Are they coralline algae or nasty diatoms?

[MK1623]

1 hour ago, Tamberav said:

 

Please don't. Products like this can have bad side effects like bacterial blooms which effects oxygen in the water and should only be done with a good skimmer. You can also get the water too clean and starve corals. 

 

They are not really meant for beginners. It only adds more complication and things to monitor for a new hobbiest. 

 

Water changes with GOOD water are what you need. You can buy distilled if needed. 

 

Diatoms will most likely be impossible to control with tap water. I would assume most tap has silicates. The product you linked will not help with silicates anyways. 

 

Get a RODI machine and not just RO. They look complicated but I found the hardware store people helpful when brought in parts and asked them what I needed to get it to attach to my sink. 

Thank you very much for explaining the reasons why I should not get those types of things!  I will not buy those things!  Thank you!

 

Well, I think that I need to get a RODI machine.  Could you kindly let me know the reason why I should not get just RO?    

 

Anyway, those machine does look complicated and frightening for me.  I am not a DIY type person at all, so my first reaction was they are not for me as I have no idea how to install them to kitchen tap or bathroom sink.  And yet, it seems RODI a must for my fish tank to control diatoms, I think that I need to get it.  So, I will investigate what out there.  

 

I bought a protein skimmer and it seems it has been working well and collecting yellow-ish water every day.  

 

I do not have any corals yet and I may not have them in the future, too.  I am thinking to get clean-up crew and fish first.  All I want to have are a pair of clownfish.  So, I do not mind just having live rocks and two clownfish in my little 60L tank.   Therefore, I have been thinking that I may not get any corals as I have heard that corals are more difficult to keep than keeping clownfish.   Would be a bad idea to have just live rocks and clownfish with a few snails as clean-up crew? 

[RayWhisperer]

RO alone doesn't remove all impurities from water. The final DI stage will remove any remaining impurities. Preventing things like diatoms and pest algae. Salt mixes are made to mix with straiht H2O. Things like hard water will throw off your parameters. You'll want as pure a source water as possible for mixing saltwater, as well as top off water.

 

However, if your plan is a fish only system, you can get away with just tap water and conditioner. You will just have to deal with diatoms and other pest algaes.  Perhaps just the dimmest of lights possible is your cheapest option, if you're sure you'll never want corals.

 

You can keep just a pair of clowns with some snails. That won't be a problem. However, you may change your mind in the future and get some easy corals.

[MK1623]

1 hour ago, RayWhisperer said:

RO alone doesn't remove all impurities from water. The final DI stage will remove any remaining impurities. Preventing things like diatoms and pest algae. Salt mixes are made to mix with straiht H2O. Things like hard water will throw off your parameters. You'll want as pure a source water as possible for mixing saltwater, as well as top off water.

 

However, if your plan is a fish only system, you can get away with just tap water and conditioner. You will just have to deal with diatoms and other pest algaes.  Perhaps just the dimmest of lights possible is your cheapest option, if you're sure you'll never want corals.

 

You can keep just a pair of clowns with some snails. That won't be a problem. However, you may change your mind in the future and get some easy corals.

Thank you very much.  So, a RO machine alone does not remove all impurities from tap water.  OK.  I will look for a RO/DI machine since it sounds that it might be still a good idea to have it,  even if I will have a very simple tank with just a pair of clownfish, live rocks and snails.   But it is also good to know that I could get away with just tap water and conditioner if I stick with clownfish and snails.  

I would like to start it as a simple fish tank and I would like think about corals in the future.  

 

[MK1623]

1 hour ago, RayWhisperer said:

RO alone doesn't remove all impurities from water. The final DI stage will remove any remaining impurities. Preventing things like diatoms and pest algae. Salt mixes are made to mix with straiht H2O. Things like hard water will throw off your parameters. You'll want as pure a source water as possible for mixing saltwater, as well as top off water.

