sharks and RO water? DO they need RO?

luv4scjjt

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 12, 2012
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upstate ny
I am an experienced shark keeper and have always used RO water. But that was on a 300 gal system. Now that I am building the sharks their larger home 3000 gal (give or take) I dred filling it with RO water. That is a lot of waist water to fill that. I have a lot of plants but not that much. lol. So will my guys be ok if I use another form of declination and all that other bad stuff or will I be harming my baby's with it? What do you others with shark ponds use. It took me 4 days to fill just 300 gal. I know corals need RO but do fish and sharks?
 

Zoodiver

As seen on TV
MFK Member
Aug 22, 2005
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I don't normally run RO unless it's set up that way. Dechlorination of city water is just fine. Just make sure there are no metals.
 

luv4scjjt

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 12, 2012
130
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upstate ny
What brand so you use for the declination? I only ever see typical pet store bands is there something better? And how would I test for metals?
 

Zoodiver

As seen on TV
MFK Member
Aug 22, 2005
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Amquel or Prime. Depending on how you want to do it, chlorine will break down quickly in light. You could just fill the new pool and let it run. The chlorine will burn off naturally on it's own. You can run it through carbon as well to pull chlorine and metals out.
 

luv4scjjt

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 12, 2012
130
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upstate ny
Sorry didn't realize I had more responses...The footprint is 12 ft by 15 ft and my hubby is using 2x6's with a liner. The 300 gal that they are being housed in now will turn into the filter box. Haven't quite figured what will go in for filteration yet. Will also have a 40 watt uv clarifier in it, 2 protein skimmers rated for a 300 gal (cant remember the name of them) until I get a monster one. What do you guys recommend for filter media and ps?
 

Riley S

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 19, 2014
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Minneapolis
Sounds like a nice footprint.

I'm using an Aquarium Engineering 12 x 48 skimmer that's about 72" tall for my build. It's similar to RK2 spec-wise, but uses a needle wheel pump that draws much less electricity. Here's the specs http://www.ebay.com/itm/200693744238?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 It is built by Bill Wann and he uses a 24" diameter version to skim his 20,000 gallon tank.

I'm using an aquadyne bead filter and a kaldnes biofilter for filtration in mine. I know of several other shark keepers that use ultima ii bead filters and seem to like them. You could use about anything. Could be as simple as having a fluidized sandbed feeding your skimmer and maybe some bioballs for degassing.
 
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