Fairly new reefer looking for any and all advice!

saltyfilmfolks

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Can I dump all the water in the canister all together
yes. I do it at wc time any way.
specific gfo /carbon?
I dont run gfo, you dont need to imo. rox is hard core stuff, im told. i use the basic stuff. gfo is for high phosphate or contaminations.

try this. empty and rinse the canister. put the hoses in a bucket on a table or sink with the can on the floor. let it fill with tap water. crank it up to full blast.
open the can and put in some floss or the cotton wadding. blast it again. just test the limits of the tool.
btw this is how I clean or at least rinse my canister. I did this today in fact.
(i usually add a couple drops of bleach in the bucket and let it run outside then let it dry out side in the sun and then store it..)
 

ksc

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What test result or symptom in your tank are you seeing that tells you that you need to run carbon or gfo?
Probably the same test result that indicated he should add prime and stability......
I would just concentrate on changing out your water. At $.30/gal you have about $15 worth of water in the tank. Get rid of it and you can start testing to see what you might need.
 
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Be102

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Will my tank be harmed in any way whatsoever if I do large water changes? Like 30+ %? Does the water circulate well enough for the fact that I can just do a few continuous water changes at a time? such as 5 gallons then another 5 gallons and so forth? ( broke my extra 300watt heater, heating 10+ gallons will take a while with the little one I have.) I initially just have to run my heater and RO/DI unit for a little while and will then start on doing all the changes. So there is nothing in prime or stability that will harm the tank? I know I keep asking about this stuff, just making sure that if I do a few water changes the next few days that it will not cause any harm if I use this stuff multiple times.
 

saltyfilmfolks

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So there is nothing in prime or stability that will harm the tank
no.

its why I suggested weekly changes. Its easier. I let my water warm up in the house for a couple days.
Im lazy and simple.
it shouldn't be a chore.

"Not sure if it was the bottles or spit really" - @saltyfilmfolks
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
 
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Be102

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yes. I do it at wc time any way.

I dont run gfo, you dont need to imo. rox is hard core stuff, im told. i use the basic stuff. gfo is for high phosphate or contaminations.

try this. empty and rinse the canister. put the hoses in a bucket on a table or sink with the can on the floor. let it fill with tap water. crank it up to full blast.
open the can and put in some floss or the cotton wadding. blast it again. just test the limits of the tool.
btw this is how I clean or at least rinse my canister. I did this today in fact.
(i usually add a couple drops of bleach in the bucket and let it run outside then let it dry out side in the sun and then store it..)
Whilst dumping your canister, have you just came to learn where the water ends up being needed to filled up to? Im asking like if I was to dump the canister it would take a significant amount of water out of the tank i expect, sort of more than I would be planning on doing the water change with itself? I have been using 24oz of Salt per 5gallons of water. Thinking about grabbing a bag of instant ocean to not have all my salt that has the coral nutrients just become flushed.
 
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Be102

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no.

its why I suggested weekly changes. Its easier. I let my water warm up in the house for a couple days.
Im lazy and simple.
it shouldn't be a chore.

"Not sure if it was the bottles or spit really" - @saltyfilmfolks
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
The quote had me honestly laughing so hard it had to be in my signature.. plus you haven't given up on me yet! I unfortunately just added my RO/DI system to my basement where there was a hose nozzle. I was planning on lugging the water up to my room on the third floor and just use the bucket there to mix. I was originally doing larger water changes so it was sort of swift but still quite the event. I luckily have a porch off my room which allows me to dump the water easily. I was looking at figuring out how to install the ro/di under my sink in the bathroom on the third floor. Little hard to convince the household to let me run water through the walls from the ro/di machine after I managed to already flood my floors once :rolleyes::rolleyes: I was thinking about the 5 gallon water changes weekly starting once I got all my parameters in check.
 

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Will my tank be harmed in any way whatsoever if I do large water changes? Like 30+ %? Does the water circulate well enough for the fact that I can just do a few continuous water changes at a time? such as 5 gallons then another 5 gallons and so forth? ( broke my extra 300watt heater, heating 10+ gallons will take a while with the little one I have.) I initially just have to run my heater and RO/DI unit for a little while and will then start on doing all the changes. So there is nothing in prime or stability that will harm the tank? I know I keep asking about this stuff, just making sure that if I do a few water changes the next few days that it will not cause any harm if I use this stuff multiple times.

You will be fine. You are replacing polluted water with clean, fresh saltwater. You are removing anything bad that built up over time and replacing it with "perfect" water. When I "reset" my tank I used a whole bucket over 7 days, so 140 gallons on a 100 gallon system. I personally wouldn't bother with the "stuff", but there's no harm adding what the company recommends. I don't bother heating water change water either, just let it get up to room temp.
 

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have you just came to learn where the water ends up being needed to filled up to?
yes.
water out of the tank i expect,
no. its not in the tank.;) it in the can and hoses.
if you do the cleaning. fill the bucket , hoses and can. turn off the can. dump the can and hoses into the 5 gal bucket. see how full it is.

my can and hoses are about 2 gallons.


Thinking about grabbing a bag of instant ocean to not have all my salt that has the coral nutrients just become flushed.
dont think to hard. its fine.

