220 Inwall - Plan - Page 14

bheron · #**326** 01/26/2007, 09:49 AM

Well, all I can say about this next post is...lessons, lessons, lessons. Lessons learned every day (and night) in this hobby

How timely this is to our discussion. We were just talking about skimmate production and messing with the water level in our skimmers (well mine). And you were all explaining to me how the gate valve on my skimmer works. And I was saying how the skimmate production has slowed....you get where this is going...

Well, last night, I noticed that the bubbles weren't really making it to the top of the collection cup where they pop. Hmmmmm, lets try out this gate valve thingy. I found that if I turn it one way, bubbles go down. The other way, bubbles come up. Fun. Up and down, up and down. So, I tweaked it just right so that the bubbles were once again coming to the top and popping (Hmm, I thought, this is probably why I havent had so much skimmate recently). Then, I prompty...went to bed. Oh, and I should mention that I didnt clean out my collection cup beforehand, so there was all that gunk in there from the past several days of skimming.

Who wants to guess what I found when I checked it this morning?

gkarshens · #**327** 01/26/2007, 09:57 AM

I have the ER CS6-2+. I found it skims best if you have the top of the bubble head at about even with the bottom of the collection cup. If I moved mine up to the rim I would overflow too. HTH

bheron · #**328** 01/26/2007, 10:47 AM

Gabriel....youre getting close......

agarza · #**329** 01/26/2007, 11:14 AM

It overflowed and all the skimmate went back into the water, been there, donr that.

Cheers!

melev · #**330** 01/26/2007, 02:01 PM

Fortunately you have a kick-butt skimmer that will pull it all out again.

I would keep the water line right at the coupler level. I've run it higher, but then my collection cup is larger with a longer neck that yours. Try to avoid adjusting it and just let it run the way it is day in and day out. Water tension changes after feeding, topping off, water changes and even when you stick your hand in the tank to move something. The skimmer reacts every time, but will resume when ready.

So try to get it back to the spot it was originally if possible, and give it a few days at that height. Remember gate valves allow you to make very minor adjustments. Try only a quarter turn one way or the other. (Closed/clockwise raises the water level, Open/counter-clockwise lets more water out.)

melev · #**331** 01/26/2007, 02:04 PM

Btw, this is the perfect reason why I'm so adamant to keep skimmers in the sump. When, not if, they overflow, the water level doesn't change in the system and plummeting salinity / overdosing kalkwasser doesn't become a factor.

Randall_James · #**332** 01/26/2007, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by melev
Btw, this is the perfect reason why I'm so adamant to keep skimmers in the sump. When, not if, they overflow, the water level doesn't change in the system and plummeting salinity / overdosing kalkwasser doesn't become a factor.

Thanks Mark, am now having nightmares about HOB skimmer overflows......

Never underestimate the value of a overflow tube

bheron · #**333** 01/26/2007, 02:46 PM

Agarza - you are correct sir!

Yep, I checked this morning to find the skimmer cup overflowing with water and back into the sump. Like a big hot tub! But, the kicker is that, b/c I didnt clean out the collection cup (DOH!) all of that nice, thick, dense, skimmate gunk I collected from the past few days was dumped back into my system! All at once! I was surprised when I didnt find everything in my tank dead.

So, I turned it off, cleaned out the cup, and turned it back on. This time I fully opened the gate valve. But the bubbles were still coming up quickly b/c of how dirty the water was! So quickly that Im afraid by the time I get home today it will be overflowing again. Son of a.....

Anyway

Marc -

Quote:

I would keep the water line right at the coupler level.

- "Coupler level" is that where the cup connects?

Quote:

Try to avoid adjusting it and just let it run the way it is day in and day out. Water tension changes after feeding, topping off, water changes and even when you stick your hand in the tank to move something. The skimmer reacts every time, but will resume when ready.

- Wow. I wish I knew this. I guess this is part of the learning process!

Quote:

So try to get it back to the spot it was originally if possible, and give it a few days at that height. Remember gate valves allow you to make very minor adjustments. Try only a quarter turn one way or the other. (Closed/clockwise raises the water level, Open/counter-clockwise lets more water out.)

