Testing The Waters

[reptileman]

     I've been doing freshwater aquariums on my own since I was 8 (now 15) and recently got my first big tank for freshwater (227.12l).
So this being said I now have an empty 75l kicking around and wanted to do a FOWLR tank. What I have got down so far is that I will be using an overflow box down to a 38l sump with a protein skimmer. I was also going to use a fluval 206 or 106 with a surface skimmer for the bulk of the filtration. The sump is mainly to hide the hardware. Of course I will get a fluval sea cp1 or cp2 for extra circulation. Also as I'm not trying to grow any corals I was just going to use Fluval leds for freshwater tank, as they are available for me on dicount from work.
So alot of the stuff is available cheap to me -live rock, fish, ro/di system, overflow box.
 
And finally I am at my last question. Is the RO/DI system really nessaccary in a FOWLR. As I don't and won't have the money to buy one everything for tank will be bought over time -the 9.7 kg of sand and 5kg of live rock. I could maybe, just maybe afford the RO system but not the RO/DI system, and from what I have read its pointless for SW without the DI, but then it all comes down to if my Dad is okay with me plumbing it.

 

[techen]

Yes, RO units are needed for salt tanks. Marine fish cost a lot more compared to FW fish so you want everything to be prefect long term. There a must, also I hope you are ready to invest a lot of monies for marine then. Sounds like you know what you need I just hope you know the cost

You don't need a filter if you are using a sump, just a powerhead to shove the water back up to the display tank.

 

[CezzaXV]

Hi and welcome.

You don't necessarily need your own RODI system, but you will definitely need RO water. Most LFS sell it. Mine sells it for 10p a litre and in a 75L tank I wouldn't have thought you'd want to be changing much more than 15L in one go, so it will probably work out cheaper to just buy the water, as it will be a long time before a unit will pay for itself in such a small system.

A filter isn't necessary in your system, and can actually be an undesirable thing as they can be nitrate farms, and marine creatures are much more sensitive to nitrates than freshwater. All the bacteria needed for the nitrogen cycle (including a limited amount of bacteria that will convert nitrate into nitrogen gas) live within the live rock, so all you need is a couple of good powerheads to keep the water moving around and through the rock.

Good luck, and do feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

 

[DrRob]

There is a degree, with financing a system like this, of travel costs to bear in mind. I live a sensible distance from my nearest reliable source of RO and petrol costs to replace my water would actually make the RO unit pay for itself far quicker than any calculation on the water costs themselves.
 
Also worth thinking about the cost in water used if you're on a meter and the space issue with storing large drums of RO water.

 

[reptileman]

well seeing as the only stores that sell marine stuff and ro water are in the ne and i'm in the sw it may just be worth the system....