[Prismaco]

Well I got my AquaC EV-90 today along with my Mag5. I know I was apose to lay off my tank for a month but I need a skimmer because I sold my Berlin. Well I hooked it up and WHOA!!! I didn't have a skimmer going for about 2 weeks. Man all the gunk, its skimming great and barely fits in my W/D. Got it all hooked up and this morning it was crystal clear water.

I finaly got over my brown algea, now the reds kicking it. I have seen a huge differance with adding R/O water now, also changing my feeding schedual along with my light schedual. But at $1.19 a gallon. It adds up fast. I was only able to get 1g yesterday. The store was sold out. I am thinking of going to those water outlets in front of stores but I have heard bad things about them. What should I look for when I go there ?

Also I am going to me making a canopy this week and adding my lights after I get them re-wired. Also adding a moon light, maybe a MH 10k light. I have a question though on lighting. Is there a such thing as to much light ?

Well back to work...


-Paul

 

[ReefDave]

Ill try to answer a couple of these.

The gunk you pulled out with your skimmer was also adding to your algae problem. So you might see that decline even more now.

1.19 a gallon is very expensive. An RO until would cost you just over 100 bucks, so it wouldn't take long to pay for itself. Heck you can get an RO/DI (much better than the grocery store) for under 200, and that will pay for itself in water and water changes in just a few weeks.

As for the outlet stores, I don't know if I have ever seen on of those around here. Just keep in mind they are only looking to take things out of the water for drinking...they don't have the same goal in water that you do. Just make sure you know what you are buying. Hopefully someone else here knows what your talking about and can offer advice.

The lights. Depending on the coral there can be such thing as too much light. Many of your mushrooms and such like a little bit lower lighting, however most do well even under intense lighting. Tubastrea for example does best with no lighting at all, but that is the exception to the rule. The only things that limit you on having too much lighting is "heat and Money" YOu could put 1000watt lights over a 30g tank, and though eventually the corals would probably get used to the light, and do well, the heat would wipe the tank out before you ever got started.

I forgot what size tank you have, but you mentioned adding a MH. Unless you have a really small tank an MH is always a good choice (IMHO) as it allows you to keep a wider variety of life than PC or VHO bulbs.

FWIW.

Dave

 

[Prismaco]

I have a 37g show. So I would have a combo of PC an MH lights. I wanted to eventualy get some clams.


-Paul

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

I had a 46 bow with 110 W PC lighting on it. The only thing that would grow was leathers. My shrooms never opened up all the way and I was losing heads from a frogspawn.

I moved the forgspawn to my nano (15 Gallon 130W PC light) and theing thing has doubled in 6 months.

I have replaced my 46 with a 58 now and I run a 250W HQI DE 10K MH and 2 95W actinics. I love the color and the corals coulnd't be happier. The shrooms have doubled in sive in 2 months now.

I will be switching the tank to a SPS/Clam tank in the near future.

 

[Prismaco]

Thats what I plan on doing. Turning my 2 96w PC's to actinics and making my MH into a 10K 155-175w.


-Paul