Warning to others.

[Icryhard]

My main issue is the 'chemicals are bad' ideaology. What do you think food, water, fish, corals, etc. are made of? It is a ridiculous statement that I see on here often (and in many industries) made by those who have no understanding of the basic chemistry of the world, or simply don't want to learn. It is a foolish notion with no sound reasoning behind it.

Also, numbers are fine to target. The saying "don't chase numbers" is just a catchy phrase that is used when someone doesn't understand why a test value should be in a particular range, or when someone wants to justify their laziness. It is an irrisponsible statement that always annoys me when I see it. No one is saying you can't have variations in a test value, or that you need an exact value for each parameter. You just want things in a certain range, not just for the known issues that arise when the values are very far off from optimal, but that, in order to tell what is wrong with a tank (be that algae, fish, coral health, etc.) we need to standardize the common parameters of a tank. If not, no one can help you as you would be introducing too many variable if you just say "I don't test because targeting certain values is bad." In order to diagnose a problem, you need to eliminate variables that could be a cause of an issue. When everything is within the right range, you can assume with a fair amount of confidence that the issue at hand is not from a value drifting outside of a healthy range.

Not entirely true. "Chemicals" is a very broad term. A lot of chemicals are harmful and certain mixtures crash the tank. Don't chase the numbers isn't a "catchy" phrase either. Plenty of people who have dirtier waters and manage to have great tanks, whereas others their tanks go completely downhill with those values. Numbers usually indicate what could be a problem, but it doesn't mean that it will always work for you the best, for whatever reason that may be.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Okay. How do i go about this? What tds pen do you recommend? How do i know my ro membrance in a good shape? I changed the carbon, and the other sponges on my brs 6 stage unit. But i didnt change DI yet

I prefer the in-line dual TDS meter that BRS sells

 

[Lavey29]

Ok thanks for the advice.

You can make your tank beautiful but it will not happen overnight. You have good equipment. Follow the steps experienced people have given you. Lots of manual removal. Diverse cleaner crew, reduced lights etc... give yourself a 3 month window to guage where you are at. Keep parameters as stable as you can. Once the tank hits a year or so your ecosystem will start to really stabilize if you do your part.

 

[Notsolostfish]

One will have two meters
They even have 1 with 3 meters

Alright one last question so i can comprehend all of this.

The first tds meter where do i place it? On the first pic the link i did mark or the second pic?

 

[edd59]

first pic, that will give you membrane output and DI output [product]

 

[Notsolostfish]

first pic, that will give you membrane output and DI output [product]

I already have a built in meter there for membrance output and di output. But what im trying to do is test after DI and after membrance.

 

[Eric R.]

I just want this video to be warning for other newbies starting out. I started this hobby 7 months ago, i got excited finished the cycled, added fish, and started immediately with lps corals. I was happy about my gear, so i immediately was replacing socks, breaking in my nyos 120, and all the fun along with it. Till one day i started seeing a little bit of dinos on the sand. So i was worried about cyano, and after effect of it. At this time my corals were pretty happy, so i came to this server, and asked about my algae, and the first thing i got "whats your phosphate, and nitrate" at that time i didnt have a hanna checker for those, so i immediately bought one, and my nitrate, and phosphate were both at 0.

So the first thing this server told me was A) feed more B) buy a brightwell neophos & neo nitro.

As a guy who does not like any sort of chemicals in his tank. I started feeding more. But that didnt bring my nutrienrs up at all. Keep in mind at this time my algae wasnt bad at all.

So the devil played with my mind, and i bought neophos, and neonitro.

I started dosing those, the dinos went away not gonna lie. But iv had cyano on some parts of my sand. It wasnt extending, but it wasnt going away. It was ticking off my rock anemone, my corals were pretty ticked off. So a reefer with "experience" told me yes dose your phosphate to 0.1 as 0.06 is low to your nitrate 5.6 and when you reach 0.1 for phosphate your algae will go away. So i started double dosing phosphate. And here iam the tank is completely covered in all sorts of algae, dinos, cyanos, green cyano,a lot of green hair algae. And all of my corals either bailing out, or dying.

Moral of the story here. Never chase a number, and let your tank do its thing. Chasing numbers are not good, and i wish i listened earlier. Never buy corals immediately neverrr. And im not saying wait a year to buy corals, just wait enough for your tank to stabilize, and your nutrients are not in the low 0s.

The video doesnt do the tank justice on how bad the algae is in my tank rn

February 7, 2023

youtube.com

My mag is 1315
Alk:7.5(was 8.5 before)
Calcium:420
Salinity:1.026

I didn't read all the posts. Easiest way to deal with cyano is a 3-5 say blackout. And I don't mean just turn the tank lights off. Make sure the tank gets no light. 10-15 minutes a day while you feed fish and check on things is fine, but other than that, no light. Syphon as much of the cyano out as you can manually before you start.

And yes, don't chase numbers.

If you want to learn from some folks that know how to reef, search for reef beef podcast on YouTube. Ben and Rich know their stuff. Two professionals in the hobby.

 

[edd59]

I already have a built in meter there for membrance output and di output. But what im trying to do is test after DI and after membrance.

where you have them is membrane out to DI and DI out to product

 

[Notsolostfish]

where you have them is membrane out to DI and DI out to product

Im just confused as why do i have to buy another meter like the current meter there is hooked after membrance and di output? Is that so i check accuracy?, im confused.

