08TRDOFFROAD's 45 Gallon Build

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
It already seems to be doing better. I also added more flow in its general direction and it seems to be loving it.

Well, everything was fine with the tank while I was gone. I ended up just topping off a bit more than usual and reducing the lighting cycle to minimize evaporation for the days I was going to be gone. It worked out okay, but I think 3-4 days is the max time I could be away from the tank without having a sitter to top it off. I am working on a long term top off solution.

I am still fighting cloudy water...I went to my LFS to have my RO water tested after the membrane and filter change. It is running 4 TDS. Which is a bit frustrating due to the fact that it is only 4 better than my old membrane and it cost me about $80 to switch...I don't understand why it is not running at 0...unless it has to do with my crappy water pressure in my apartment. I can't afford a booster pump right now, so if it is, I am just going to have to live with it.


Now here is a question for you...is a TDS reading accurate on salt water...I was telling the employee about my green cloudy milky water woes and he proceeded to stick the TDS meter in my tank water sample...it tested 517 TDS! He had a shocked reaction and told me that the numbers were off the charts and I should be doing large water changes with the new RO mixed salt water. I am bit confused how a TDS reading on salt water would be accurate...it is going to have a high TDS due to the salt in the water isn't it? Is my reading really abnormal?
 
That is what I figured...it threw up a red flag in my mind when he told me that, I just wanted to bounce it off you guys to make sure I was on the right page and correct in my thinking.
 
Well, I am growing ever tired of my green milky water, so over the last three days I have changed about 35-40 gallons of the water in the tank as well as sucked about a 1/4" thick mat of green algae off the majority of the sand. It is definitely clearer now that it has been, but it is not up to the standard I want it to be...I am going to let it circulate for the next few days and possibly do another larger (15-18 gal) water change. I am also trying to track down a few filter socks polish the water and mechanically remove any loose bits of algae I can stir up into the water column.

My zenia is looking better, but my birdnest looks like it may not be long for this world, it is seems to be bleaching and has very litte PE. I am hopeing that by getting aggressive with the tank that I can get things turned around. I really don't want to leave this hobby for good.

In other news. I checked my ph after the latest water change this morning at it is back at 8.00 via a American Marine Pinpoint monitor.
 
few questions. did u get your refugium up and running yet? are u using gfo? what are your phosphate and nitrates at.

i would suggest using bio pellets or vodka dosing. also u could use kalk for top off water, just drip slowly.
 
The sump is up and runnning but no the refugium is not operational...I don't have any macro algae or money to buy a light for the refugium. I am running about 9 tbs of GFR in my BRS reactor...haven't really seen a difference in algae growth. I don't have a test kit for phosphate and I haven't tested nitrates in a few weeks....

I have just done big water changes to try and get a handle on things.
 
Hope everything settles out soon...this is the nature of the beast with new tanks though my friend.
 
mos90 said:
when i set up my first tank i had hair algae problem but never green water.
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience when I set up my first 90 g SW. I had a huge HA outbreak, but some GFR cleared it right up! I have never struggled with cloudy green milky water before...ever!
 
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