Can I add the cleanup crew?

vmaxxt · 05-04-2004, 09:38 AM

Hey all! Well, the 75 gallon tank has been cycling with live rock for the last 3 weeks. Ammonia and nitrite are back to zero, but nitrate has been around 10-15 for the last week. If I do my 50% water change now can I add the cleanup crew? Or do I need to wait until nitrate makes it to zero? Also, phosphates are off the chart. I'm planning to run a poly filter after the 50% water change to see if I can get that under control. Input please!
Tammy

otolith · 05-04-2004, 10:27 AM

Your nitrates are at an acceptable level. I would, however, switch to RO water to get your phosphates down, or else use a phosphate sponge. That said, you're probably ok to add a cleaner crew the way things are.

vmaxxt · 05-04-2004, 11:17 AM

Thanks Derek. That's the answer I was hoping for.

I'm using RO water from Cub. I think the phosphates are coming from die off on the LR. I've tested cub's water and it's fine. I will retest though.

trodder · 05-04-2004, 11:37 AM

FWIW, I used the Cub Foods RO water for a while and it caused a great deal of Red slime which I believe feeds heavily of high phosphates... A week after I sarted using my own RODI water (bought a unit from airwaterice.com ) the red slime went away. It actually seemed to get worse every time I did a water change with the Cub Foods RO water... that kind of gave me the hint that Cubs Water is not ideal...so I bit the bullet and spent the dough on a real nice unit for a great price and I have not regretted not having to make special trips to cub or the LFS for RO water ever since.

vmaxxt · 05-04-2004, 12:29 PM

I hear ya. Hauling water is getting old already. I believe an RO/DI is in my future.

I do believe home RO/DI is better, but am I correct that RO/DI will not actually remove phosphates? If it doesn't, is the real issue that home RO/DI are better maintained?

redlion4 · 05-04-2004, 02:23 PM

Home RO/DI units do remove phosphates. I believe it happens within the RO membrane itself (not in the carbon, or DI parts).

Most local water utilities actually add phosphate compounds (orthophosphates?) to the water. This is done to minimize / prevent lead from leaching into the water from the water pipes.

We found the water in Lakeville to be quite high in phosphates. A call to them confirmed they were adding something like 2-3ppm!! Our home RO/DI filter has eliminated it all together, in combination with using Phosban media in our tank filter (undetectable on our SeaTest kit, which is 0.2 - 1.0ppm in units of 0.2...the test ends up being perfectly clear / not tinted at all). Has done wonders to clear up cyano in our tank! We got our unit from airwaterice.com as well, 6 months ago or so.

Ryan

Edit - The Phosban was only needed to remove the phosphates from the tank that had built up. SW made up with the RO/DI water reads 0 ppm, now that we have the RO/DI unit.