8 year old tank switch to more corals and less fish?

[bezlar]

I been keeping only fish with live rock for 8 years and want to switch to more corals. I have had a large colony of green hairy mushrooms for around 4 years in the tank. My ? is i've only been using tap water from day one, just bought a ro/di system, how long should i wait to add any other corals. Tank is 150 with a 50 sump/fug. I use a etss 500 evolution skimmer but just ordered a atb conical small that will use less power.

Water test out with no phas and around 25 parts nitrate.
I've been hitting the tank with 30gal water changes to get the nitrates down, but just set up the ro system. I read alot about tds on here but have'nt read much about switching over and what to do?

Thanks
Barry

[currentking]

What are your other water peramaters?

[bezlar]

ph 8.1
calcium 400
what else?

[Tony25]

alk

[Tony25]

If you want to switch to ro. Just use ro as your top off for now and then when you do your regular water changes just use ro. No need to do a big water change just to start using ro water.
Tds stand for total disolved solids. Its to test your ro output water the number should be 0.
If its not 0 then you may need to add DI. Or it means your filters are old but if its new then its the DI.

[bryan ayo]

Live rock so pours ...It can and will absorb everything including phosphates then slowly and randomly leak it out....If you have had the rock for 8 years and have been using tap the entire time ,you may have problems later down the road with allege out break..

[bezlar]

I have never had any problems with any algae in the tank.

[bezlar]

Alk 2.75 meq/l

[bezlar]

bump

[fras]

You need to test for alk, calc, mag & get them right (your alk is ok but slightly low) then imo if all your params check out and you have no algae issues then I would start now with a couple of frags & see how it goes.

Tap water or not you're probably in a much better position than the 100's of people who start adding corals 1 or 2 months after a tank has been put together.

[bezlar]

Thanks

[Swanwillow]

you know what?

Go for it, and enjoy. I'd worry more about lighting than testing things, if you've had mushrooms for 4 years with little to no issues... assuming you don't have coral munching fish.

Tap water depends on what is in it. Many corals will do fine on tap water, and if you haven't experienced any funky algae blooms, and the mushrooms are still alive, you'll be just FINE.

[stevedola]

that guy is right about the rock acting as a sponge. I used some rock from my FO tank and it spread hair algea into the system...luckily I removed it in time and was able to rid the new tank of the HA before it took hold on the newer LR.

[bezlar]

I would supose after 8 years and no algea that my tap water was not to bad. I changed to water again with my new ro/di water and now have nitrates down to 25ppm, I will change water again in a couple days.

[vito is hooked]

I just got my RO/DI unit 2 weeks ago, Nitrates were 20, now .05 doing water changes every 3 days. Now I will do WC every 4 days and so on till I get back to once a week.

[Swanwillow]

see, I'd say its not THAT bad either...

BTW, I'm getting a ro/di unit too, but... its not as bad if you've had it up for 8 years with no tell-tale signs.

[wrott]

What light do you have and what kind of corals do you want to add?
Alk could be a bit higher, 3.0-4.0 mEq/L.

[clekchau]

despite all that has been written, you can start now with some easy to keep corals like leathers, zoas, candy canes etc

i have a friend who rarely maintains his tank and has corals thriving so don't get caught up in all hype, try it

[sanababit]

just do it, start with something easy to keep and work your way up, also read on how to maintain each coral you want to add to tank, and work on keeping stable water params, good luck

[shawnkfl]

i just use tap water treated with prime. i've got LPS, shrooms, xenia and zoas growing great.

[bezlar]

Whats the best way to raise alk?

Thanks

[Roy G. Biv]

Since youre going to start corals. The easiest I have found is a 2 part solution. 1 for Calcium, 1 for ALK. You wrote above that your calcium is at 400, so you must be doing something already.

I used B-ionic in the past.