Hello again. I have a 55 gal tank with about 90lbs of live rock. The tank is about a year old, and when I bought the rocks I got about 40lbs of actual live rock and another 50lbs of nonliving. I have around 80lbs of Agra alive white caribbean sand. I am using a Penn Plax Cascade 100 canister filter, with a Odyssea ps75 skimmer. I am using a Coralife Aqualight with 4 - 65 watt bulbs, with lunar LED's. Two are 10000K sunlight, and the other two are True Blue Actinic. I remember you saying I need to add a few MH lights, but I'm not sure how. I just spent about $350 for this light so I don't really want to replace it. Also, it takes up almost all the space at the surface so I'm not sure how to add extra lighting. I'm sure it could be done though.
I do have quite a bit of coraline algae growing in several places, so I think that's a good thing, right? I know I need to get rid of that canister, but what do I replace it with? And yes, Nitrates have always been a huge problem. I also know that I need to do something about using tap water. I just received the deionizer filter today. Before I open it, would you recommend selling it on eBay and geting a RO/DI filteration? If so, what brand and type would you recommend. I found one that connects under your sink and I believe you are suppose to use it for drinking water as well. Here is a link to the one I am looking at.
Products, Premium Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filters Systems, Portable Purifiers, Filtration Parts I concidered the RO-45 or even the RO-90. Water is something my family needs to drink more of anyway. I thought that this might just help in both areas. If this isn't what I'm looking for, or it there is something I can make, or maybe this is more than I need, please let me know. My father use to work in the water filtration business years ago. I think he would make pond filters for stocked ponds. I asked him and he still has the know how but he primarily worked with carbon and fiberglass filters. He has never done RO before but I thought about asking him to help me make containers that replacement filters or membranes would fit into. Please just let me know what would be best.
I also was not very impressed with my skimmer either. After about two weeks I still can't get it to work right. I understand the concept behind it, and I know what it should be doing, I just can't make it do it. I concidered getting rid of it and getting a Remora. I have heard that this is a good one, and seems to be very reliable.
Well I think that about covers it. I don't have a refug or a sump. I am very interested in making one though. If you need more info I will of corse be more than happy to give it to you. Thanks so much.