 

However, if your plan is a fish only system, you can get away with just tap water and conditioner. You will just have to deal with diatoms and other pest algaes.  Perhaps just the dimmest of lights possible is your cheapest option, if you're sure you'll never want corals.

 

You can keep just a pair of clowns with some snails. That won't be a problem. However, you may change your mind in the future and get some easy corals.

Is this kind of water any good?

I may just buy these water and get delivered.  

 

http://darrantchemicals.co.uk/all-products/deionised-water

[RayWhisperer]

Yes. Deionized water is good. Check your grocery store for distilled water. It's probably cheaper.

[MK1623]

4 hours ago, RayWhisperer said:

Yes. Deionized water is good. Check your grocery store for distilled water. It's probably cheaper.

Thank you very much. 

 

I have just tried one of my local supermarkets but they did not have distilled water.  I was told that a local petrol station or a chemist should have some.  

Then, in the end,  I bought the following a cheap RO/DI filter at Amazon, although it does look complicated and a bit scary.  It will arrive tomorrow.  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00V28UWQQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1ZGLYDQ4UG9RB&psc=1

[xthunt]

Oh yeah. Looks real similar to the RO Buddie I have. I have a tub next to my sink in bathroom. What I did was mount it in the cabinet under my sink, and pull the 3 lines to the tub when I need it. I used a faucet->hose adapter so I can connect it to the tub faucet. I put my 5gal fill bottle in the tub, and let the waste water go down the drain. After I’m done, disconnect the faucet line and put the 3 lines back under the sink. 

[MK1623]

11 minutes ago, xthunt said:

Oh yeah. Looks real similar to the RO Buddie I have. I have a tub next to my sink in bathroom. What I did was mount it in the cabinet under my sink, and pull the 3 lines to the tub when I need it. I used a faucet->hose adapter so I can connect it to the tub faucet. I put my 5gal fill bottle in the tub, and let the waste water go down the drain. After I’m done, disconnect the faucet line and put the 3 lines back under the sink. 

Great!  So, you have a similar one?  I hope the installation is straightforward!  The biggest challenge for me would be to connect it to my kitchen tap. 

Then, I am thinking to use RO water for drinking and washing my face because the water here is very hard and horrible.  I am sure pure water would be kinder to my skin?  

 

[xthunt]

2 minutes ago, MK1623 said:

Great!  So, you have a similar one?  I hope the installation is straightforward!  The biggest challenge for me would be to connect it to my kitchen tap. 

Then, I am thinking to use RO water for drinking and washing my face because the water here is very hard and horrible.  I am sure pure water would be kinder to my skin?  

 

The instructions weren’t too bad. If you have a hard time with it, do you know someone handy that could help?

[MK1623]

1 minute ago, xthunt said:

The instructions weren’t too bad. If you have a hard time with it, do you know someone handy that could help?

If I stuck, I will ask for help. Hopefully, I do not have to bother my friends. I am hopeless at DIY etc. I usually do not buy something which involves assembly or installations. I like appliances that just I can plug and press to start.

[Nocturnal]

How large is your tank? If it's small you may just want to find a source to buy RODI water. My local store sells it for a buck a gallon and so does Whole Foods.

 

RODI systems are my least favorite part of reef keeping.

[MK1623]

31 minutes ago, Nocturnal said:

How large is your tank? If it's small you may just want to find a source to buy RODI water. My local store sells it for a buck a gallon and so does Whole Foods.

 

RODI systems are my least favorite part of reef keeping.

Thank you very much.  My tank is 60l nano tank.  I bought one as I thought it might be good for drinking and washing my face, as well.   So, I will give a go.  

You do not like RODI system....  So, is it not nice to use, either?  To be honest, the look of the filter put me off.  They look ugly and complicated.  Someone should make them pretty/stylish and easy to use.  Something looks like a coffee maker or something and just plug and press, then pure water will come out.  Then, I think I buy it happily, even if I have to pay more.   I do not like to keep something look ugly in my house.  So, originally, I did not want to buy it but in the end, I bought this ugly thing.

