Setting up a new tank, a few questions...
 

Hello all,

I am going to be setting up a new tank soon and had a few questions i was hoping someone could help me out with. The tank is going to be 90gal with ~20gal sump.

1. I have an aquasafe RO/DI unit, I was probably running it for around 1 year making about 5gal/week. It has now been sitting for about a year. Would it be a good idea to replace all the filters/membranes in it? not really sure how much life is left/ the effects of letting it sit with water for over a year. Does anyone have the link for the aquasafe website?

2. I want this setup to be as quite as possible, I had planned to line the inside of the stand w/ some styrofoam to absorb most of the noise, can anyone see any problems donig this? I figure I'll have to vent it some due to heat buildup

3. I want to run a canister filter w/ carbon/rowaphos etc. what would a good GPH to have? 2, 3 x the tank volume?

Thanks for the help!

For the aquasafe unit, if the membrane has dried out, you definately need to replace it. If it hasn't dried out, grab a TDS meter and measure the before and after. It should be less than 5ppm.

I would be concerned about bacterial growth in the R/O unit and on the R/O membrane if it has been sitting in stagnant water for a year. If it is dried up, you'll need to replace the membrane as Dan said.

As per lining your stand with foam insulation, the only big concern is heat, but if you have good ventillation, it should work for you.

If this is a reef tank, then don't have the cannister running with the media all the time because the bags of media can become nitrate factories. I ran an Eheim ProII 2026 on my fowlr & it was ok because fish are less sensitive to nitrates than corals. You'll still have to keep up with water changes to lower nitrates though. Cannister filters are also good for added circulation so the higher the better IMO.

Anthony

Maybe try making some RO water and check the TDS of the water coming out of it. If you don't have a TDS meter, just come by my place with your water sample or come borrow my meter.

If you need to replace filters and/or the membrane, go see Albert at Gold and he can hook you up with something local for a good price. :)