Slime coat additive & Protein Skimmer

[Nimboli12]

I have a SeaClone model 100 or 150. As I said before its in the sump.

1. Has anyone ever had a problem with the dechlorinizer they put in their water which aids in "slime coat" production affecting their Protein Skimmer? I just noticed I was putting too much dechlorinizer in the water being addes to the sump. I guess the "dechlorinizer has a "gel" like agent that hinders the PS from doing its job .

2. Even though you have a sump would lyou want to hang the skimmer on the back of tank for convenience & easy access? Mine is in the sump & getting on my knees on the floor , reaching in the sump to release suction cups from the bottom to remove the skimmer seems like more work.

3. The collar tube sits a tad bit higher than the Maxi-Jet that is suctioned to the floor,. So the collar tube is not totally LEVEL Does it matter that the collar tube is not level? Will that keep it from working properly? Do I need to put something under it to make it level with the Maxi-Jet?

 

[SarahSmile]

I don't think many of us use dechlorinizer since we use r/o water and try to minimize unnatural additives in the tank. Where you keep your skimmer is up to you, I have a hang on the back model and like how easy it is to access, it is covered by my hood tho so I don't have to look at it, a lot of people would see theirs if it was a hang on the back model so into the sump it goes.

 

[little_fish]

Many of the additives like slime coat will screw with a skimmer because it changes the consistence of the water. If you arent using RO/DI water I would switch to it because its much healthier for your corals and tap water often has chemicals that will fuel ugly algae growth. Also those additives like stress coat are more for freshwater tanks and dont translate very well to saltwater tanks. If you are using them, i would stop.

Im not sure why you are removing the whole skimmer, you should just be removing the collection cup. But you can do an insump model or a HOB, they both work just fine, its a personal choice.

 

[Nimboli12]

Well, this is what happened. I was using RO water from a store around the corner from me. But then my ph was screwed up, way way to low.at 7.4 once or twice.I would do a water change but tests were always off.. So I didn't trust this place to buy their water.

Ever since Ive been using tap water, add the dechlorinzer and with the exception of the Heniochus dying, all my fish are doing well now, my water tests have been right on target for weeks now and my tank looks good. My new Cotal Beauty Angel is really doing well, eating and happy. However, I made a mistake in calculating how much dechlor needed for my tap water, put too much in & that is what I think was the cause of water getting into the waste cup.

But I do seem to be getting more algae. If the tap water is causing that can't I put more snails in?

I take the skimmer out of the sump to clean the collar tube,riser tube, & foam cartridge. .They got so dirty I couldm't see through it.

 

[Northstar24]

Tap water is likely okay for a fish only system, but keep in mind that many municipalities have tap water with nitrates and phosphates at levels that will lead to nuisance algae issues, and can also cause issues with corals and other sensitive inverts.

Tap water also has chlorine or chloramine used to treat it, chlorine is harmful to fish, and chloramine breaks down into ammonia, which is also harmful. Your best bet if you are going to use tap water, is to treat it in a seperate container, and then agitate it with a powerhead for 24 hours before introducing it to your system. That would solve the chlorine/chloramine issues, but not nitrates and phoshaptes

Anytime you add something to the tank that changes the tension on the water surface (basically any sort of supplement used to treat water) you risk the chance of causing issues with your skimmer

Long term, you are better off investing in an RO/DI system, in the long run this will be far cheaper than constantly buying (and lugging) water around, as well as buying all of these water treatment supplements

 

[SarahSmile]

Yeah, to me, you had that ich outbreak and you had the trouble with the henis and lost 3 of them. Water quality is the most important thing in this hobby and you never know, the poor water quality may be adding to stress. For me, it's worth it to haul to Wal-mart and buy some jugs of r/o water for top offs and get my saltwater premixed from the LFS. So many things can go wrong in this hobby, mine as well start off with good water and no additives. JMO.

 

[little_fish]

Also RO/DI or distilled water wouldnt cause the low pH, that issue would come from another source