[Nocturnal]

1 minute ago, MK1623 said:

Thank you very much.  My tank is 60l nano tank.  I bought one as I thought it might be good for drinking and washing my face, as well.   So, I will give a go.  

So, you do not like RODI system....  So, is it not nice to use, either?  To be honest, the look of the filter put me off.  They look ugly and complicated.  Someone should make them pretty/stylish and easy to use.  Then, I think I buy it happily,  even if I have to pay more.   I do not like to keep something look ugly in my house.  So, originally, I did not want to buy it but in the end, I bought this ugly thing.  

They actually aren't complicated. The key is to mount it in place where you have access to water and a drain and keep up on the filter changes as needed. For me it's just one more thing to deal with. Whenever I upgrade I'll have to get another one. I always had mine in a basement or something with awkward drain lines running everywhere.

[MK1623]

On 16/04/2018 at 9:35 PM, Nocturnal said:

They actually aren't complicated. The key is to mount it in place where you have access to water and a drain and keep up on the filter changes as needed. For me it's just one more thing to deal with. Whenever I upgrade I'll have to get another one. I always had mine in a basement or something with awkward drain lines running everywhere.

I am glad to hear they are not actually complicated.  They have lots of tubes and looked complicated to me.  Hope I can figure out how to use it!  Thank you!  

[Nocturnal]

lots of tubes but those will come pre-plumbed.

 

3 that matter for you:

Water in.

Waste water out.

RODI water out.

[MK1623]

6 minutes ago, Nocturnal said:

lots of tubes but those will come pre-plumbed.

 

3 that matter for you:

Water in.

Waste water out.

RODI water out.

That sounds simple enough!  Thank you!  

[Tamberav]

I love my RODI, no hauling water, always have water on demand. I use the RO part to make great drinking water. Doesn't matter it is ugly as mine is under the sink. If they made it pretty, they would also make it cost more.

 

Many things in this hobby are confusing at first but what in life isn't.

 

[MK1623]

38 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

I love my RODI, no hauling water, always have water on demand. I use the RO part to make great drinking water. Doesn't matter it is ugly as mine is under the sink. If they made it pretty, they would also make it cost more.

 

Many things in this hobby are confusing at first but you will get through it. 

 

 

I see.  You are right.  If I could hide it under the sink, it does not matter whether it is ugly or not!  So, did you install it under the sink?  I do not have much space left in under the sink cupboard.  But I certainly try it!  I was thinking to get water from the kitchen tap and drain into the kitchen sink.  I saw a YouTube video and he was doing it in his bathroom and looks quite untidy with many tubes and ugly.  But if I can install it under the sink and hide all, that would be great!   Is it fairly easy to install under the sink?  Thank you!  

 

[Tamberav]

7 minutes ago, MK1623 said:

I see.  You are right.  If I could hide it under the sink, it does not matter whether it is ugly or not!  So, did you install it under the sink?  I do not have much space left in under the sink cupboard.  But I certainly try it!  I was thinking to get water from the kitchen tap and drain into the kitchen sink.  I saw a YouTube video and he was doing it in his bathroom and looks quite untidy with many tubes and ugly.  But if I can install under the sink and hide all, that would be great!   Is it fairly easy to install under the sink?  Thank you!  

 

I bought a part that screws into the cold water to add a "T" which has a valve I turn on when I want to make RODI water. It is completely removable without permanent changes to the plumbing.

 

 I run my waste water down the sink then put the tube away under the sink when I am finished. You can plumb it to drain directly down the waste part of your sink but that one requires some extra steps I didn't want to do since I rent an apartment. 

 

Not my photo but same idea.

 

[Tamberav]

You will need to look under your sink to see if you have a similar hookup and there are different sizes of tubes so probably have to measure it.

