what should i buy first (im cant decide)

[kipreefer]

I ahve limited funds. I have been having a crappy time with my aquarium lately. I made a protein skimmer for my aquarium which hasnt worked for a month so im guessing in need to buy one. I have had red slime algae on my sand. I need more light i only have four 55 pc's on a ninty. So i was thinking about getting 2 vho's added and that will add a fair amount of light. I also still use tap water havent goten R/O yet. Im trying to talk my parents into getting one for there "Health" adn the fishes of course. OS the thing is i get paid this friday what do you guys and gals thinki should invest it towards. Any tips or suggestions would be great i was leaning towards skimmer. I was thinking Prizm skimmer or should i just spend teh money and aget a HOT, i dont have a sump has to hang on.

One positive thing bubble coral is big as ever and open brain.

 

[kipreefer]

please help

 

[davelin315]

Start with lights, the rest can come later. Buy the best you can afford, or maybe the best you'll be able to afford after a month, and you won't regret it. Some people go skimmerless in their tanks, so it's not an absolute necessity. Others skip the RO until later, I did for many years. Also, you can get an RO filter at Home Depot by Honeywell that uses the exact same filter that the major brands do for $100, and it'll do the exact same job (the only drawback is it only produces up to 18 gpd, but can be upgraded to 50 gpd, but I only use mine for top off anyway).

 

[Carpentersreef]

Just because you're getting paid on Friday doesn't mean that you have to spend the money on Saturday!

If your corals are doing great, then be patient and tell us more about your set up. Do you have test kits? Can you give us some readings? How much and of what are you feeding? How old is your system? What's in it? What other equipment do you have? How much have you budgeted to spend per month?
It does sound like your lights need updating, but more info about your whole system would be a help.

Mitch

 

[Gatortailale1]

Based on readings you gave, I would say you need to bump up your calcium and PH. A good way to do this is to use B-Ionic. You can get 2 gallons of it shipped to you for $38 from Championlighting.com That should last you a few months (I have a 125 and it has lasted me almost 2 months now.)

PH should be 8.2 to 8.4 and like carpenter said, calcium above 400. If you use B, Alk will come up with the PH. Also, Higher PH will help restrain the red slime algae.

You need more lighting, but you also need better water. I would solve the water quality issue before I would buy more lighting. Look into buying some sort of filter you can hook to the tap that will offer you some purification if you can't afford a ro system. Until you get a filter, purchase some RO water from store or check with LFS and see if they sell it (mine does)

 

[FishDaddy]

Kipreefer,
I'd vote for a RO/DI setup. Water quality is first and foremost for tank health. There's lots of competition out there right now for your RO dollar so you can find some good buys. Sometimes you can negotiate lower prices or extras, especially with the RO dealers.
Check out:
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PA&Category_Code=Sales
http://www.aquaticreefsystems.com/index.htm
HTH,
Dick

 

[kipreefer]

Well my PH was actaully higher then what i thought because i tested it tha morning. SO it was naturally low. Im sorry i was confused on the Berlin style i just i never new that the DSB changes the whole thing. I think i am going to go with lighting first. Because at local supermarket i can get it for 29 cents a gallon it is just i go through it so fast, next time i will have to bring like 5 5 gallon buckets. I am bringing the calcium up with kakwasser plus and vinager. It is slowly coming up i dont need the B-ionic to do that. Even thought the B-ionic will keep Alk up at same time. I dont know i thinki am just going to buy the VHO's first do you guys think this would be the way to go with the lighting. I found that it would be the cheapest and most effective. I already have some books and am on here all the time so i dont think i need to rush out and buy more books right now. I only started salt water 3/4 of a year ago so there is just that learning curve. I am getting to the point were i am a fairly compotent reefer. Well thanks for the help much appreciated.

 

[Gatortailale1]

It's your dollar to spend. However, I still think more lights is NOT the answer or short term solution. Unless you have SPS corals, or demanding LPS, more VHO is not going to do anything.

You need to solve water quality problem. Spend your money on a RO system or wait another 2 weeks until you have the money for one.

 

[kipreefer]

Well my reef was set up in July. It is a berlin style set up with 85 pounds of live rock and a DSB that is 3-6 inches it is made of silica pool filter sand and aragonite.

Stocked with
2 Saddle Back clowns 2in.
1 Pajama CArdnel 2in.
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
4 muchroom polyps
1 large head of Xenya
1 Green Star Polyps that is actually forming into a column(actually a few)
1 green open brain coral
1 bubble coral
assortment of calupera plants which i trim
Amonnia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0.1
ALk 3.0
PH 8.0
Phosphate .5
calcium 325
I feed frozen food a assotment of plankton, enhanced brine, formula one, and krill. I really dont ever feed if anything i dont feed enough. I am usually gone from morning to night and lights are off by time i get home to feed. I also have a assorted hermits to clean up messes and snails and small brittle star.

My equipment is a JBJ PC 4 times 55 watt light to blues and 2 daylight. a hang on refugium i built tha is about 7 gallons filled with calupera. I have two 300 galon hour powerheasds for movement. have a 4 foot high protien skimmer that hangs on the back and sucks. That is about it i try to keep it real natural. NOt much technology for me.

I cant afford much but if i budget maybe in a few weeks i can. I have 700 in the bank right now and get paid about 300 ever two weeks from my job. Ireally need to try and save though becasue i need a new car after this winter. I can survive on 100 for two weeks if i absolutly have to. It depends if i go to LFS or not you lnow what i mean. I hope this is enough info for you. Thanks for sepnding the time to try and help me. I was looking at prices for lights at www.lampsnow.com they are really good. I was thinking about getting a VHO balast and endcaps and then adding two 48 inch bulbs. Or should i get Halide.

 

[Carpentersreef]

kipreefer,
Thanks for the details.
Not that it really matters, but the system that you described is not a Berlin-style. It sounds similar to a Monaco or Jaubert style. (re your DSB, although you have no plenum)
Berlin uses LR only. But don't worry about that.
Glad to hear you've got readings from your tests. Ca is low, should be over 400 and phosphate should be closer to zero. Maybe let your caulerpa grow a bit more before you trim it, and look into a Ca supplement, like b-Ionic.
Your water quality IS important, but lighting is more so at this point. You don't have any animals that require MH, so I would recommend going with the VHO, and don't add any more animals until you get that new car

.
The silica sand I'm not too sure about, and I've read arguments both for and against. Another powerhead would be a good investment, and don't do too many water changes. Keep your feedings on the light side, and when you DO do a water change, make sure to suck out as much of the red slime algae as you can, and use R/O as much as you can for new water changes. Don't add tap water for top off water, purchase a couple of jugs of R/O from the supermarket. Do what you can to minimize evaporation. Keep your PS clean.
Lots of options here, but I would prioritize lights, b-ionic, and r/o water, in that order.
This is an expensive hobby. There's no way around that.
Look at buying some books to use as a reference guide. A search on this board will tell you which ones are best.

HTH,
Mitch

[ November 12, 2001: Message edited by: Carpentersreef ]</p>