Sara’s IM 25g Lagoon

[saramachen]

I am not an expert on this stuff, but it might be wise to get it tested by the lfs or get another tester just to make sure.

This is true.

I watched some YouTube and read some threads and I added a flush valve and flushed the membrane for an 30 mins and it got down to 1ppm. Then I let it sit and ran it again and it went back up to 4ppm. So I may have to flush the membrane a bit before each use and then still dump the first little bit of RODI water.

Im done thinking about it tonight. Hopefully I can make a few gallons tomorrow after work for my ATO.

 

[saramachen]

So even tho I had I was done thinking about it last night, I was not lol. I didn’t do anything about it, but I continued to ponder it. Came home from work/school pick up and rearranged some of the plumbing, and flushed the membrane for another hour, and it’s at 0 TDS now, so I am filling a bucket!

 

[AnotherReefHobbyist]

So even tho I had I was done thinking about it last night, I was not lol. I didn’t do anything about it, but I continued to ponder it. Came home from work/school pick up and rearranged some of the plumbing, and flushed the membrane for another hour, and it’s at 0 TDS now, so I am filling a bucket!

Yay! glad to see that problem get resolved.

 

[saramachen]

I am noticing when I turn the powerheads and Return pump on feed mode, how much happier my fish and shrimp seem to be. They explore a bit more, swim around more….

I have 2 of the Jebao SOW 3 powerheads. They are on the lowest setting (which is 130gph) and alternate (so one goes then the other). But I do wonder if even that is too much for this little tank. However, the Zoas on the sandbed seem happy. But the plan was to love them onto a rock in the next couple of days, they have been on the sand a week, acclimating to the light.

I have “sorta” looked, I didn’t see any powerheads less then 130gph, and I do plan to put other coral in the tank that will want the flow. Still not sure what to do.

 

[AnotherReefHobbyist]

I am noticing when I turn the powerheads and Return pump on feed mode, how much happier my fish and shrimp seem to be. They explore a bit more, swim around more….

I have 2 of the Jebao SOW 3 powerheads. They are on the lowest setting (which is 130gph) and alternate (so one goes then the other). But I do wonder if even that is too much for this little tank. However, the Zoas on the sandbed seem happy. But the plan was to love them onto a rock in the next couple of days, they have been on the sand a week, acclimating to the light.

I have “sorta” looked, I didn’t see any powerheads less then 130gph, and I do plan to put other coral in the tank that will want the flow. Still not sure what to do.

I have always run very low flow cause that's what the fish seemed to like best. What I have found recently is that you can just do one side of the tank with high flow and place corals that need the flow over there, and then the fish can decide how much flow they want.

 

[JoshH]

So now my RODI unit is reading 7TDS? It’s been going for a long time I hate it when crap doesn’t work! Especially $350 crap!

Sorry I missed this earlier, How did you go about flushing the system exactly?

 

[saramachen]

Sorry I missed this earlier, How did you go about flushing the system exactly?

I took the drain line with the flow restrictor,
Tee’d off before and after the flow restrictor and on the “bypass” added a ball valve. When I open the valve the drain line is allowed to run “full open” and you can flush the RO Membranes. Then just close the valve to use the system normally
Stole this Pic off google:

 

[JoshH]

I took the drain line with the flow restrictor,
Tee’d off before and after the flow restrictor and on the “bypass” added a ball valve. When I open the valve the drain line is allowed to run “full open” and you can flush the RO Membranes. Then just close the valve to use the system normally
Stole this Pic off google:

I mean before you installed the flush valve. When you first ran water through the system did you rinse or flush the carbon block before connecting it to the membrane?

 

[JoshH]

Double Post ;Sorry

 

[DWill]

I screwed up when I said membranes. The $150 was for the membrane and all the “cartridge’s”. I put a TDS meter on my water In, and from my 3 stage to my membrane, then out of the membrane to the D/I canister, and finally Out of the DI canisters. Hoping by monitoring it at different spot I will be able to “guess” what needs changed, when.
The only hiccup I have with the RO/DI is the tap I planned on using is old and leaking. So now I gotta run to home depot to grab a SharkBite Tee to tap into my cold water line to the washing machine. No biggie, but gotta wait for hubby to get home or go tomorrow after I do the school run, before I head into work.

did some water testing tonight:
Nitrite - 0 FINALLY!!!!!!
Nitrate - 10.9ppm
Phosphate - 0.04ppm
Ordered a Hanna PH probe, so it’s sitting in some buffer solution as per the instructions.

Also read a 20pg thread about Topic Marine Pro salt (of which I am using a 25kg tub of). Came home and wiped out my Brite with a paper towel, a little tiny bit of brown residue. But nothing like what’s being shown in that thread.

Ya, I’ve been using TMP for a couple of years. I started having almost immediately with it with the first bucket I used that came from Turkey. Not to the degree some people are having thankfully. I opened the second bucket I bought at the same time and smells weird, mixed up some water and the water had that same smell.

So the second bucket went in the trash. I’m switching to ESV until TM figures this out.

 

[saramachen]

I mean before you installed the flush valve. When you first ran water through the system did you rinse or flush the carbon block before connecting it to the membrane?

No, which I think may have been my issue . I just turned it on, and let it run planning on dumping the first hour or so of water. But when I couldn’t get to 0 tds I started investigating. After being able to flush it throughly I hope I fixed the issue. I have read I may have shortened the life span of this membrane, but we shall see.

 

[DWill]

So now my RODI unit is reading 7TDS? It’s been going for a long time I hate it when crap doesn’t work! Especially $350 crap!

