Yoyo Tank Update

[jimyoyo]

For those who were following this saga over the weekend, thanks for all the advice...
for those who weren't, here's the background...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=905363&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

So my new service came in today, and I found out the following:

Nitrates were completely off the chart.
Phosphates completely off the chart.
After a 12 gallon R/O water change, PH and salienity were within range.
My tank has 4 65w compact bulbs, which the service said was sufficient.
Water flow is sufficient.
The pump on my protein skimmer is pumping way to much output to be effective, but will be fixed next visit with a control valve.
The UV unit will continue to be switched off for the foreseeable future.
I am to purchase some R/O water from the store with some Purple Up solution to get my coraline algae back on track.
Next visit there will be a new R/O unit installed with auto-top-off so evap replenishment and all future water changes will be R/O only.

Again, any comments/differing opinions here would be welcome, as I am still flying blind with this thing!

[Reef_bones]

off the chart could be anything..What were the readings..Glad you got some test and started taking things in your own hands. Its the best way...

I still think 4x65w pc is no were near suffeceint for a 90 gallon...You can probably run t-5's off the same ballast you are running your pcs off of. If you look at the ballast and tell me the brand I can tell you if they can. Then all you would need is 4 54w t-5 bulbs reflectors and end caps...

[CeeGee]

New thread huh?

I would not purchase RO/Di from the store as there is no way of knowing the water is in good shape. I would instead purchase a RO/DI unit like has been suggested over and over again.

I would also skip the purple up and get a alk and calcium test kit and add a 2-part to keep the levels in check. As long as those levels are in check there are no reasons to add anything else for coraline growth except patience. Coraline takes time to establish and grow there is no miracle additive.

Once again I think you are getting half a**ed advice. If you and your service thinks that power compacts are sufficient that is your call. I read that you had acros die. There is no way you are going to keep acros under power compacts. If you are going for low light corals you will be alright under the PC's anything else and you are heading for disaster. I nearly lost all my acros while my tank was setup under PC's for 3 weeks (while we had new carpet put in) and the corals were 1 inch under the water and the PC were 3" from the surface.

It really sounds to me that you are waiting for someone to say "hey you spent $8K so you are good to go and you don't have to do anything else but pay a service ". This hobby takes patience and dedication and no service is going to offer that. IMO you have already been totally ripped when you have $8K invested in a 90 gallon tank and you have PC lighting and a Coralife skimmer. Take look at Steve Weast's Tank (http://www.oregonreef.com/) and according to his site this cost around $20K. If I were you I would be so angry at the "service" that got you in this shape that I would take matters in my own hands and do it the right way and I would start by taking the excellent advice that you have received from this forum so far.

[jimyoyo]

CeeGee:

The R/O water I purchased came from a reputable store...I am having the new service install my own R/O system but that may take a few weeks. In the meantime, it would seem to be for evap replenshment ,some store-bought R/O would be better than tap water, no?

As for your $8k comment (that figure by the way includes all the construction around putting my tank in an odd space, the equipment, corals, fish, invert, and service for the last 8 months): if you think I want approval for spending that much, or implying I am too lazy to do it myself, ummm...why would I be here asking for help? And since the tank obviously requires some emergency care, having a service come once or twice to take readings, bring R/O water, and install the R/O system seems like a smart interim solution. However, I do not intend on having anyone but myself care for the tank once it gets stabilized.

But it needs to get there first!

[CeeGee]

That is good to hear. I along with others are just trying to stress the fact that there is no way that a service will be able to provide you with what you are trying to accomplish. There isn't much to installing a RO/DI unit. You buy it and hook it up. I don't see why anyone would need a service to perform such tasks. A service is going to tell you to do whatever can put the most money in their pockets they are in it for the money not the health of your tank. It just occurs to me that you keep asking the same questions and getting the same answers and asking the same questions and so on and so on.

You have gotten really good feedback and enough to get your tank going in the right direction and instead of heading that route you are still calling "services" to bail you out. You can easily get a RO/Di unit off the internet or simply run down to any LFS worth a crap and buy one and test kits and so on and so forth of course you will pay more at a LFS but if it is an emergency it is an emergency. The service is just going to get the same stuff at a LFS and charge you more than the LFS or order from the internet (just like you could do yourself) and charge you LFS prices. That makes no sense to me but if you have money to burn more power to you.

Did the service guy say that your fish load is alright? That is a extremely heavy fish load in a 90 gallon tank if your sig is correct. And what exactly is sufficient flow? most people with tanks that size are running a nice closed loop or several seios or tunze streams with controllers obtaining 30X tank volume turnover per hour and up.

I would also be cautious of how this service hooks up your auto top off. One stuck switch and your tank is history.

I am not trying to be a wise guy at all. I am trying to help. I also didn't call you lazy by any means. Your tank has crazy potential but this is one hobby where throwing money at stuff can help but careful planning is better. There hasn't been one person say to you that your lighting looks like it will work but you still insist that it is fine because a service says so.

I wish you good luck and will check back to see how things are going as long as you keep updating.

[killingseed]

i could never pay someone to look at my tank , i think its part of the learning curve. but thats IMO. for testing you can take your water to most LFS and they will test for free. having a test kits helps out.

you a little low with PC lighting and i would never put any type of acropora in that tank.ever for softy's i would think about increasing the light some. maybe add a couple t5's maybe go as far as adding MH if you are looking to add acropora (which are light hungry ). for what you have spent so far it wouldnt take much to add/upgrade the lights a little.

if anything there are light charts out on the net.

http://www.marineandreef.com/Info/lightingchart_hood.html