 

The part hat connects the cold water to RODI: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-ez-angle-stop-adapter.html

 

Valve to turn the water to RODI on and off: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-ro-inline-ball-valve-push-connect.html

[MK1623]

5 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

I bought a part that screws into the cold water to add a "T" which has a valve I turn on when I want to make RODI water. It is completely removable without permanent changes to the plumbing.

 

 I run my waste water down the sink then put the tube away under the sink when I am finished. You can plumb it to drain directly down the waste part of your sink but that one requires some extra steps I didn't want to do since I rent an apartment. 

 

Not my photo but same idea.

 

Wow!  Thank you very much!  I think I will talk to my friend to help me do like this!  Thank you!  

[MK1623]

25 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

You will need to look under your sink to see if you have a similar hookup and there are different sizes of tubes so probably have to measure it.

 

The part hat connects the cold water to RODI: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-ez-angle-stop-adapter.html

 

Valve to turn the water to RODI on and off: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-ro-inline-ball-valve-push-connect.html

Thank you so much for the information and links to the parts which I need!!!  I am hopeless at DIY, so I think that I will need to ask one of my friends to do it!   But I would like to install under the sink!  Thank you!  

[MK1623]

22 hours ago, xthunt said:

Don’t know how long for the coralline to come back. After a few weeks of having mine up, I had purple spots show up, then they went away. They are now starting to come back again. Mine has been running since late December, but the rock was used in another tank for a few months before that. Here’s what mine looks like now. You can see some purple trying to grow. 

 

 

 

I would like to ask you a question since it seems that I may have the same green algae as you.  Do you use RO water?  If so, your green algae have not gone away even with RO water?  I probably do not mind these green algae because they look pretty.  However, if it is the case, it seems that it would be almost impossible to control algae and I am a bit worried because if I get algae which I would like to get rid of, it might be extremely difficult to get rid of them even with RO water.  

[MK1623]

 

On 16/04/2018 at 9:35 PM, Nocturnal said:

They actually aren't complicated. The key is to mount it in place where you have access to water and a drain and keep up on the filter changes as needed. For me it's just one more thing to deal with. Whenever I upgrade I'll have to get another one. I always had mine in a basement or something with awkward drain lines running everywhere.

3

 

On 16/04/2018 at 10:20 PM, Tamberav said:

You will need to look under your sink to see if you have a similar hookup and there are different sizes of tubes so probably have to measure it.

 

The part hat connects the cold water to RODI: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-ez-angle-stop-adapter.html

 

Valve to turn the water to RODI on and off: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-ro-inline-ball-valve-push-connect.html

 

On 16/04/2018 at 8:17 PM, xthunt said:

The instructions weren’t too bad. If you have a hard time with it, do you know someone handy that could help?

 

On 16/04/2018 at 12:16 PM, RayWhisperer said:

RO alone doesn't remove all impurities from water. The final DI stage will remove any remaining impurities. Preventing things like diatoms and pest algae. Salt mixes are made to mix with straiht H2O. Things like hard water will throw off your parameters. You'll want as pure a source water as possible for mixing saltwater, as well as top off water.

 

However, if your plan is a fish only system, you can get away with just tap water and conditioner. You will just have to deal with diatoms and other pest algaes.  Perhaps just the dimmest of lights possible is your cheapest option, if you're sure you'll never want corals.

 

You can keep just a pair of clowns with some snails. That won't be a problem. However, you may change your mind in the future and get some easy corals.

I  received my RO/DI filter today.  The installation was not bad at all!!!  I thought that it might be much harder to fit it to my kitchen tap but actually, it was quite OK.   I bought two adapters and they worked!  I will think about how to install it under the sink later. 

 

I really like the water as drinking water, and so did my cat!  So, I stored the filtered water in my Kilner drink dispenser which I have not used for a while!  I am really glad that I purchased it. 

 

Thank you for all your help and your wonderful advice.  Thank you!  

 

I am going to do the water change with this RODI water later!  Hopefully, I can sort out this algae problem soon with RODI water.  

 

 

 

 

[AlmightyJoshaeus]

Happy to hear you got your RO set up