Reef Octopus BH2000 and potential future investments

[imaginal]

Hi all,

So this this the 3rd day running the BH2000. Everything appears to be in working order. Micro bubbles have come and gone, but this thing still seems incredibly loud. Any tips for muffling the sound? (Pouring sound into the return and general motor noise) May have been a bit too strong for a 40gal, but I have pipe dreams of going bigger. Besides, the cost difference between bh1000 and bh2000 was nominal. Running it in the bedroom, so noise reduction is always desired.

I'm peaked at nitrite levels, so that is exciting. In this waiting period, I'm looking for other things to spend my hard earned cash on. I'm still just running tap water with declorinator so an RODI system seems like a logical next investment. I'm also running a power filter minus biowheel (emperor 280) mainly for carbon. The issue now seems to be the number of micro bubbles it is pumping into the tank. Should I run a reactor instead? Also on the list is a lighting fixture. Currently just running a T12 daylight. All of these are pricey upgrades to keep a handful of rocks warm, wet and clean. Where should I direct my attention pre-fish?

 

[user 26995]

I would start with the most expensive thing on your list of upgrades and thats lighting.
Depending on what you are going to be keeping in ways of coral, will determine what type of lighting you will need. I think with using the current light and tap water, your going to see a lot of algae start to form.
In the meantime, you can always get water from the LFS, or even NSW from the seattle aquarium for $.05 per gal, I think it is. Add a little salt mix to bring up the salinity. Not sure what size tank you have, but 2-3 buckets at a time would be easy to get.
But then you would also decrease your chance of algae build up with RODI Water too.

 

[mfinn]

I would look at lighting as well.

 

[imaginal]

Geeze, I was afraid lighting would be a popular next option. So running a series of T5 or LEDs might reduce algae growth? That seems strange to me, given that these lights are intended to help things thriving off photosenthesis. The tank is relatively small, and I heard it is pretty easy to blast coral with LEDs if you aren't careful. What should I start shopping for?

 

[HUNTER01975]

Do you want to run a fish only tank or tank with corals?

buy as much light as you can afford with a dimmer/controller for the power out put or you can just raise the light higher above the tank to reduce the bleaching.. But hey I am new around here but that's what I have read and gathered from different folks.
good luck

 

[imaginal]

No question, I would like to have coral in the tank. I would definitely like to try and get it "right" the first time to avoid multiple purchases.

 

[HUNTER01975]

That's why said buy the biggest light you can now... With leds they have ones you can turn the power down and up and have timers and all kinds of cool stuff if you can afford it.

 

[Skimmy]

your skimmer needs 2 weeks to break in properly...
and the noise will probably get quieter as the impeller wears in.
and its not really good for a bigger tank... 40g is about perfect for that thing.

also, lighting has shyte to do with algae...
algae is a water nutrient problem,
doesnt matter what type of light...
as long as the color frequencies are right.

so yes, get an ro/di first, then worry about lights. definately get LED's.

 

[user 26995]

So Skimmy, you're saying the T12 lighting wont promote algae growth more than T5's or better yet LED's if he's using tap water?

 

[TJL]

Suggestion for you on LED lighting, the six puck style fixtures from either 'Oceans by Design' or Barrier Reef are very well priced but if you are a DIYer you could start with a 'Ultra Premium 12 or 24 kit' from Rapid LED ($95 & $185) on an over sized heatsink 6"x20" ($30-53 with options) then add to it in increments when $'s allow. Many informed/experienced local Reefers to help you a bit with this or talk with Eric at OBD on the merits of their fixtures.

Cheers, Todd

 

[imaginal]

I plan on swinging by OBD this weekend. I've made the rest of the circuit but haven't stopped by there yet. I really like some of these do it yourself options. As sexy as wireless syncing with powerheads to create storm surge effects is, I'm just not sure it is worth the premium. Also getting increasingly hard to invest that sort of money to light my wet rocks spectacularly. Are the DIY kits lacking in anything functionally? How is the cost of replacing the discs?

 

[Peppie]

IMO you should get an RO/DI filter first then look for lights.

 

[imaginal]

All fantastic advice. Ultimately, I think I need all of these things to be successful in the long run so one will likely follow the other. RO/DI systems seem pretty straight forward product-wise. It either makes clean water at a rate you need or it doesn't. Lighting on the other hand will take more research and planning. I'm going to go with RO/DI next. Anything specific I should look for or avoid when choosing one of these units?

 

[Peppie]

If I had to buy one for the first time , I would make sure it was able to back flush.
I didnt, but wish I did.

 

[mfinn]

I'm going to go with RO/DI next. Anything specific I should look for or avoid when choosing one of these units?

Try calling Bulk Reef Supply. They have many options and can find a unit that will match your needs.
Bulk Reverse Osmosis Filters & Systems - Bulk Reef Supply

 

[Terrance]

I plan on swinging by OBD this weekend. I've made the rest of the circuit but haven't stopped by there yet. I really like some of these do it yourself options. As sexy as wireless syncing with powerheads to create storm surge effects is, I'm just not sure it is worth the premium. Also getting increasingly hard to invest that sort of money to light my wet rocks spectacularly. Are the DIY kits lacking in anything functionally? How is the cost of replacing the discs?

The storming effect is pretty much worthless IMO. I would rather just get lighting that gets the job done rather than offer syncing, wireless, or these special storm lighting effects.

I got my RO/DI unit from bulkreefsupply (huge discount after thanksgiving), then got LEDs and circulation pump without all the fancy bells and whistles.

 

[pandora32]

Id get the water situated first with filtering. Then id work on getting leds. Id prefer dimmable, when i get mine. That choice is yours. As for the bells like storm or surge or wireless...i dont really care for that. But like most things in life, eye of the beholder. The skimmer i agree with skimmy, should quiet down for you once its broke in completely. Exactly what you planning on keeping? Sps, softies, lps? That will also be determined by your light choice. An sps system is goin to need more light than an zoe system.