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Hi all! Excited to post my first thread. Hopefully this hasn't been answered elsewhere....
I have an Aquatic Life RO Buddie (50 GPD) that has served me well for my ADA 60P. I generally generate 5 gallons a week for a 40%-ish water change, and the TDS stays pretty steady at 0 for about 1-2 months. However, I do seem to be burning through my DI resin pretty quickly. I don't think it's much of a mystery why: the water feeding into the membrane comes from a water softener that uses sodium pellets. I was ready to suck it up and buy another cartridge when I came across someone who was buying bulk resin and refilling their DI resin cartridge for a fraction of the cost.
Here is my cartridge: https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Color-Changing-Cartridge/dp/B00DSP57BQ?ie=UTF8
And here is the proposed resin: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X92KOC?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Is there something I'm missing here? I'm a newbie when it comes to RO/DI systems, and the only thing that came to mind is that refilling might cause issues maintaining pressure through the column. Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has done this, tried this, or knows this already to be a bad idea. Thanks in advance!
I have an Aquatic Life RO Buddie (50 GPD) that has served me well for my ADA 60P. I generally generate 5 gallons a week for a 40%-ish water change, and the TDS stays pretty steady at 0 for about 1-2 months. However, I do seem to be burning through my DI resin pretty quickly. I don't think it's much of a mystery why: the water feeding into the membrane comes from a water softener that uses sodium pellets. I was ready to suck it up and buy another cartridge when I came across someone who was buying bulk resin and refilling their DI resin cartridge for a fraction of the cost.
Here is my cartridge: https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Color-Changing-Cartridge/dp/B00DSP57BQ?ie=UTF8
And here is the proposed resin: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X92KOC?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Is there something I'm missing here? I'm a newbie when it comes to RO/DI systems, and the only thing that came to mind is that refilling might cause issues maintaining pressure through the column. Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has done this, tried this, or knows this already to be a bad idea. Thanks in advance!
6 Replies
·
782 views
I Donated 2026
Journal 75P - Journey Into High Tech
Inspiration, Goals, & Considerations
I've had an interest in aquariums since a young age and had my own aquarium with fish like Angelfish and Mollies around middle school. Growing up, my dad had a bigger tank with Blood Parrots and Silver Dollars. Over 10 years ago, I had a low maintenance 55 gallon planted tank. I was pretty proud of it, but always envied the high tech tanks I saw on forums/social media and told myself when I broke that tank down that the next time I set up a tank, it would be like what I envied. At the end of 2024, I set up a small low tech 5 gallon planted tank to help scratch my aquarium itch, which really only reaccelerated my desire for setting up a high tech tank. And now, here we are!
The size of the tank was mostly dictated by the space. I originally planned on something around 30 gallons, but my LFS had the UNS 75P in stock and after measuring and discussing with my wife, we agreed it would work for the space. The tank is between the kitchen and living room, which is essentially a play area for my son, so lighting needs to be adjusted to make sure he's not blinded by the light when looking up at the tank.
Generally, I'd like to have a visually pleasing aquarium with lots of fish and plants that's peaceful to enjoy. I'd like to automate / reduce as much friction as possible and I realize there's still plenty I need to learn, so I'll need to have patience when things go wrong. I want to keep away from anything that's hard to get out of the tank once it's in (duckweed, moss, pest snails, etc). I felt like sharing prices below might give value to anyone in the future that's looking to start where I did with a high tech tank.
Specs (prices include sales tax)
Tank:
Lighting:
Filtration:
Co2:
Inflow & Outflow Pipes:
Substrate & Hardscape:
Fertilization:
Other Misc Equipment:
Chihiros CO2 Drop Checker
5 x Oase ShutOff Valve 16/22
Inkbird WiFi ITC-308 - $38
SwitchBot Leak Detectors - $15 each
"Stand"
Because the guts are located in a kitchen cabinet, I didn't want to screw directly into it and damage it. I was also concerned silicone would not be able to dry and outgas properly when sealing the edges. I opted to line the cabinet with contact paper. It's essentially a giant sticker, so I lined the sides, bottoms, and a second layer over the bottom edges/joints. I built a 3 panel "stand" inside of the cabinet so I could house everything and screw into the plywood without any concerns. I used 1 sheet of 3/4" Maple plywood and coated 1 side with a latex primer followed by a layer of latex white paint. This is mostly for water resistance and not necessarily water proof. I placed a silicone cabinet liner under the right side equipment. I made a shelf to place the EcoFlow on so if there's a catastrophic leak it's off the bottom.
