Filter for a 125 gallon glass aquarium, not reef tank? HELP! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sasscuba]

I have been converting over my 125 gallon glass aquarium to salt for the past 6 weeks now. The bubbles created from the HOB filters combined with the bubbles from my Aqua C Remora Pro are driving me crazy!!!! The powerheads are making them really bad!

I wish years ago I would have bought a reef ready tank but this is what I have to work with.

Can someone please point me in the right direction to an outside filter for this tank? Maybe a wet/dry with skimmer built in?

I know nothing about refugiums and want to keep the filter as simple as possible. All I can find is maybe a wet/dry? I don't know.........Don't know how or what to buy to get the water out of the tank, into the filter and back to the tank???

Really confused about what to do??????

I have a tank below mine but I do have a closet behind the tank I could put it in if it would be possible?

I would hate to get rid of the wifes tank so maybe the closet would work?

Someone please help. I am about to have a nervous breakdown getting this information..

Thank you very much for any help.

 

[sabotaged]

do you have the skimmer box for the remora? that will take your bubbles out of the equation for the skimmer..now on to the filter..what type is it?

 

[sasscuba]

Tried the box and it still was pushing bubbles out the foam plus it is huge and did not like it. I have 2 Penguin 300 Bio-wheel filters now.

 

[henryd]

Sasscuba - I have a 180 non-overflow equipped tank. I use an overflow to take the water out of the tank, into a sump, where I have my protien skimmer and then a return pump back into the tank. I used to have a wet-dry filter when I was running my tank as a Fish Only but found it became too much of a nitrate factory. Your tank looks great. Is the rock live rock? If so, it is really your filter. With live rock and a good protien skimmer, you should be in good shape.

 

[Bifferwine]

When you say, "it still was pushing bubbles out the foam"... Maybe I misunderstood, but the foam is supposed to have bubbles in it. Are you saying that the water going back into your tank has bubbles in it even with the overflow box? The box, if used correctly, would have eliminated this because the water can only exit out the bottom of the box and the air bubbles can't travel down through the bottom.

 

[sasscuba]

When you say, "it still was pushing bubbles out the foam"... Maybe I misunderstood, but the foam is supposed to have bubbles in it. Are you saying that the water going back into your tank has bubbles in it even with the overflow box? The box, if used correctly, would have eliminated this because the water can only exit out the bottom of the box and the air bubbles can't travel down through the bottom.

Bubbles were being pushed out the foam in the bottom of the box. Using a Mag 3 pump and when the water leaves the skimmer it goes into the box and yes I can still see bubbles being pushed out the little foam at the bottom. I removed the box because of this plus it is huge and ugly. I have had the Aqua C Remora Pro running for 4 weeks now. It should be broke in by now???

 

[Bifferwine]

Oh, okay I did misunderstand -- I thought you meant your gunk from the skimmer was foamy.

 

[squibley2]

What do you have in the tank? What are you adding to the water? I have an Aqua C Remora Pro with the Mag 3 pump on my 55 and it doesn't produce any bubbles and I do not have the box. I would assume it is something in the water that is messing with the skimmer. A lot of the additives change the surface tension of the water and this will cause micro bubbles to appear in the tank.

 

[gasman]

1 Are you useing water cond. Slime coat will cause this to happen.
2 refug look easy to build ( overflow box will take water off the top down to refug where proten skimmer, filter and heater are and back up to display tank
I think they are better for the tank overall plus add water volume.) Check out DYI forums to find more about refug. Just my :twocents:

 

[sasscuba]

What do you have in the tank? What are you adding to the water? I have an Aqua C Remora Pro with the Mag 3 pump on my 55 and it doesn't produce any bubbles and I do not have the box. I would assume it is something in the water that is messing with the skimmer. A lot of the additives change the surface tension of the water and this will cause micro bubbles to appear in the tank.

Nothing goes into the tank except B-Ionic R/O water and fish food?

 

[gasman]

I do not know much about the Aqua C Remora Pro but I do have a seaclone with a maxi-jet 1200 pump. When I do a water change I get micro bubbles and have to take the adjuster screw out and hold finger over the air intake for a second or two. Then put screw back in this stops to bubbles. I don't know why but it works. I hope this might help.

 

[Bifferwine]

Have you contacted the manufacturer? If nothing else is helping, it might just be a defective skimmer. See if they can replace it for you, a good company will stand by it's product and send you a new one if you send the bad one back.

 

[sasscuba]

Have you contacted the manufacturer? If nothing else is helping, it might just be a defective skimmer. See if they can replace it for you, a good company will stand by it's product and send you a new one if you send the bad one back.

I have. I bought it off Ebay but Aqua C said to send it back and if they find anything wrong with it they would fix or replace but how long can I go without a skimmer? Right now I only have 2 fish and 40 or so snails and crabs.

 

[Bifferwine]

With only two fish in a 125-gallon tank, you should be fine for a while without a skimmer. I didn't get a skimmer on my 55-gallon for about six months (and then I got a worthless Sea Clone -- worth its weight in dog poo), and I had about a dozen fish in there the whole time with no losses and my levels stayed low. I used a power filter and a canister filter and did weekly water changes. For the price you pay for the Remora, I'd say it's worth it to send it back and see if they can fix or replace it (especially if they are offering to do it for free). If I were you, I'd buy a canister or hang on back power filter and use that until they return the skimmer to you. I know those are not good options long term, but it doesn't seem like what you have now is doing much good anyways!

 

[squibley2]

Are you sure that the unit is level and sq on then tank? One of techs said that the unit will not perform correctly unless it is. Mine took about a week untill it stopped producing micro bubbles. Each tank and skimmer is different. Did you rinse the unit well in warm water before installing it?