madmac

I think you did the prudent thing by testing it outside the tank. I find it very interesting. Did the skimmer pick up the brown stuff? or are they too heavy to be skimmed out?

Wow. Now don't get so defensive. I haven't even began. I need to know a couple of things to verify what I understand about skiimmers. You both said, short and wide are more effecient, and added the proven bit. The short (as compared longer) skimmer I can see why its more energy efficient, its the wide part that I cannot for the life of me understand how that can be more efficient, as in wide vs the thin? or short + wide vs tall+wide? You see I'm using a small, short+thin skimmer. I'm jus so curious as to the proven thinggy that you both used so readily. Its short vs tall, thin vs wide. Waiting with bated breath for your PM, many thnx.

Jervis, acidjazz, can share with us where this prove was? Any links/articles? Thnx in advance.

nakazoru san, I don't know everything and am just trying to learn more from this hobby. If I'm not mistaken, Sulphur is the 4th highest ion in seawater, making about 2700 ppm, so a little change will not mean much. For sandbed users, the need to keep the system aerobic will help in preventing the formation of H2S. I'm thinking what makes up the brown residual compound?. Its Iron, but with what else. If the Iron Sulphate dissolves into its individual elements and then re-bind back (because of sulphate saturation and because Iron is a strong oxidizer) towing in phosphates along. For that to happen, you'll have to stop bubbling... I think you did that later right? As you have shown, since PO4 was noticeably reduced... if you can test the sample water for sulphates levels before and after. If the results show not a significant change then I think you may have stumbled on a real winner. Ways can be designed to implement a more efficient system to manage the process. BTW that was some good effort put in by you.

Hv you done tests to reveal the level of sulphate and its other consequent reactions produced as a result? You can get any one of the following possible scenarios : • Hydrogen Sulphide • Re-oxidixation of free sulphide to form sulphates again, releasing(leaching) PO4 back • Sulphuric acid Sulphur and iron are rich-nutrients that supports life, esp. in eutrophic conditions.

nakazoru san, Not beating the idea down, jus some questions if you don't mind. Why was the pH test necessary? The iron that binds with PO4(orthophosphates), what does it yield? Do you have to use a mechanical filter to remove the brownish stuff, is that where the phosphates is bound to? How long have the tests been done to your own tank, any noticeable benefit?

Went thru' my first power out. Timer showed it went out at 9am. Got home at 4:00pm, thats 7 hrs and nothing was loss. What a relieve. Temp was 27ºC. Failure resulted for a trip of my washing machine, the good old trusted AEG, 12yrs old. Wonder whats wrong with the old boy. Anyone know where to find AEG machines, one of the best brand of washers out there.

8.5k for two is tight. Unless : • you don't plan for kids • you can pay 70% of the cost • Both u and your partner are junior doctors or something that don't need to worry job loss ever • you're in some business that can really generate enough huge income sometimes • you plan on working for the next 15 to 20 years of your good life. But if you still want to go for it, all the best to you both. Private property prices IMHO, won't go much lower from where it is, so your downside is protected for the next 5 odd years.

iWeb, by Apple. Part of the iLife '06 package... really easy... like don't need to know anything one.

Yes it is possible. dKH is a measure of carbonate hardness, while pH is a measure of the acidity of water. They are linked in that, the more carbonates there is in (i.e. the "harder" the)water, the more difficult it is change the pH...note more difficult does not imply impossible. There are ways in which the pH can change independently of the dKH levels, CO2 being one the most common example.

If you make your water really clean, it is possible.... BUT, having 2*250W MH will make it much easier for you.

no they won't... bacterial will build up unitl one of these 2 things limit them: • space (sandbed or LRs,etc) or • food (carbon source) ... which ever comes first, in our tanks its mostly space, in nature its food

Sapp, An alk of 4 meq would give you 11.2 dkH, not 8. Aquaz may not be bad or a suspect all all. All you need to do is confirm the levels obtained with Aquaz with those of another brand. If they match, then you've fine... keep using your cheaper test kit until the finished, then use the more expensive... or alternatively, buy another new test kit and test with the expensive one to counter-check... and continue to use the cheaper one. Sometimes test kits go thru bad batch productions too.

I wouldn't go anywhere near your sandbed. You should leave it alone... two wrongs don't make one right. Try to get a confirmation on your Ca/Mg readings with another test kit.

What is ur SG and pH. Your water is super-saturated with Ca & Mg ions and it is best in cases like this to balance off it off with a low dKH and pH. Keep your temperature low too. If you can afford to lower ur SG, then driping kalk would help reduce them too; otherwise do nothing but the usual and just wait for the levels to come off over time.

What is your alk in the first place. You shouldn't suppliment unless you know where you want to bring it to. Most low pH problems result from one of two things: excess CO2 (in the tank or surrounding air) or a dirty tank (high NO3) A low alk may may not always lead to a pH, not in the day at least. something for you to read : Low pH causes and cures

what is ur tank's water vol. ? and the sump vol? I hv read some advocate design based on 'sump vol', so if you want 5x sump, you get a return base on that.... essentially saying that your main tank vol will pass thru ur sump vol 5x in one hr.

As a return flow or for in-tank flow?

andtsg, canisters don't have such designs, so what you illustrated don't apply. The trays have a circular tube that cascades to join each other when stacked above another. This forms a conduit from the input at the top, to bring the water to the bottom most tray first. The raw water moves from the bottom to the top-most tray. The flow rate thru the canister's main chamber is the same throughout. I have 3 spare canisters and none are design like how you've illustrated them. Is ur canister like what you've jus drawn? If it is, then do as honzo suggests... its a very retard design.

you're funny. ROTFLMAO... thank you.

Just my opinion, I would go with even less than 50%, maybe 30%. Its not where the bacteria lives, its how sure you are of the water jus made, regardless of 0 PO4 and chloramine. Artificial sea salts have been documented to be very toxic to newly hatch animal frys... this is not the same for Natural SW. If you need to go 100%, then jus check the SG, pH and temp of the newly made water. By all means do it if u hv very little to lose...

I think, ppl get confuse btw flow rate and pressure.

honzo, thnx. I wouldn't know how to properly explain that, except to say that its Physics... mic,

mic, the material in the trays within the canister will experience the same flow rate. Some trays will get the raw water from the tank first ... but the flow thru' rate is the same. Canister filters are best use for chemical filtration due to their ease of maintenance. If you're using the new modern canisters, where both the water input and output is at the top, then the bottom most tray will contact the raw water from the tank first. The last tray is the topmost one. So you'll want to have some form of mechanical filtration for the first contact, followed by (IMHO) maybe carbon, then some PO4 removal media. I don't know what Biohome is. If its nitrifying bacteria, then its not needed, your mechanical filter will provide for that.

Oh. Actually NO3 can go well above 100ppm... not sure if your LS would be alive then. What I meant to say was, your NO3 levels is a snap image of the state of your tank. The debt value is the result of two varibles, your spending(imports) and your income(exports). So you may have negative value of 100 resulting from one of two sets, either giving you the same value. Knowing which sets gives will help you eliminate and act on the right one. Say you spend(import) 250 per day, but only earn 150, the test kit will show deficit 100. The same 100 can also result from imports of 110 and exports of 10. Now both show the same result, but the first set tells you to either work(reduce) on your imports(feeding), and/or ur exports(skimming, water change, algae turf scrubber)... while the 2nd tells you to either improve your earning(exports)–esp if cannot reduce your imports There should be no such thing as a nitrate factory, how does a factory produce something, without inputs?