Category Archives: Ro/Di

My Reef Aquarium Maintenance Schedule

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  My 46gallon Bow-front saltwater aquarium is a real show piece in my home. Friends, family and beginner reefers often ask me how I maintain such an aquarium with corals, an anemone, fish and various pumps and such.  This is how I keep up with my aquarium maintenance. 

 Daily:

1.  Top off water, I have a line drawn in my sump and I top of my water using only Ro/Di water. 

2.  Nightly checks on my cpr overflow to make sure that the air is releasing from the overflow and there is no blockage.

3.  Scrape off the side of the glass to prevent filamentous algae from forming.

4.  Clean skimmer cup.

5.  Check for any general problems with the tanks inhabitants and plumbing.

Weekly:

1. Blow off live rock with a turkey baster then perform a 10% water change.

2.Clean powerheads if they need to be cleaned.

3.Wipe off light shield with a vinegar water solution.

4. Test water for any ammonia, nitrite and nitrate buildup.

5.Wipe off glass with a vinegar water solution.

6.  Wipe off any salt creep that had accumulated.

Monthly:

1.  Clean and maintain return pump and skimmer pump

2. Clean skimmer

3.  Suck Any detritus that made it into my sump

4.  Check calcium and alkalinity levels ( I mainly have a soft coral tank with very few calcium loving inverts, those of you with a lot of LPS and SPS corals should do this more frequently).

5.  Change my phosphate media and clean out my phosban reactor. As well as change out carbon.

6.Test TDS (total Dissolved Solids) in my Ro/Di water.

Yearly:

1. Change light bulbs ( when needed sometimes its as early as 7 months).

2. Purchase new pumps if needed.

3.Purchase new Ro/Di filters if needed.

A Shocking Water Change!

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   Every Tuesday I do my weekly water change,  pump maintenance and phosphate reactor cleaning for my reef tank.  The day before I make up five gallons of Ro/Di water in a big bucket and put a Fluval underwater filter filled with phosban.  I have been using the same filter for this job for the last two years and it does two things for me, It moves the water so the salt will disperse faster while providing O2 exchange and it also removes any phosphates that my Ro/Di unit may have missed. 

  Everything was going fine with the water change today, that is until i put my finger in the newly mixed saltwater to test its temperature. Shock, Zap, OMG!!! Wow I thought, I quickly pulled my finger out and unplugged the Fluval.  My trusty filter has betrayed me, but it could have been a lot worse.  After leaving it unplugged I finished up my water change with a new batch of saltwater, I went back to check on the filter.  Somehow the waterproof seal where the cord went into the filter was cracked and the unit was compromised.  Lesson learned, Use CFGI outlets with any thing that involves water and electricity, not just for the aquarium.   I live to blog another day.

Keeping your reef tank cool this summer.

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  Well its here, summer that is.  The temperature was in the 90′s today and the humidity was just as high (in Pa that is ), needless to say its hot and we need to keep our saltwater reef tanks cool.  Here are a few quick suggestions on doing so.

1. Buy or make a chiller.  This is the best and the most expensive way to keep your reef tank cool this summer.  If you have the money or have the technical knowledge to make one then this is the way to go. 

2. The fan trick.  A simple clip fan or a standard standing fan can be highly efficient at reducing the temperature in your saltwater aquarium when it is aimed at the top of your tank or your sump.  You could also rigg up a couple of computer fans in a wooden box or some type of other holder for them and let them blow on the water line.  Your water will evaporate faster when using this method so keep up with your top offs.

3.  Frozen water in a bottle.  Take some of those thin plastic water bottles and put them to use!  Fill them up with Ro/Di water and throw them in the freezer.  When your tank gets hot take a couple out and place them in the sump, where they will get a lot of flow and wont interrupt any pumps.   I have seen this trick done on a 120gallon using a big frozen 1gallon milk jug.  Make sure you use Ro/Di water in-case a bottle decides to crack.

4.  Air conditioning unit. OK really a no brainer but you never know.  If your tank is in a small room and you want to spend a bit more on electricity this summer then keep the Ac on all day.  Personally I prefer the fan method but Ac units can be reef tank savers during long hot stretches.

5. Ro/Di Ice cubes.  Instead of topping off your tank with regular Ro/Di water, freeze the water into cubes and place them into the tank that way.  Not very practical for bigger tanks but works well with mid to small sized reef tanks.

 If any one else has any suggestions or comments on keeping your reef tank cool this summer please post a comment below.  Your email will not be shared or displayed.