Couple of things. It’ll have a lower than rejection rate for awhile. That will also be affected water temp. It’s winter and your water is likely a little colder than “normal” even here in San Diego up in the foothills where I live I notice a slight decrease in rejection rate in the winter.

So, you haven’t already, back flush for and extended time, then run several gallons through it bypassing the DI. Just unplug the line going into the DI. Bypass the DI so you don’t burn through it.

Check the TDS coming it should drop some but it may take a good amount of water depending on the water temp. Also you might back flush it every 5 gallons or so in the process of doing this.

Whatever you do get tempted to use warm water from the tap to feed it. Just let it do it’s thing, it should settle in. But again, because of water temp you may see higher than normal numbers coming out of the RO.

 

[saramachen]

Ya, I’ve been using TMP for a couple of years. I started having almost immediately with it with the first bucket I used that came from Turkey. Not to the degree some people are having thankfully. I opened the second bucket I bought at the same time and smells weird, mixed up some water and the water had that same smell.

So the second bucket went in the trash. I’m switching to ESV until TM figures this out.

So much $ to throw away.

this bucket seems ok, but if there are still issues when I need to buy more salt, I may switch. But I bought a huge butt bucket - it should last me a long while.

 

[DWill]

So much $ to throw away.

this bucket seems ok, but if there are still issues when I need to buy more salt, I may switch. But I bought a huge butt bucket - it should last me a long while.

Ya, but better to lose a couple hundred in salt mix than more than $1k in coral. At least that’s what I’m thinking. I’ve read of people using their Turkey produced TMP on their driveways. I don’t have that option here. I guess I could send it home to my family in Montana …

 

[saramachen]

Ya, but better to lose a couple hundred in salt mix than more than $1k in coral. At least that’s what I’m thinking. I’ve read of people using their Turkey produced TMP on their driveways. I don’t have that option here. I guess I could send it home to my family in Montana …

We got 10” of snow, it could be done here lol.

Yes better the salt go, then the corals!

 

[JoshH]

No, which I think may have been my issue . I just turned it on, and let it run planning on dumping the first hour or so of water. But when I couldn’t get to 0 tds I started investigating. After being able to flush it throughly I hope I fixed the issue. I have read I may have shortened the life span of this membrane, but we shall see.

That is probably part of your inital issue and yes you "May" have shortened your membranes life but given the high TDS you have going into the system, I doubt it would be anything significant. Do you have a bypass valve installed after your RO membrane before the DI?

 

[saramachen]

That is probably part of your inital issue and yes you "May" have shortened your membranes life but given the high TDS you have going into the system, I doubt it would be anything significant. Do you have a bypass valve installed after your RO membrane before the DI?

Yes I did that! Partly to be able to flush, but also to make RO drinking water lol.

My cat has decided he needs fed earlier and earlier. Today he started at me at 5:30am. Hubby threatened to throw him out lol! Then told me the fish were his favourite as they aren’t so noisy when they are hungry. Needless to say Amazon is bringing a 5 section food bowl on a timer. He has access to dry food all the time, he just wants his wet breakfast.

 

[saramachen]

Not much exciting happening. Clowns seem happy, the cleaner shrimp has started to explore instead of just hiding in the back. The brown algae is growing like crazy. It’s time for a few more snails.

I feed 1/4 cube of brine 2x a day, and some pellets 1x per day. 3 small feedings daily . I’d like to replace the brine with frozen “reef” food I got, but the clowns don’t seem to want it. They also don’t like the Omega One colours pellets. I went looking for something “similar” to
TDO chromapellets and found this:

they are eating these fine. I may ask my mom to bring me back some TDO when she returns from her snowbirding in May.

I added a “tennis” ball of Chaeto 9 days ago. I am
Dosing 5 drops daily of Chaetogro by brightwell. Tuesday I got a delivery of Copepods and Plankton from a “semi” local reefer. I added them on a Tuesday and I feed 2-3ml of plankton daily. I also rotate the Chaeto every night, as the way the flow works in the back of this tank, the water flows through consistently, but the Chaeto does not “tumble”. I would say today, the Chaeto is about twice the size it was at delivery.

my water tests today:
pH - 8
alk - 7.28
Nitate - 14.3
Phosphate- 0.03

I have to read more about increasing Alk. And I need to get Cal & Mg tests. I think my PH might be a bit low too, I have read something about opening windows to get fresh air in the room -
But now I can’t remember if that lowers or increases the PH . And it’s like -20c outside.

My Ro/Di is working and I made 4gallons for my ATO yesterday, and another 4gallons which is now mixing with salt for a water change tomorrow :

And lastly I’m starting to look for my next fish. I want a Bengaii Cardinal. One shop around me has some, and there are a lot of people in the local FB group who loves this shop, but someone who I have spoken with a quite a bit over the last month, has said he wouldn’t buy from them. So now I’m a bit torn. NO where else in southern Ontario seems to have any, and it’s one’s persons opinion vs a lot of rave reviews. I am gonna have to make a trip to this shop to see for myself.

I’m also ready to move the zoa frag to a rock. I ordered some coral cutteI want to cut the end off the drag plug and glue the “plate” to the rock.

My cat has charmed his way into my husbands good graces . Although my other cat has been eyeing up my tank again…

 

[JoshH]

What shop is it that you are concerned about?

 

[AnotherReefHobbyist]

Looking good! I would advise you to raise ALk, and ph could be a little higher, but nothing to get too concerned about.

And most definitely get calcium and magnesium tests, when something goes wrong you will want to have the peace of mind knowing it’s not something you can’t test for.