I have to agree with everyone else. Although I will let you in on a little secret that nobody else had thrown your way. If you quit, you will sell everything, and then you WILL be back. TRUST ME, I have quit twice. The second time was after a very very nice tank that looked great, but I had to move, and when I moved I got bad algea. I broke the tank down and sold everything. IM DONE WITH REEF TANKS, I said. Well, I was still friends with people on a different forum (sorry guys I hadn't found this place yet) and I continued to go back to the late night chats just to say whats up. Occassionally they would post a link to the forum, and I would follow it for the pictures. I would end up reading the link, and sometimes two or three more. As I read more and more over two years I learned alot. Keep in mind i had a very successfull 75 gallon tank, yet all these reading tought me 100 things I could have done to fix my problem two years earlier. In this case I had a Crushed coral substrate, and it needed badly to be removed.
So here is what I am saying. You obviously love the hobby. You have invested an enormous amount of time and money into it. Yes, you will probabyl eventually have to break down and buy an RO/DI unit, however, if you quit now, you will be back, and you will regret ever leaving to begin with.
I recomend getting a phosphate tester. Safeway doesn't really care how pure the water they sell is, and who knows how often they change ther membrane. Also RO doesn't always get "everything" thats why many reefers get units with a DI attached. A phosphate testers would be cheaper than an RO, and it could give you some indication of weather or not your algea is being fed by bad water, or if its not, then its just part of the cycle and will work itself out.
Don't give up, you will kick yourself down the road.
So here is what I am saying. You obviously love the hobby. You have invested an enormous amount of time and money into it. Yes, you will probabyl eventually have to break down and buy an RO/DI unit, however, if you quit now, you will be back, and you will regret ever leaving to begin with.
I recomend getting a phosphate tester. Safeway doesn't really care how pure the water they sell is, and who knows how often they change ther membrane. Also RO doesn't always get "everything" thats why many reefers get units with a DI attached. A phosphate testers would be cheaper than an RO, and it could give you some indication of weather or not your algea is being fed by bad water, or if its not, then its just part of the cycle and will work itself out.
Don't give up, you will kick yourself down the road.
