newfly
Supporting Member
I use a 5g empty salt mix container . Any bucket would do. Mine is under the tank , enclosed in the cabinet. Looking pretty is not a requirement!
Waterbox problem
- Thread starter nnero66466
- Start date
nnero66466
Supporting Member
So easy. Your great,, thank you.
nnero66466
Supporting Member
Is there anything under your filter pads
nnero66466
Supporting Member
Ok got the perfect 5 gallon plastic trash can with lid on Amazon in my cart.
MichaelB
Supporting Member
I'm working now ill post later about media options.
newfly
Supporting Member
Nothing. I have a larger tank , so I have total of 5 chambers. I have all my bio media, carbon in the 2nd chamber. You can have media under the pads but it’s a hassle to remove /clean .
nnero66466
Supporting Member
MichaelB
Supporting Member
@nnero66466
This is only common things used, there are endless combinations so don't consider this as a complete list.
I copied some descriptions from bulk reef supply site [easier than typing it all out myself], I tried to condense it down to useful yet revelant information. Feel free to dive as deep as you want. By searching them for yourself.
So as far as what can go under filter pad in the media tower.
People typically run some type or combination of activated carbon. (GFO) Granular Ferric Oxde, purigen, or some all in one type products (chemipure elite/ chemipure blue).
***There are other more experienced reefers who know what they are doing that do other things, yet this is approiate for newer or casual reefers.***
Activated Carbon:
is great for a whole variety of reasons, ranging for removal of general contaminants, dissolved organics, undesirable odors, yellowing pigments in the water, removing the build-up of toxins that corals and algae emit to fight each other, and much more.
(GFO) Granular Ferric Oxide
(The amount of time GFO lasts depends on the phosphate levels in the aquarium. When first used, the first batch of GFO can exhaust quickly, usually within 1–2 weeks, due to high phosphate levels. After the first batch, subsequent batches can last 4–8 weeks, depending on the phosphate input.)
Gfo is the most widely used filter media in reef tanks. GFO is one of the best solutions for rising phosphate(P04) levels in a reef aquarium.
Phosphate battles are extremely common for reef tank owners, especially during those first couple of years when you are working to dial in your husbandry skills and establish biodiversity in the tank. Phosphate is a necessary and natural part of your reef tank, 99% of phosphate comes from fish food and the resulting waste. Lack of proper maintenance or poor quality source water can also contribute to phosphate stacking up in your tank. Your fish and corals both require phosphate to thrive but it's all about balance. Too much phosphate can begin to poison your coral, inhibiting their calcification and growth as well as contribute to unsightly nuisance algae outbreaks.
purigen: (lasts UP TO 6 months)
is used to control ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. If you're struggling to get your aquarium's ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate levels under control, you'll want to go with Purigen.
For best results, Purigen should be placed so as to maximize the flow of water through it. It may be used in a canister filter, media chamber, box filter, or any high flow area of a trickle filter.
Chemi-Pure: (lasts 2-4 months)
is a chemical filtration media for aquariums that contains various materials, depending on the formula:
1.) Chemi-pure Elite
This formula contains pelletized carbon, ion-exchange resins, and granulated ferric oxide (GFO). It can help keep pH levels stable and is good for aquariums with medium bio-loads or high phosphate levels.
2.) Chemi-pure Blue
This formula contains pelletized activated carbon, ion resins, and an organic scavenger resin. It can help reduce organic compounds, odors, toxins, and phosphates, and can raise redox levels. It's designed to work in higher pH environments, such as marine reef jellyfish aquariums and tropical freshwater aquariums.
What i personally run in my media towers.
1.) Activated carbon- always
AquaClear 70 Activated Carbon Inserts, Aquarium Filter Replacement Media, 3-Pack, A1386 , White https://a.co/d/6J3LH5s
This is cheap for me 3 for under $5 i order two at a time due to price. Just rinse and suspended in one of the media basket sections. I personally change this once a month or if anything looks odd in one of my tanks.
2.) Rowaphos (GFO) - always
Rowaphos 100 ml https://a.co/d/ie45jpH
I change this roughly every other month, or when I notice po4 starting to rise in testing results. Not the cheapest but very effective in my tank.
3.) Purigen- 75% of the time.
Seachem Indoor Purigen Organic Filtration Resin - Fresh and Saltwater 100 ml https://a.co/d/1Ablkt3
I change this about every 4 months.
