Questions from a first-timer

[Cichlid Dad]

OK, I just set up my RODI unit. Two questions - should the waste line flow be stronger than the clean line flow? And should I continue to add Prime when I add the RODI water to my tank?

Waste water is going to be more than the good water. The purpose of RODI is to strip everything from the water leaving you pure H2O. No additives are needed after the water is made

 

[BilboB]

OK, I just set up my RODI unit. Two questions - should the waste line flow be stronger than the clean line flow? And should I continue to add Prime when I add the RODI water to my tank?

Great, thanks.

 

[BilboB]

Waste water is going to be more than the good water. The purpose of RODI is to strip everything from the water leaving you pure H2O. No additives are needed after the water is made

Wait, how do I warm up the RODI water? I need to do a 50% water change since my nitrates are so high, but adding 25 gallons of room-temp saltwater might kill my fish.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Wait, how do I warm up the RODI water? I need to do a 50% water change since my nitrates are so high, but adding 25 gallons of room-temp saltwater might kill my fish.

You use a spare heater and circulation pump to heat the water

 

[BilboB]

You use a spare heater and circulation pump to heat the water

Which do you use? I need to buy them.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Which do you use? I need to buy them.

VIVOSUN 800GPH Submersible Pump(3000L/H, 24W), Ultra Quiet Water Fountain Pump with 10ft. High Lift with 6.5ft. Power Cord, 3 Nozzles for Fish Tank, Pond, Aquarium, Statuary, Hydroponics Green https://a.co/d/2K8bV0S

Use this to mix water in a brute garbage can.
Purchase some flexible clear vinyl tubing so you can use the same pump to pump water from the tank, and then pump new saltwater back into the tank. Any cheap heater will do. As you make RO water and your half way done stick the heater in and the pump and turn them on. Make it so the water is going around the can . When you have the water made and it's heated add your salt and let it mix.

 

[BilboB]

VIVOSUN 800GPH Submersible Pump(3000L/H, 24W), Ultra Quiet Water Fountain Pump with 10ft. High Lift with 6.5ft. Power Cord, 3 Nozzles for Fish Tank, Pond, Aquarium, Statuary, Hydroponics Green https://a.co/d/2K8bV0S

Use this to mix water in a brute garbage can.
Purchase some flexible clear vinyl tubing so you can use the same pump to pump water from the tank, and then pump new saltwater back into the tank. Any cheap heater will do. As you make RO water and your half way done stick the heater in and the pump and turn them on. Make it so the water is going around the can . When you have the water made and it's heated add your salt and let it mix.

Wow, thanks!

 

[BilboB]

Salinity Refractometer for Seawater and Marine Fishkeeping Aquarium 0-100 PPT with Automatic Temperature Compensation https://a.co/d/dS6Okcd


Continuum Reagents Refractometer Calibration Standard – Seawater Reference for Calibration of Density Measuring Equipment, 60 ml https://a.co/d/cXyc8Nm

This is what you want

I'm in the process of changing the water. The salinity refractometer you recommended currently says 30 PPT - is that good?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I'm in the process of changing the water. The salinity refractometer you recommended currently says 30 PPT - is that good?

What is your current system showing on the refractometer?

 

[saltcats]

You'll need to match the ppt of the new water to the water already in the tank, so test them both and make sure it's the same. Especially if you're changing 50% all once, that's a big change so it's more important it matches.

Also - you mentioned this earlier and I didn't see anyone respond to it but apologies if I overlooked it: you said you almost never turn on your light? That's why your anemones aren't doing well, they're photosynthetic and they need light as well as food.
You're probably getting so much algae growth when it's on because the nitrates are so high (they're like fertilizer). So getting the nitrates problem addressed should improve that as well, although algae is part of life and will grow a bit anyway.

If you do end up getting any macro-algaes instead of the plastic plants, they'll use up nitrate as they grow as well so that can be a good way to help maintain low healthy levels in the future.

 

[BilboB]

You'll need to match the ppt of the new water to the water already in the tank, so test them both and make sure it's the same. Especially if you're changing 50% all once, that's a big change so it's more important it matches.

Also - you mentioned this earlier and I didn't see anyone respond to it but apologies if I overlooked it: you said you almost never turn on your light? That's why your anemones aren't doing well, they're photosynthetic and they need light as well as food.
You're probably getting so much algae growth when it's on because the nitrates are so high (they're like fertilizer). So getting the nitrates problem addressed should improve that as well, although algae is part of life and will grow a bit anyway.

If you do end up getting any macro-algaes instead of the plastic plants, they'll use up nitrate as they grow as well so that can be a good way to help maintain low healthy levels in the future.

Wow, I didn't know anemones are photosynthetic. I'm doing 5-gallon water changes every 1-2 days, making sure the salinity is 30 PPT each time (that's the salinity of the tank). I've done 3 so far, but the nitrates are still high, so I'll keep going until they're low. I may also gradually replace my live rocks since they probably have algae on them. Then I'll put the lights on a timer for the anemones - how many hours of light do they need?

My RODI system is outside - is it OK if rainwater gets in the tub while I'm collecting?

 

[mpatterson42]

I'm very new to this hobby as well, have you watched the BRS Beginner series?

It's 60 videos, which can seem daunting but most are under 10 minutes, and a lot of the questions you're asking are answered in there.

 

[saltcats]

Wow, I didn't know anemones are photosynthetic. I'm doing 5-gallon water changes every 1-2 days, making sure the salinity is 30 PPT each time (that's the salinity of the tank). I've done 3 so far, but the nitrates are still high, so I'll keep going until they're low. I may also gradually replace my live rocks since they probably have algae on them. Then I'll put the lights on a timer for the anemones - how many hours of light do they need?

My RODI system is outside - is it OK if rainwater gets in the tub while I'm collecting?

Personally I wouldn't replace the live rock; the maturity of it is a big bonus! New rock tends to grow a lot of algae or other nasties when it's added so you may find it's worse than what you had. I'd focus on improving the nitrates, getting that stabilized, and adding more clean-up crew (we call them CuC!) to help eat that. Hopefully we can figure out why the snails you've added don't survive and get that resolved.

Water change schedule sounds good, although such small changes is probably not going to have as much effect in dropping your nitrates. Safer for the fish though, especially while you're still getting comfortable with the process.

Do you know what type of anemone you have? It'd depend on your light as well, if it provides enough power and the right spectrum for them. I'm not too up on most of the anemones exactly (I only keep RFAs which like lower light than some others!) but hopefully someone else can chime in on that. I'd guess at least 8 hours a day though.

Can you put a lid on the RODI reservoir? I'd worry about things like pesticides etc getting in, if someone was to spray outside.

 

[BilboB]

OK, I won't change the live rock. I have 2 bubble-tip anemones, but I can only see the 2nd one - I'm pretty sure the 1st one died since I almost never put on my light. I wish my local fish store told me they need light, but since they sold me a copperband butterflyfish without any warning, they're not very reliable.

I'm not worried about pesticides - my system is attached to my house and the yard is surrounded by high trees - plus I usually run the system at night.

 

[BilboB]

Those beginner videos are great!

 

[BilboB]

OK, I've done 3 25% water changes and 3 10% water changes but my nitrates are still over 50ppm and my anemone is looking very sad. I added some fresh charcoal and purigen to my canister filter, and switched out the rubber bioballs for ceramic balls. Should I try putting some macroalgae in my tank to help lower the nitrate levels?