TheSaltwaterGuy's 29 Gallon

well in the beginning yeah the purpose would be defeated but afterwards it would kind of help; either way it's really gonna benefit my tank a lot, which is the most important part. on the bright side i've almost got 2 gallons right now and tds indicates 4ppm on the ro water but other then that i have to dump this have to start all over cuz this is my first time using it.

 

well just reached 2 gallons so im about to dump it out and start again at least im making progress

 

one more quick question: I'm starting the ro/di unit again, but i think that water that i was using a while ago is still there. does that actually matter? i literally just emptied the first batch of RO water and started like 2 minutes ago

 

I started using mine when i read 3 tds,but by time i pumped another 10 gallons out of it,it was reading at 0 tds.I guess i'm saying that because you spent that money on a new unit to lower nitrates.Thats just what you're testing for,tap water has phosphates,chlorine,heavy metals and a bunch of other "bad" stuff when it comes to using it in a reef.I'm simply saying that since you have your unit,just be patient with the ro unit,don't add more pollutents by using tap now.

 

ehhh good point... but hopefully i can finish maybe by the end of a week because i am sooooooo impatient lol. just started again and still tds reads 4 ppm

 

Best advise is stop watching it and find something else to do,it takes about 1 1/2 hrs for me to fill a 5 gallon bucket.

 

Well I need an answer to this: once I fill up my tank, should I acclimate my corals normally or drip acclimate? (obviously when I'm done cycling)

 

Getting more than a zero reading on your RO/Di means something isnt working right. it shoudl read ZERO tds. it also needs to be 4:1 ratio of waste to output. if you are getting 3:1, likely you are forcing too much thru the membrane and it can go bad quicker. I have also found that the colder the water thru the membrane, the slower it will perform.

as for your corals, you need to acclimiate them to the new water in your tank.

lastly, I know you are only 14 and I have been doing this as long as you have been alive. take it from me, teh slower and more patient you can be, the better it will become in the long run. a good successful reef is not made overnight. If you see one, that is, it is either from a very experienced reefer or it will surely crash.

 

ok thanks, and btw i meant what kind of acclimation

 

drip acclimation for the livestock you already have to match temp,ph and sg.