One consideration I hadn't thought about was how "cramped" the cabinet would be since I placed the EcoFlow on a shelf with a "wall", which essentially made the work area much tighter.
Cable Management: Raceway and cable clips
Water
Express Water RO5DX - $160
Coming soon
I've had an interest in aquariums since a young age and had my own aquarium with fish like Angelfish and Mollies around middle school. Growing up, my dad had a bigger tank with Blood Parrots and Silver Dollars. Over 10 years ago, I had a low maintenance 55 gallon planted tank. I was pretty proud of it, but always envied the high tech tanks I saw on forums/social media and told myself when I broke that tank down that the next time I set up a tank, it would be like what I envied. At the end of 2024, I set up a small low tech 5 gallon planted tank to help scratch my aquarium itch, which really only reaccelerated my desire for setting up a high tech tank. And now, here we are!
The size of the tank was mostly dictated by the space. I originally planned on something around 30 gallons, but my LFS had the UNS 75P in stock and after measuring and discussing with my wife, we agreed it would work for the space. The tank is between the kitchen and living room, which is essentially a play area for my son, so lighting needs to be adjusted to make sure he's not blinded by the light when looking up at the tank.
Generally, I'd like to have a visually pleasing aquarium with lots of fish and plants that's peaceful to enjoy. I'd like to automate / reduce as much friction as possible and I realize there's still plenty I need to learn, so I'll need to have patience when things go wrong. I want to keep away from anything that's hard to get out of the tank once it's in (duckweed, moss, pest snails, etc). I felt like sharing prices below might give value to anyone in the future that's looking to start where I did with a high tech tank.
Specs (prices include sales tax)
Tank:
UNS 75P (8mm Glass - 29.52" x 17.71" x 17.71") - $519
UNS Atmos Backlight - $274
Lid - Working on getting a custom lid made
Lighting:
Chihiros WRGB II Pro 60 - $263
Chihiros WRGB II Pro Shades- $40
3D Printed Side Shades - Still need to do this
Chihiros Hanging Rope Kit- $37
Chihiros LED Lights Hanging Stand Kit - $64
Chihiros WRGB II Pro Shades- $40
3D Printed Side Shades - Still need to do this
Chihiros Hanging Rope Kit- $37
The mounting screws provided protruded beyond the bracket and would not fit with the backlight. I ended up getting washers and placing them outside the bracket to limit the screw depth.
Really disliked the fact that the stand was branded with Chihiros and visible when looking into the aquarium.
UNS Light Hanging Bar - $105
Filtration:
Oase BioMaster 2 Thermo 850 - $461
Oase tubing - Included with filter
Co2:
Misc. 10lb Cylinder - $118 (includes CO2)
CO2 Art PRO-SE Regulator - $105
Aqua Rocks Colorado Small Yugang Reactor 19mm w/ 90 degree elbows - $150
Inflow & Outflow Pipes:
Aqua Rocks Colorado Stainless Steel Lily Pipes 17mm - $54
Aqua Rocks Colorado Lily Pipe Clipper - $11
Substrate & Hardscape:
UNS Controsoil - Black, 'normal' used as a base and ‘fine’ on top - ~$129
CaribSea Super Naturals- Jungle River Sand (foreground sand) - $42 (only used a small mount of the bag - will user remainder in upcoming tank)
UNS Controsand Santa Fe (used as accent around dragon stone) - $57 (only used a small mount of the bag - will user remainder in upcoming tank)
UNS Controsand Sequoia (used as accent around dragon stone) - $52 (only used a small mount of the bag - will user remainder in upcoming tank)
I was surprised how dirty these rocks were and how much rinsing was required. For the price point, I felt like they should have come pre-washed.
Driftwood & Dragon Stone from Aquarium Co-Op - $111
Fertilization:
Burr Aqua Micros and Macros
Chihiros Magnetic Stirrers - $100
Battery Backup & PowerEcoFlow DELTA 3 Max (2kwh) - $680
Unfortunately prolonged power outages are not uncommon for us. We've been without power for multiple consecutive days, 7 days being the longest. This battery backup gives me some peace of mind knowing the tank can run for some time uninterrupted giving me the flexibility to get the generator out and running at a later time, refill with gas, etc. I believe run time will be around 12 hours.