 

[edd59]

Im just confused as why do i have to buy another meter like the current meter there is hooked after membrance and di output? Is that so i check accuracy?, im confused.

yes, thats why someone recommended switching them. if their value changes to what you had at those ports then they are ok, and just leave them where they are. and no need for new ones

 

[Notsolostfish]

yes, thats why someone recommended switching them. if their value changes to what you had at those ports then they are ok, and just leave them where they are. and no need for new ones

I only have 1 right now. Ima buy the one they linked. And see what happens

 

[edd59]

I only have 1 right now. Ima buy the one they linked. And see what happens

you will use them in the future to check membrane and DI condition

 

[edd59]

Im just confused as why do i have to buy another meter like the current meter there is hooked after membrance and di output? Is that so i check accuracy?, im confused.

thought you only have one?

 

[Notsolostfish]

thought you only have one?

Haha this is confusing. Yes right now on the brs 6 stage theres only 1 connected that came with the unit. It already connected

 

[Lionfish hunter]

I just want this video to be warning for other newbies starting out. I started this hobby 7 months ago, i got excited finished the cycled, added fish, and started immediately with lps corals. I was happy about my gear, so i immediately was replacing socks, breaking in my nyos 120, and all the fun along with it. Till one day i started seeing a little bit of dinos on the sand. So i was worried about cyano, and after effect of it. At this time my corals were pretty happy, so i came to this server, and asked about my algae, and the first thing i got "whats your phosphate, and nitrate" at that time i didnt have a hanna checker for those, so i immediately bought one, and my nitrate, and phosphate were both at 0.

So the first thing this server told me was A) feed more B) buy a brightwell neophos & neo nitro.

As a guy who does not like any sort of chemicals in his tank. I started feeding more. But that didnt bring my nutrienrs up at all. Keep in mind at this time my algae wasnt bad at all.

So the devil played with my mind, and i bought neophos, and neonitro.

I started dosing those, the dinos went away not gonna lie. But iv had cyano on some parts of my sand. It wasnt extending, but it wasnt going away. It was ticking off my rock anemone, my corals were pretty ticked off. So a reefer with "experience" told me yes dose your phosphate to 0.1 as 0.06 is low to your nitrate 5.6 and when you reach 0.1 for phosphate your algae will go away. So i started double dosing phosphate. And here iam the tank is completely covered in all sorts of algae, dinos, cyanos, green cyano,a lot of green hair algae. And all of my corals either bailing out, or dying.

Moral of the story here. Never chase a number, and let your tank do its thing. Chasing numbers are not good, and i wish i listened earlier. Never buy corals immediately neverrr. And im not saying wait a year to buy corals, just wait enough for your tank to stabilize, and your nutrients are not in the low 0s.

The video doesnt do the tank justice on how bad the algae is in my tank rn

February 7, 2023

youtube.com

My mag is 1315
Alk:7.5(was 8.5 before)
Calcium:420
Salinity:1.026

.06 phosphate and 5 nitrate is just fine, actually better than fine. New tank is going to have algae issues for a year. No matter what you do, you will still have issues. I would be VERY careful with dosing nutrients to a new tank. Normally ends up just like this.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Im just confused as why do i have to buy another meter like the current meter there is hooked after membrance and di output? Is that so i check accuracy?, im confused.

The meters go bad after time I replace mine every year they only cost $19 from Amazon. You do not need 2 you need one dual set up measuring into the DI and then the second part would be out of the DI

 

[Notsolostfish]

The meters go bad after time I replace mine every year they only cost $19 from Amazon. You do not need 2 you need one dual set up measuring into the DI and then the second part would be out of the DI

Got it. So they are they telling me here to replace the current one? Because i was confused here for a second. I mean i can have one installed after DI

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

The saying "don't chase numbers" is just a catchy phrase that is used when someone wants to justify their laziness. It is an irrisponsible statement that always annoys me when I see it.

Ok I modified the context a bit....
But I love this statement!
BTW... I'm lazy...
The ppl. that say I don't chase numbers, Their tank is doing great BTW...
So if your tank is not doing great... well you have to do some testing and understand what the results mean.
The best advice one can get from this forum, is from someone slightly ahead in the time and experience department. Many of the ppl. here that give advice may have a skewed recollection of the process they went through, or may be relating issues from their current tank which is far removed from someone starting out. I am not saying do not take advice from someone with a lot more experience. Those ppl. should help you with your general goals and focus. But it is more relatable if someone is talking about their GHA issue recently and XYZ is what worked for them.
Just saying...

 

[Dburr1014]

Got it. So they are they telling me here to replace the current one? Because i was confused here for a second. I mean i can have one installed after DI

Charbel101........
You are very confusing to talk to also.

You have said, you have 1 meter to check TDS.
Then you say you have one after membrane and one after di. My math tells me that is two TDS meters.
Then the last statement you said you have one after the di.

Which is it???
Do you have 1? Do you have 2? Do you have one with two check spots like I showed you from Amazon?

I'm really trying to help but tell us what you own. I would not want you to buy another thing you don't need.

In my water production I have a dual and a tri meter.
I can check before the membrane, after the membrane, before the DI mixed bed and after the DI mixed bed. I still have a spare. I use that one after my anion and cation stages.

 

[edd59]

Got it. So they are they telling me here to replace the current one? Because i was confused here for a second. I mean i can have one installed after DI

buy the one with 2. install one and replace the existing one with the other. as ford tech said they do go bad