Need Some Reassurance

[Ashers]

Hi salties.
After Christmas I will probably be getting a whole reef setup. I'm all up for going from fresh to salt. Now I have been met by resistance from family members saying it's too hard getting ro water every week and mixing it but I don't think it's a problem and that it's too much hard work. I already do weekly water changes but this will just involve one extra step. Details on the setup if you wan, just ask.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

my dad did the same thing about 4 ¥ears ago. it seeems like a real major league pain in the #16##### for him. he really likes it though, and the fish are cooler, but harder to take care of.

 

[Ashers]

My dad is cool with it but he likes tanks anyway and has always wanted a marine. My grandad has also had fresh but has always thought that salt is too much trouble and when he says this stuff my mom gets cold feet and says it's a bad idea, but she doesn't have a clue about fish anyway. By the way when mixing water I need a powerhead, a heater and a bucket, right? And then mix the day before. Is that right?

 

[ben1987]

Yep thats right.

If your grandads an old school fish keeper theb he will think marines are hard. It used to be near impossible to keep a reef with under gravel filters etc. In the last 20 years or so its changes massivly

 

[Harry1996]

you can store RO water keep a bin liner over the container it will last like a month

 

[Ashers]

That's exactly the point Ben, he's old school. So I CAN keep ro for a while, that's a lot better. When mixing the salty water up I need: big bucket, powerhead, heater, water, salt and a refractometer, yes? The tank I will be getting is a 180 litre tank with a 60 litre sump. It has a fluval 304 external, which I will eventually get rid of and go full live rock, it has 2 ocilearis clowns, yellow wrasse and a Nile perch apparently but I thought those were freshwater and grew to 2 metres any ideas? It also has quite a lot of live rock, a few toadstool leathers and a load of mushrooms. Also has a lighting unit above the tank but have no details on that and am in the process of finding that out. What do you all think?

 

[rdp50734]

Sounds like we need pics! It does sound good, lighting unit sounds like a metal halide but could be T5s I suppose.

Mixing salt yes you have it right. No skimmer? Whats in the fluval??

 

[Ashers]

Ooh yes forgot the skimmer it's a v2 400, don't know whats in the external but will look when I go to see it. I thought it sounded like metal halides but my dad said they were fluorescents of some kind, don't think it's that powerful judging by the corals in there. Can I upload pictures from an iPod touch? My laptop is broke and I have no computer.

 

[Ashers]

What's that dark fish?

Oh and how much is ro water usually from a lfs for say 25ltrs?

 

[Harry1996]

i get salted ro for £5 per 25L and i think its £2-2.50 per 25L

 

[Ashers]

That's not so bad. Thanks

 

[rdp50734]

Much better in the long run to get your own RO unit and TDS meter. Osmotics do them and so does fleabay. I used a seller called aquakoiaquatics but I had to add a DI pod to get my TDS to 0. I got the salt delivered 20kgs for £30. unit £60 all in. It will last you a good while.

 

[ben1987]

Bad aiptasia problem! get the soldering iron warmed up!

 

[-Nemo-]

The "Nile Perch" does look like a perch to me, although better known as a sandperch. Specific species... not certain without a better picture, best guess is Parapercis schauinslandii. Sandperches are neat little guys. Regardless of species, they are considered semi-aggressive and potentially a threat to shrimp (similar in behavior to hawkfish).

 

[Ashers]

Can't see the pics that well on my iPod but can see a few bigguns on the second pic from the bottom, I think. Thanks for that info on the perch nemo. I don't think he looks after the tank that well. Will be looking to upgrade the lighting to multiple t5 units I think.