Other Misc Equipment:
Chihiros CO2 Drop Checker
5 x Oase ShutOff Valve 16/22
Inkbird WiFi ITC-308 - $38
SwitchBot Leak Detectors - $15 each
"Stand"
Because the guts are located in a kitchen cabinet, I didn't want to screw directly into it and damage it. I was also concerned silicone would not be able to dry and outgas properly when sealing the edges. I opted to line the cabinet with contact paper. It's essentially a giant sticker, so I lined the sides, bottoms, and a second layer over the bottom edges/joints. I built a 3 panel "stand" inside of the cabinet so I could house everything and screw into the plywood without any concerns. I used 1 sheet of 3/4" Maple plywood and coated 1 side with a latex primer followed by a layer of latex white paint. This is mostly for water resistance and not necessarily water proof. I placed a silicone cabinet liner under the right side equipment. I made a shelf to place the EcoFlow on so if there's a catastrophic leak it's off the bottom.
One consideration I hadn't thought about was how "cramped" the cabinet would be since I placed the EcoFlow on a shelf with a "wall", which essentially made the work area much tighter.
Cable Management: Raceway and cable clips
Water
Express Water RO5DX - $160
I saw this recommended by @Naturescapes_Rocco, and feel like the value is pretty hard to beat. I waited until it was on sale to purchase, but even at the $190 list price, it's great. Water source is an artesian spring (well). From the tap, TDS measures 56. In my 5g, I've used water straight from the tap, but opted for RO so I can keep things consistent with this setup. TDS after initial filter flushing was 0 (yeah, 0!).
55 Gallon Brute Trash Can, 44 Gallon Brute Trash Can, 32 Gallon Greenmade Trash Can, and 2x dollys.I need to improve this setup because it's a PITA. RO goes into the 55g, then I need to transfer it to the 44g to fill the tank. The 32g was originally what I purchased because that was the biggest Costco had, but it didn't hold enough water to fill the tank, so I had to rethink my plans. Seeing the 55g in person, I wasn't confident I could fit 2 side by side in the space I set up the RO in (which I couldn't). This setup is very clunky and requires a lot of water moving to make it to the tank. I've been using the 32g for waste water so I could water plants with it, but I might get worn down quickly and send it down the drain.
Plants (all UNS TC)- Homalomena Sp Sekadau South (babysitter)
- Hydrocotyle Tripartita (potentially babysitter)
- Alternanthera Reineckii Rosanervig (initially planned as babysitter, but may keep some in long term)
- Hemianthus Callitrichoides 'Cuba'
- Rotala Rotundifolia Blood Red
- Anubias Nana Petite
- Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo'
- Alternanthera Reineckii 'Mini'
- Echinodorus Rose
Coming soon
- 25x Red Neon Blue Eye Rainbow
- 7x C005 Corydoras pantanalensis
- 3x C123 Yellow Cory 'Rio Nanay'
- Aphyosemion bivittatum 'Funge' Pair
- 5x Stiphodon rutilaureus Goby
- 1x True Siamese Algae Eaters
- 1x Bamboo Shrimp
- 8x Amano Shrimp
95 Replies
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6747 views
Supporting
I Donated 2026
AquaGirls
It will be tough to get away, but I have managed to finagle enough coverage for the weekend, so I did it! I have my ticket! I figure why not? It’s actually not that far from me. Daichi Araki from ADA is teaching an aquascaping masterclass on Saturday morning. Also interested in the ADA Shizuku workshop.
Juris Jutjajevs previously announced he will be attending the Jersey show.
I have never been to an Aquashella, so don’t entirely know what to expect, but I presume it is much like any large convention exhibit hall experience. Any ‘Crunchers thinking of attending the Jersey show?
Juris Jutjajevs previously announced he will be attending the Jersey show.
I have never been to an Aquashella, so don’t entirely know what to expect, but I presume it is much like any large convention exhibit hall experience. Any ‘Crunchers thinking of attending the Jersey show?
36 Replies
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1005 views
So I've somehow used up my gallon of metricide for excel, now I think you need a business license to purchase it on amazon.
I want to go back and try hydrogen peroxide again since its so easy and cheap to buy.
What ratios are you guys using to get rid of algae on plants such as BBA that are still somewhat safe for more delicate mosses?
