The vacation that killed...

[fc_uk]

Yeah, like the title says. I went on vacation, paid someone to look after the tank as I'm not going that auto feeder route, measured food out, came back and eeek!.

Actually, my problem not this person's fault ... it would have happened anyway, the only difference is I would have caught it before it became a complete mess.

So, I'm pretty sure I've got dyno. Looks pretty much like the picture on reefcleaners.org and it's absolutely everywhere in the sand bed. Looks like there may be a little pink cyano on the sand too.

I pretty much know it's going to be a long road... water changes, starve it by lights out for days at a time and hope. However, there are a few things concerns/input that I have.

First, my skimmer which I have been skeptical of for quite a while now. Been running for 4 months, zero skimmate. I've got a sealife systems sump that is divided into three compartments. First is where the water comes in from the tank which also contains the skimmer. A pump sits in the bottom of this compartment and connects to a plastic tube which is the skimmer. Water can flow out of the bottom of the skimmer tube where the pump is located. At the top of the first compartment is an opening to the second compartment. On the entry to the second is a bonded filter pad that emptied into bioballs, which I have replaced with enough live rock so that it is always covered by water. At the bottom of the second compartment is an opening that flows into the third, in which a blue/green sponge is located. Other side of the sponge is the return pump up into the tank.

More information than you needed, but I don't think this skimmer design works. First, if the pump sits in the bottom of that first compartment, it can't aerate; physics won't allow that to happen. So, the pump must be moved up. The height of the skimmer/cup is also not adjustable as it is fixed. So, the water is not foamy and skimmate is not being produced; even after 4 months of use. I also can't adjust the water level in the compartment for the skimmer tube due to the overflow to the second compartment. I've been itching for an excuse to buy a new one...

Secondly, what about running a phosban reactor to help out with the algae problems? Is there any point to doing that in terms of actual help?

Though I do feel the real problem here is the skimmer...

 

[Ted]

Hello first of all the sponges in your sump can be a huge nitrate factor unless they are being rinsed every 4 or 5 days. Have to tried making a shelf and raising the height of the skimmer? Here is a picture of what I did with mine. A lot of skimmers will not work if they are to deep in the water.

 

[Bifferwine]

Can you post a picture of your setup, focusing on the skimmer? Is it a skimmer that came with the sump system?

 

[fc_uk]

@Ted: That is an interesting idea, though I am just not too sure if that will work out for mine.

@Bifferwine: yes. See below. This was taken before I switched the bioballs out with live rock, but the skimmer is all the same. The pump is blocking a bit, but basically a 1/2 inch tube goes from that pump into the body of the skimmer. The waterline in the skimmer is the same as the waterline in the sump. I believe the flow on the pump 200 gph...

 

[Zissou]

Take apart your pump and check the skimmer needle wheel. That's what chops up the water to create the bubbles; it might be stuck or jammed and not spinning. What do you mean about it not working at the bottom? Even if your pump was working I dont think you'd get the froth action necessary to collect anything with it at the top.

This is what it should look like, coming out of your pump. If it's not creating bubbles like than it's fubar, not getting air, or stuck:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hT5jiOWfv0]OTP 3000 Needle Wheel Pump - YouTube[/ame]

 

[fc_uk]

I'm not getting nearly that many bubbles, however I am getting bubbles so I know it is getting air.

If I place the pump in the bottom of the pictures sump no air will be drawn. I believe this is simply due to the operational head height of the pump. If placed too far under water the weight of the water that fills the airline initially becomes too much for the pump to be able to create a vacuum and pull air through the tube. At the bottom of the sump, the water is at least 12 inches deep.

However, maybe you've actually uncovered the real issue in that perhaps the pump being used is underpowered? The aquarium et all was sold to me with a RIO 400 pump running the skimmer.

I assumed that was enough (mainly because that is how the aquarium was sold to me). Perhaps it is not? Like I said, this pump has never, or will it ever, generate bubbles as you have in the linked video...

 

[Ted]

well a more powerful pump would probably work. I know If my skimmer is not on the shelf I made and sitting on the bottom was was getting very little air draw. How it the airline feeding that pump? On mine there is a plastic guard that has 4 nipples. You would think that the line should be to the middle nipple but its not. If I put it into one of the outer nipples it works great the middle its a trickle of air.

 

[fc_uk]

Mine basically has a plastic guard with only one nipple, so there are not too many ways about how one is supposed to get it to work.

I'm thinking one of the replacement octopus pumps might be the way to go, but I really hate to spend 50% of the cost of a octopus skimmer to find out I am wrong...

And I forgot I never answered this: yes, it is a skimmer that came with the sump system as far as I know.

 

[Ted]

If you are going to spend that on the pump....well if it was me I would just buy the entire new skimmer. At least that way you know what you have and you know they are made for each other. Plus will even have that handy instruction manual we never seem to read.

 

[fc_uk]

I agree with you. I'm never going to stop kicking myself if I buy a pump only to find out the design of this damn thing is the problem.

Only problem is, this is a really tight space in the sump.

Anyone have an opinion on HOB skimmers or know where to get ones with a really small footprint?