* I use to run Chemi-pure, blue or elite. I found Rowaphos worked better at lowering my phosphates (po4)
Boyd Enterprises Chemi-Pure Aquarium Filtration Media, 5.5-Ounce, Blue https://a.co/d/jm0W3qA
Boyd Enterprises ABE16743 Chemipure Elite for Aquarium, 11.74-Ounce https://a.co/d/fcTjgUf
One are the other of these are a decent option, if you don't have lots of fish, corals, or feed heavy. They containna little of all mentioned above.
This would be changed 1-2 times a month for maximum effectivness.
Personal I found the individual elements more effective long term as my tank matured. For the first year and a half i ran only chemipure.
As far as placement in the media tower I do this.
Filter floss
Flat
(All water passes through this first)
Rowaphos
(Woven through the shelf above it so it hangs and doesn't restrict flow)
Purigen
(Zip tied suspended to shelf under Rowaphos)
Carbon
(Ziptied suspended to tbe shelf under the carbon. )
Zip Ties Assorted Sizes(4”+6”+8”+12”), 400 Pack, Black Cable Ties, UV Resistant Wire Ties by ANOSON https://a.co/d/8bNARdd
I bought this pack of zip ties, they last forever and are useful for just about everything.
This is only common things used, there are endless combinations so don't consider this as a complete list.
I copied some descriptions from bulk reef supply site [easier than typing it all out myself], I tried to condense it down to useful yet revelant information. Feel free to dive as deep as you want. By searching them for yourself.
So as far as what can go under filter pad in the media tower.
People typically run some type or combination of activated carbon. (GFO) Granular Ferric Oxde, purigen, or some all in one type products (chemipure elite/ chemipure blue).
***There are other more experienced reefers who know what they are doing that do other things, yet this is approiate for newer or casual reefers.***
Activated Carbon:
is great for a whole variety of reasons, ranging for removal of general contaminants, dissolved organics, undesirable odors, yellowing pigments in the water, removing the build-up of toxins that corals and algae emit to fight each other, and much more.
(GFO) Granular Ferric Oxide
(The amount of time GFO lasts depends on the phosphate levels in the aquarium. When first used, the first batch of GFO can exhaust quickly, usually within 1–2 weeks, due to high phosphate levels. After the first batch, subsequent batches can last 4–8 weeks, depending on the phosphate input.)
Gfo is the most widely used filter media in reef tanks. GFO is one of the best solutions for rising phosphate(P04) levels in a reef aquarium.
Phosphate battles are extremely common for reef tank owners, especially during those first couple of years when you are working to dial in your husbandry skills and establish biodiversity in the tank. Phosphate is a necessary and natural part of your reef tank, 99% of phosphate comes from fish food and the resulting waste. Lack of proper maintenance or poor quality source water can also contribute to phosphate stacking up in your tank. Your fish and corals both require phosphate to thrive but it's all about balance. Too much phosphate can begin to poison your coral, inhibiting their calcification and growth as well as contribute to unsightly nuisance algae outbreaks.
purigen: (lasts UP TO 6 months)
is used to control ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. If you're struggling to get your aquarium's ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate levels under control, you'll want to go with Purigen.
For best results, Purigen should be placed so as to maximize the flow of water through it. It may be used in a canister filter, media chamber, box filter, or any high flow area of a trickle filter.
Chemi-Pure: (lasts 2-4 months)
is a chemical filtration media for aquariums that contains various materials, depending on the formula:
1.) Chemi-pure Elite
This formula contains pelletized carbon, ion-exchange resins, and granulated ferric oxide (GFO). It can help keep pH levels stable and is good for aquariums with medium bio-loads or high phosphate levels.
2.) Chemi-pure Blue
This formula contains pelletized activated carbon, ion resins, and an organic scavenger resin. It can help reduce organic compounds, odors, toxins, and phosphates, and can raise redox levels. It's designed to work in higher pH environments, such as marine reef jellyfish aquariums and tropical freshwater aquariums.
What i personally run in my media towers.
1.) Activated carbon- always
AquaClear 70 Activated Carbon Inserts, Aquarium Filter Replacement Media, 3-Pack, A1386 , White https://a.co/d/6J3LH5s
This is cheap for me 3 for under $5 i order two at a time due to price. Just rinse and suspended in one of the media basket sections. I personally change this once a month or if anything looks odd in one of my tanks.
