however, is that in addition to keeping the disolved oxygen levels nice & high it pulls out a ton of gunk. I can't say buy a Prizm, because it's loud & it is a pain to dial in correctly so that it really skims well, but I can say you should save up for a skimmer. BTW I change 2 gallons of water every week & my skimmer STILL pulls ot a lot of crap.

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Ike......the prizm you have, is it the 12-blade model or the newer 18-blade model? I heard it makes a big difference in noise level b/t the old and newer model? Supposely the 18-blade is much quieter. I was also interested in getting a skimmer like Zachtos.

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Originally posted by zachtos

I have a problem with brown algae growth.

 

*I will now be using distilled water from the store for 10% weekly water changes.

 

*I will put off buying a skimmer till I see the results down the road.

 

I was feeding the clowns about a dime size pinch of flakes/clown.  Is that too much?

 

The lights are 2 months old.  The tank has cured LR in it, 1/2 of the rock is from a prior 1 year old tank, so it may not be cycled then since its only 3 weeks old since new cured LR added.

 

I do have some wonderful purple corraline algae growth on some rocks now, but not as much as I'd hoped for.

 

Clear water in the tank.  I did add (using directions) Kent iodine, calcium and strontium before my xenia shrived up (they are recovering I think now).  I don't have a test kit for Calc, Iodine, Nitrate yet.  PH=8.8, Nitrite=0, Ammonia=0.  So I'm not sure if I have too little calcium, I'm afraid to overdose...

 

Tank is currently in my room and runs quietly for now.

 

3 weeks since you added some new cure LR would be a likely cause for the tank to cycle again. By cycle I mean more than just bacterial, but also the cycle from algae to corraline.

 

When you get the water in the store, be sure to get the one for car batteries/irons, not the one that has "minerals added for flavor."

 

The amount you are feeding sounds like it might be too much, but it's difficult to know without seeing it directly. Maybe someone has a good general description on the best way to eyeball the amount. Clowns are (in general, imo) piggish eaters anyway, so I'd think their behavior might encourage you to overfeed as well.

 

Do you have a good LFS where you can take a water sample in for a full bank of tests? One of the LFS here will do it for $5. I'd suggest doing that to find out where you are at. If you buy a test kit it should be when you need to solve a specific problem (for example tuning calcium additive dosage for the growth of your tank at the time.)

 

Overall though, I'd give your tank some time to settle down to an equalibrium again after adding that live rock before you start changing too many new things. It's hard to say how long, that's such a dynamic equation. If you have brown algae now, and it's caused by your tank settling back to an equalibrium, then you should have a good 6 weeks or so of green algae to follow. Then maybe sprout some more macro algae(non "hair" algae) on some of the new rocks or start to bloom more corraline. I wouldn't worry too much about the coraline until later unless you have a lot of it fading out.

 

Sounds great 2x55 over a 15 is a really nice choice.

 

The clownfish are good for everyone to hassle you about "finding Nemo" about too...:D

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Well thanks for your help guys... I just got Kent Marine Tech CB, part A and B and will be dosing that w/ my next water change. I bought a 5 gal jug of RO water from walmart, 1.65 to refill ! I also grabbed 3 turbos, an astrea and 2 red hermits for cleanup. There is more corraline algae growth and the snails have eaten alot of algae in a day. I'm thinking of getting an iron supplement for the macro. I'm also thinking of adding an inch of playsand on top of the crushed coral and getting miracle mud for the fuge.

 

*It turns out I have an aptaisia infestation. I will be getting peppermint shrimp as soon as i can find some.

 

I'll keep you all posted.

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