Or should the mosses just be avoided for this?
1/2 peroxide + 1/2 water into a spray bottle for treating outside the tank?
I want to go back and try hydrogen peroxide again since its so easy and cheap to buy.
What ratios are you guys using to get rid of algae on plants such as BBA that are still somewhat safe for more delicate mosses?
Or should the mosses just be avoided for this?
1/2 peroxide + 1/2 water into a spray bottle for treating outside the tank?
3 Replies
·
40 views
Hey all, been online just have not posted in a while, but have a question.
A bit of a longer topic today, but after a lot of thinking, I have decided to down grade my fish room. (When I say fish room, its the room where I have 3 tanks lol). I just do not have the time to do water changes weekly anymore. I am wayyyy to busy to even get all three done on the same day. I was not able to do water changes for 2 weeks (until today). I really like my 10g and 5g tanks, but I think it would be best to take those down and transfer the good thriving plants and fish to the 20g long and to make the 20 long my only tank where I put all of my fishkeeping time into it to make it look near perfect (not really possible but you know) with all the variety of plants I have. I really want my 20g to be a really good looking aquascape, and I know I can get there, with some help. To set contezt here is what I have.
20 Gallon Long aquarium: (The tank I intend to keep)
The fish:
8x Harlequin Rasboras
15x blue neo shrimp
8x ghost shrimp
4 peppered corydoras
1 nerite snail
Ramshorn snails
The plants:
limnofiimno wilsonii (LOTS of it)
Amazon sword
Lilly bulb plant
Anubias nana
Tiger lotus bulb
limno aramitica mini
Helanthium Bolivian quadrocostatus (This one shoots out runners but the main group of them are not doing as well as I wish, ok and alive but not thriving)
Obelia cardinals mini
Limno ragusa
And probably a few more, that I cannot remember lol.
Equipment:
2 Medium size Sponge filters (Aquarium Co-op)
1 Airstone with Tetra Air pump
Hygger light
top fin (cracked, will get new one soon) glass lid
Decor:
Dragon Stone
Spider wood
PFS (pool filter sand)
10 gallon tank (The tank that is thriving, but will take it down too)
Fish:
5 white cloud mountain minnows
1 nerite snail
ramshorn snails
Plants:
Amazon sword
lilly bulb
Water sprite (THRIVING, very lush green and massive)
Helanthium Bolivian quadrocostatus
Limno ragusa
limnofiimno wilsonii
Duckweed (very maintained and under control)
decor:
Large rock found in a nearby creek, very well cleaned
small piece of dragon stone and spiderwood
Equipment:
Topfin 10g Starter Kit filter
Topfin 10g lid
5 gallon tank
No fish
GH is high, cannot get it down
3 remaining ramshorn snails
2 anubias plants
dwarf sag
and all rock from a creek. Tank is not doing to good want to take it down anyways....
The ferts I use for ALL tanks is GLA ferts, Micro and Macro mixes.
So! That is the tanks. My goal is this: To break down both the 10g and 5g, get the thriving plants and fish out and transfer to the 20g long. Also forgot to mention anacharis plants that I got when buying the blue shrimp.
My question, how could I combine to the make the ULTIMATE 20g long? And can I keep the WCMM with the stocking above in my 20g long?
I will add more info later. Pics below. Thanks all!
.thumb.jpeg.f2aac153de75bf24c411a5adfab6dc49.jpeg "IMG_8670 (1).jpeg")
The 20g long (ABOVE) is the tank I will keep.
.thumb.jpeg.8c0bef2c6aa55791788a2a2a758e9f2a.jpeg "IMG_8668 (2).jpeg")
Ignore the TOTM banner. That is the 10g above.
Do not have a current pic of my 5g. It looks bad anyways.
Btw, I did a water change today ONLY on my 20g. By next week I want those other 2 tanks gone and empty. Also, final question I just remembered, how to safely transport the healthy plants from tank to tank?
A bit of a longer topic today, but after a lot of thinking, I have decided to down grade my fish room. (When I say fish room, its the room where I have 3 tanks lol). I just do not have the time to do water changes weekly anymore. I am wayyyy to busy to even get all three done on the same day. I was not able to do water changes for 2 weeks (until today). I really like my 10g and 5g tanks, but I think it would be best to take those down and transfer the good thriving plants and fish to the 20g long and to make the 20 long my only tank where I put all of my fishkeeping time into it to make it look near perfect (not really possible but you know) with all the variety of plants I have. I really want my 20g to be a really good looking aquascape, and I know I can get there, with some help. To set contezt here is what I have.