The quote had me honestly laughing so hard it had to be in my signature.. plus you haven't given up on me yet! I unfortunately just added my RO/DI system to my basement where there was a hose nozzle. I was planning on lugging the water up to my room on the third floor and just use the bucket there to mix. I was originally doing larger water changes so it was sort of swift but still quite the event. I luckily have a porch off my room which allows me to dump the water easily. I was looking at figuring out how to install the ro/di under my sink in the bathroom on the third floor. Little hard to convince the household to let me run water through the walls from the ro/di machine after I managed to already flood my floors once :rolleyes::rolleyes: I was thinking about the 5 gallon water changes weekly starting once I got all my parameters in check.

Ive met JPL engineers who have said the same thing while we compared pocket protectors at the hardware store.

I have a $5 adapter for my kitchen sink for the rodi. the unit sits in a plastic box. don't flood the kitchen.

its baby steps. a little piece at a time.

the funny part of the hobby is, you wanted a fish tank. you wind up being an engineer, nutritionist, chemist, mechanic, carpenter, biologist, and janitor. Mostly janitor.
dont expect to learn it all at once.
 

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the funny part of the hobby is, you wanted a fish tank. you wind up being an engineer, nutritionist, chemist, mechanic, carpenter, biologist, and janitor. Mostly janitor.
dont expect to learn it all at once.
So true!
 

saltyfilmfolks

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You will be fine. You are replacing polluted water with clean, fresh saltwater. You are removing anything bad that built up over time and replacing it with "perfect" water. When I "reset" my tank I used a whole bucket over 7 days, so 140 gallons on a 100 gallon system. I personally would bother with the "stuff", but there's no harm adding what the company recommends. I don't bother heating water change water either, just let it get up to room temp.
+1
I personally had problems with that twice. But it was with RCSP salt. Ill fully admit it makes me gun shy to recommend it, and I honesty dont know if that was the issue or what it was.
in emergency situations Ive done large changes w IO, and I'm fortunate to have NSW. and 77 degree weater all year too.
 
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Be102

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You will be fine. You are replacing polluted water with clean, fresh saltwater. You are removing anything bad that built up over time and replacing it with "perfect" water. When I "reset" my tank I used a whole bucket over 7 days, so 140 gallons on a 100 gallon system. I personally wouldn't bother with the "stuff", but there's no harm adding what the company recommends. I don't bother heating water change water either, just let it get up to room temp.
I was worried that water change water would almost always needed to be heated. Just cause my room temperature is probably around 68 degrees. Is it required to heat the water prior to mixing the salt with it? By a whole bucket do you mean as in a whole say 30 gallon bin? I intended to do it that way. few large water changes to get my stuff correct, then go from there with smaller ones.
 
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Be102

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(shhh...Ive got frags to swap him)
You might have a carpet anemone coming your way :p After he ate my green warface goby last night its been literally haunting me! I ironically might have splurged prior to signing up for R2R and have a few miscellaneous frags scheduled for delivery tomorrow! Hence why such the rush for good water. I honestly can't wait to get everything running and stable.. Even thinking about a frag tank for the basement :D
 

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+1
I personally had problems with that twice. But it was with RCSP salt. Ill fully admit it makes me gun shy to recommend it, and I honesty dont know if that was the issue or what it was.
in emergency situations Ive done large changes w IO, and I'm fortunate to have NSW. and 77 degree weater all year too.

You're lucky. I make my water in the basement. If I spill it in the winter there's a chance of it freezing and causing serious injury from falls.... That isn't bad though compared to winter water changes back in the 70's. My father used to bring me and a rope to the beach along with a bunch of buckets. He'd send me in to the 30* water, making sure the rope was tied around the buckets...
 

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You're lucky. I make my water in the basement. If I spill it in the winter there's a chance of it freezing and causing serious injury from falls.... That isn't bad though compared to winter water changes back in the 70's. My father used to bring me and a rope to the beach along with a bunch of buckets. He'd send me in to the 30* water, making sure the rope was tied around the buckets...
luckiest reefer ever!

My dad did kinda the same but it was Vegas, in a casino.
 

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I was worried that water change water would almost always needed to be heated. Just cause my room temperature is probably around 68 degrees. Is it required to heat the water prior to mixing the salt with it? By a whole bucket do you mean as in a whole say 30 gallon bin? I intended to do it that way. few large water changes to get my stuff correct, then go from there with smaller ones.

I mix my water cold. You will get much less precipitation mixing it cold. If you want to heat it it's best to run your heater for a few hours before you plan on the change. Let's say your tank is 78, new water 68. A 10% change will drop your temperature only 1*.
 
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Be102

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I mix my water cold. You will get much less precipitation mixing it cold. If you want to heat it it's best to run your heater for a few hours before you plan on the change. Let's say your tank is 78, new water 68. A 10% change will drop your temperature only 1*.
Wow. Had absolutely no idea that the 10% change would just have a 1* change in the temperature. Is there a reason people are always making sure its up to 78* before mixed/ added to the tank? Obviously I don't intend to go home and do a 30 gallon water change with just room temp water; just for future references. Also the whole going into the ocean thing is really funny, I actually never really understood if ocean water is safe for a reef tank.. Clearly it depends where you are, but not too sure how it all works out.
 

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IMG_1058.JPG

works out pretty good. IMO.
 
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