[mikerollins]

hi every one, first i want to say, i am new to the game and i nothing about marine/sw !!my tank is 6ft-2ft-2ft, first of all can i put inverts in my tank a couple of days after i have just sorted the water ?? to get the eco system going, there will be a mix of coral sand and live sand in there with, coral bin frags mixed in aswell, does any one have any thing to help me ?? i do have protien skimmer, sump pumps filters powerheads etc, but i really am a new boy to this game so if any wants to help in any way they can feel free because my ears are wide open !! if any one wants to email me feel free my email is mikerollins@hotmail.co.uk thnk you mike

[ben]

welcome to the site. dont rush into getting livestock into the tank. get the rock, sand and water in and start testing the water for a week or 2.

how about some pics of what you have already as it may help us to help you.

[dave14]

Welcome to IR

As Ben has said the key is to take your time, it's hard I know but really is the best way

You say you have live sand, what about live rock ?, this is the most common method of filtration these days

Don't be afraid to ask, we never stop learning

[chriss]

One more question, where abouts are you ?

That's a fair sized tank for a beginner, take your time and ask a lot to get the most out of it. The more info you can give us about your setup the better.

Chris

[mikerollins]

well than you very much, the live rock will be coming shortly, i just have to get paid first lmao, also i live in torrington in devon, if thats any help ?? i will get sum pictures on here as soon as i can, thanks mike

[lindsay]

Welcome to IR,as said above ask away.

[mikerollins]

right every body im filling the tank with ro water and mixed in salt i will keep you all posted, the water dnt look to clean at the moment is this the salt no fullly desolved ??

[Joey]

You would be right there mate, give it over night and it should have cleared

Oh and welcome to IR

Joey

[mikerollins]

please somebody help me asap, i piped up the ro unit and the water is coming out at 86 on the tds metre, i clearly have piped it up rong, can somebody help me fit it ???? aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Joey]

what unit have you got and did you follow the instructions? also you could have it turned to flush and not run

Joey

[mikerollins]

its ok i emailed maty and he has told me how to pipe it up lol, i tested the tap water on the tds metre and it was 158, and the ro water is 34 is that ok or not clean enough ??

[Joey]

Well its better than 158 lol but should really be 0.00tds, im not that clued up about RO units though im sure someone with more knowledge will be along soon

Joey

[mikerollins]

thanks joey, im very great full pissed right off but very great full lol

[Joey]

pissed off or pissed on by your RO unit lol

[mikerollins]

lmao not you buddy the ro unit, to me its money wasted !!! i should of brought the other one that you put the putty solution in !! i actually cant belive it its so frigging anoying !!!!!! my first ever tank and i cant even get the water right !! wat a shitter !!!

[ben]

if the tap water is 158 then you should get zero TDS easily, even without a DI filter. if its second hand then i think the filters need changing.

34 is way to high imo

[mikerollins]

WELL I TESTED THE WATER IN A CUP AND IT WAS READING 34 BUT WHEN I TESTED THE WATER STRAIT FROM THE PIPE IT TESTS 0.00 SO I THINK THERE 34 PPM IN THE CUP ITS SELF FROM DISH WASHER ETC ??? COUL;D THAT BE POSSIBLE ???

[elliot09]

Yeah, you have to be careful not to get contaminants when you're measuring TDS, because they can affect the result a lot. If you're measuring it in a cup, best thing to do is wash it out thoroughly with the RO water that you're testing before you put in a sample.

[chriss]

For future reference, it can take quite a while for new filters/membranes to totally flush themselves clean and yes, your cup could easily be contaminated.

Chris

[mikerollins]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALL. I THINK THE RO UNIT IS FINE BECAUSE OF THE TEST STRAIT OFF THE PIPE, SO THE TANK SHALL BE FILL TONIGHT ALONG WITH MIXED WITH SALT AND RUN FOR THE NEXT WEEK !! BUT CAN I PUT THE LIVE SAND MIXED WITH CORAL SAND IN AS I AM FILLING THE TANK ??