2.) Rowaphos (GFO) - always
Rowaphos 100 ml https://a.co/d/ie45jpH
I change this roughly every other month, or when I notice po4 starting to rise in testing results. Not the cheapest but very effective in my tank.
3.) Purigen- 75% of the time.
Seachem Indoor Purigen Organic Filtration Resin - Fresh and Saltwater 100 ml https://a.co/d/1Ablkt3
I change this about every 4 months.
* I use to run Chemi-pure, blue or elite. I found Rowaphos worked better at lowering my phosphates (po4)
Boyd Enterprises Chemi-Pure Aquarium Filtration Media, 5.5-Ounce, Blue https://a.co/d/jm0W3qA
Boyd Enterprises ABE16743 Chemipure Elite for Aquarium, 11.74-Ounce https://a.co/d/fcTjgUf
One are the other of these are a decent option, if you don't have lots of fish, corals, or feed heavy. They containna little of all mentioned above.
This would be changed 1-2 times a month for maximum effectivness.
Personal I found the individual elements more effective long term as my tank matured. For the first year and a half i ran only chemipure.
As far as placement in the media tower I do this.
Filter floss
Flat
(All water passes through this first)
Rowaphos
(Woven through the shelf above it so it hangs and doesn't restrict flow)
Purigen
(Zip tied suspended to shelf under Rowaphos)
Carbon
(Ziptied suspended to tbe shelf under the carbon. )
Zip Ties Assorted Sizes(4”+6”+8”+12”), 400 Pack, Black Cable Ties, UV Resistant Wire Ties by ANOSON https://a.co/d/8bNARdd
I bought this pack of zip ties, they last forever and are useful for just about everything.
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I didn’t read everything so apologies if this was already discussed but I hope you are keeping track of your salinity. I think I saw that you don’t have an auto top off- in my opinion that is an absolute requirement for a reef tank. And the backside water level changes you describe could be due to or exacerbated by non-replenished evaporation. And if you are refilling evaporation with salt water that will increase your salinity and eventually kill stuff. I saw your cross post about your coral not doing well.
Please tell me you are checking salinity, and with something better than the plastic floaty thing.
Please tell me you are checking salinity, and with something better than the plastic floaty thing.
MarcosDelgado0
Supporting Member
I use this ATO on one of my tanks. Haven’t had any issues with it. I can’t emphasize enough what other people are saying about salinity. This is probably your most important parameter you should have stable in a reef tank. If you’re manually topping off you will have fluctuations. And if you’re manually topping off, it needs to be with RODI. Salt does not evaporate with the water.
Attachments
MarcosDelgado0
Supporting Member
This is what I use for my RODI reservoir. Just a cheap 5 gallon jug and I drilled into the lid to fit the pump. Personally, I like to be able to see how much water I have left. I use a 5 gallon white bucket on my water reservoir for my misting system on my dart frog tank and it’s kind of annoying not being able to see how much is left. I do have one of those nice glass ones from IM on one of my tanks and let me tell you…it’s in the cabinet so I never see it unless I’m refilling it lol. I wouldn’t spend $100+ on a RODI reservoir again.
Attachments
nnero66466
Supporting Member
MichaelB
Supporting Member
Plain rodi water? There is difference hopefully you don't mean like tap water out the sink or bottle water from the grocery store?
Distilled water can work in a bind, rodi is best option however.
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MichaelB
Supporting Member
If i didn't say tank journal someone else here would have eventually.
nnero66466
Supporting Member
No it’s rodi straight from Kenny
MichaelB
Supporting Member
Awesome people say plain water which could mean different things.
I would also point out kenny is very knowledgeable, every time I see him i learn alot. Definitely ask him questions when you vist. He's also not like some reef stores just wanting to sell you something. He's very passionate about reefing and fish keeping, hence you can fully rely on his advice if he says do this or you should get something. He will also tell you that you don't need this crap lol before just taking your money.
nnero66466
Supporting Member
Couldn’t agree more!!
nnero66466
Supporting Member
List you made what your using just got ordered. Guru of the fishes and corals!!
MichaelB
Supporting Member
I'm about half a step ahead of being a noob myself lmao, don’t let me imply anything otherwise. I just talk alot cause I'm a need all the details person- who watchs history channel, astronomy shows, random documentaries, and countless reefing videos- all crap that bores the heck out of most people. So being detailed is my nature. Having Information doesn't equate to practial experience that many in this club have that you should definitely listen to before me.