View Full Version : Just making sure i did this right!
Conski
05-26-2009, 5:35 PM
I had to add water to my aquarium and it made me nervous knowing what that can do if freshwater touches the live rock! I got the water that i used before ( no reverse osmosis water yet) added the dechlor and made the waters salinity the same as the aqurium and added it! im just nervous if i did it wrong!
Ummm.. please explain. You talking top off water or water change water? Top off water should be freshwater, not salt, because salt doesn't evaporate. I pour up to 2 gallons of fresh RO/DI water right into my 29G tank all the time. I pour it a little slow right into a powerhead so it mixes, but still, 2G of fresh is a lot at once and no ill effects at all... 8 years as a reef tank of some sorts, 13 years as a saltwater tank in some form.
Sometimes I dump top-off water into my tank so violently, frags blow off the rocks.
GregAW
05-26-2009, 6:11 PM
Why not top off in the sump? Seems like it would mix better before hitting the marine life.
On my 75G that is where my ATO goes, but on my 29G I don't have a sump. I think Conski is the same, sumpless. But yes, that would be a much better alternative if you have one.
GregAW
05-26-2009, 6:23 PM
Hmm, how did you design your ATO system? I have seen several designs from simple to multiple float sensors to relays that turn things on and off and on to even more complicated set ups.
I went the simple route and paid MD for a $100 JBJ ATO. 2 Float sensors that plug into the controller (one for the sump, one for your bucket/container to ensure you don't run the pump dry), small pump that plugs into the controller, 5G salt bucket and about 5' of 1/2" hose to go from the pump in the bucket to my first chamber on my sump. Hose is stuffed under my skimmer above the waterline. I learned this lesson real fast, if you put the hose below the water line when the pump on the ATO turns off it pulls a reverse syphon and sucks water out of your tank into your ATO container. This lowers your water level making the ATO keep going off and on constantly.. and this is very bad in my case since I use Kalk in my ATO bucket. I found out about the problem before I started putting kalk in it though and it was a very fast learning experience (within 1 hour of setting up the ATO I learned of that problem and quickly fixed it).
GregAW
05-26-2009, 6:55 PM
What pump are you using?
Conski
05-26-2009, 7:12 PM
I have a sump im pretty sure
A Rio90 for my ATO pump. A lot of people go with the Aqualifter pump for ATO though because it does it so slowly that it is hard to spike anything with that pump. Ya, it takes a minute or 2 to top off with it, vs 3-4 seconds, but it is safer to do it that way. Since your not doing it manually, it doesn't really matter that it takes a little longer. I have been contemplating switching myself since I have a few aqualifters just sitting around.
I have a sump im pretty sure
You have a tank under your main tank for filtration? So many different people I get confused.
Conski
05-26-2009, 7:14 PM
If a sump is a fully submerssable pump then yes i have one, i needed to add water not change it, when adding water i dont need to add salt before doing so? i can just pour fresh water right into it.. i did it in my submerssable pump zone when i did
This is a sump. ;) Yes, pour freshwater right in. It is ok to do. You just don't want to take your live rock and stick it in a full bucket of freshwater, that will hurt it, but the little FW you do on your top offs will not hurt anything.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/3534268232_43fffc601a.jpg
Conski
05-26-2009, 7:16 PM
YUP PRETTY SURE I DONT HAVE ONE OF THOSE
Conski
05-26-2009, 7:17 PM
should i do weekly water changes also lol! IM SUCH A NOOB
Yes, weekly waterchanges with saltwater, daily or every other day do freshwater top offs to keep the water level right. If you top off with saltwater your salinity will keep rising each time you do, which is a bad thing.
Conski
05-26-2009, 7:20 PM
Yea i wont do that again i was just about to go test my salinity which i had right where i wanted it. I just did three hours of shoveling and worked six hours and skipping a concert tomorrow so i could afford my clowns and some newbie coral and maybe even the koralia1