20 Gallon Long aquarium: (The tank I intend to keep)
The fish:
8x Harlequin Rasboras
15x blue neo shrimp
8x ghost shrimp
4 peppered corydoras
1 nerite snail
Ramshorn snails
The plants:
limnofiimno wilsonii (LOTS of it)
Amazon sword
Lilly bulb plant
Anubias nana
Tiger lotus bulb
limno aramitica mini
Helanthium Bolivian quadrocostatus (This one shoots out runners but the main group of them are not doing as well as I wish, ok and alive but not thriving)
Obelia cardinals mini
Limno ragusa
And probably a few more, that I cannot remember lol.
Equipment:
2 Medium size Sponge filters (Aquarium Co-op)
1 Airstone with Tetra Air pump
Hygger light
top fin (cracked, will get new one soon) glass lid
Decor:
Dragon Stone
Spider wood
PFS (pool filter sand)
10 gallon tank (The tank that is thriving, but will take it down too)
Fish:
5 white cloud mountain minnows
1 nerite snail
ramshorn snails
Plants:
Amazon sword
lilly bulb
Water sprite (THRIVING, very lush green and massive)
Helanthium Bolivian quadrocostatus
Limno ragusa
limnofiimno wilsonii
Duckweed (very maintained and under control)
decor:
Large rock found in a nearby creek, very well cleaned
small piece of dragon stone and spiderwood
Equipment:
Topfin 10g Starter Kit filter
Topfin 10g lid
5 gallon tank
No fish
GH is high, cannot get it down
3 remaining ramshorn snails
2 anubias plants
dwarf sag
and all rock from a creek. Tank is not doing to good want to take it down anyways....
The ferts I use for ALL tanks is GLA ferts, Micro and Macro mixes.
So! That is the tanks. My goal is this: To break down both the 10g and 5g, get the thriving plants and fish out and transfer to the 20g long. Also forgot to mention anacharis plants that I got when buying the blue shrimp.
My question, how could I combine to the make the ULTIMATE 20g long? And can I keep the WCMM with the stocking above in my 20g long?
I will add more info later. Pics below. Thanks all!
The 20g long (ABOVE) is the tank I will keep.
Ignore the TOTM banner. That is the 10g above.
Do not have a current pic of my 5g. It looks bad anyways.
Btw, I did a water change today ONLY on my 20g. By next week I want those other 2 tanks gone and empty. Also, final question I just remembered, how to safely transport the healthy plants from tank to tank?
1 Replies
·
34 views
Supporting
Tank of the Month
I Donated 2026
Rockstar
I'm doing it again! I will be trying AR mini and another type of AR and I always stunt them. I was doing some light reading as I already know AR hates the soup I serve.
So, is there any truth in K dosing exceeding total Ca causes boron lock out in AR types?
So, is there any truth in K dosing exceeding total Ca causes boron lock out in AR types?
2 Replies
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77 views
Rockstar
Help Moving Taskbar?
@Art Does anyone else have this issue? My taskbar sometimes follows me when I scroll on my iPhone and doesn’t stay “stuck” at the bottom of my screen.
7 Replies
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45 views
Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
Announcement Updates to Apple devices may cause website issues
Hi all,
As you may know, Apple has today released updates to most of its software. I am seeing some bugs popping up on Safari. If you see any bugs, kindly report it here.
Thanks,
Art
As you may know, Apple has today released updates to most of its software. I am seeing some bugs popping up on Safari. If you see any bugs, kindly report it here.
Thanks,
Art
0 Replies
·
17 views
Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
Welcome to ScapeCrunch, @KeeperOfASilentWorld!
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
0 Replies
·
10 views
Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
Hello Welcome, jeffkrol
Welcome to ScapeCrunch, @jeffkrol!
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
We would love to get to know you. Please tell us about yourself. What tank do you have?
4 Replies
·
109 views
Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
This is the thread for any and all feedback on ScapeBid.
Questions about how to use it; Recommendations on improvements; Smart remarks. Please post here.
Questions about how to use it; Recommendations on improvements; Smart remarks. Please post here.
2 Replies
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323 views