-

I almost spit out my soda after reading that "only a quarter of a turn" part. Man, last night I was spinning that sucker like a roulette wheel! Hahahhaha. Ok, I learned my lesson.

Its open 100% right now. I dont know how far closed it was before when it was working right, but i guess its gonna take awhile to keep tuning it, and letting it sit for a few hours each time.

Oh man, I really hope this thing hasnt overflowed by the time i get home in a few hours.

Thanks all. Glad to have shared this humbling experience!

melev · #**334** 01/26/2007, 02:56 PM

If the valve is wide open, you're fine. It'll skim out the worst and then the rest will be in the body until you raise the water level higher again when you get home.

Coupler: That is where the cup connects.

bheron · #**335** 01/26/2007, 03:00 PM

Phew! Cool. It sure was pullin out alot the first few mins this morning before i left for work.

thanks for the clarity - i'll try to use that as a baseline.

Airman · #**336** 01/26/2007, 03:09 PM

My fire goby was in the tank for about two years. He was one of the guys who enjoyed the tank. I believe the intense lighting (760 watts) was too big a change.

BryanJ · #**337** 01/26/2007, 03:32 PM

bought mine from a store with PC's and put it under 500w of halide so the light could have something to do with it.

bheron · #**338** 01/26/2007, 04:33 PM

Well, left work early today and just got home. The skimmer is fine. While the gate valve is opened all the way, its still pulling out skimmate at a nice rate. a little wet, but i imagine that was from the first few hours of restarting today.

bheron · #**339** 02/07/2007, 09:55 PM

Figured Id give a quick update

First, on my pod situation. For anyone who remembers, I realized a few weeks ago that my pod population seemed decimated. It was the result of moving my chaeto from my fuge into my sump, with the goal of higher water flow. Well, the pods didnt like it. I was pretty sure my mandarin would starve. Well, I since moved my chaeto back into my slow flow fuge and, over time, my pod population is teeming

Im very happy and amazed at how these creatures can reproduce so quickly in the right environment.

Also, I gave my Tunze Streams a way overdue cleaning. Theyve been running 24/7 since i put them in 14 months ago! I followed good directions from Roger at tunze. Amazing how dirty they were. IN the end, though, the look brand new and, I think, are performing better!

This weekend I am going to begin scoping out my electric power center project. Also long overdue, and partly b/c Im worried that its not very safe now, Im going to overhaul the whole thing. And I'll take plently of pics.

rdmpe · #**340** 02/10/2007, 11:09 AM

I've read several times that cheato does best with a relatively high flow and some tumbling. But you have to do what works best in your system. Personally, I've found that my chaeto grows just fine in my slow flow fuge and really that is the purpose of my fuge. Mostly to provide good place for pods and such. You can always reach in there every day and pull the chaeto mass apart and mix it up to spur growth if you want.

Another good one to try in your fuge IMO is gracilleria. It is a very fast grower and the tangs & rabbitfish absolutely love to eat it. It's somewhat softer than chaeto, and more aggressive in terms of growth and invasiveness. If you didn't have fish that eat it, I could see it being a problem. But I've found that I can't get it to grow in my display since the fish eat every spec of it they find. I'm always stuffing wads of it into crevices in the liverock to serve as fish food.

Skimmer adjustments LOL small tweaks only!!!

bheron · #**341** 02/10/2007, 11:38 AM

randy - I agree, do what works best. you know, when it was in my sump, just by luck it wound up getting caught in the waterfall of flow by my baffles, so naturally, it just spun in this really fast tumble! Really cool. So I weas thinking that it might be perfect for exporting nutrients. I even took a video of it b/c it looked so neat. Natural, tumbling filter!

Hmmm, I dont know much about gracilleria. Ive only tried chaeto. Never Caulerpa b/c of the gamete release thing. But my tangs would love it. I'll have to look it up and see if I can get some local. Diversity is key! Thanks.

HAHA - on the skimmer tweaks. boy did i learn my lesson.

Im also a little worried about one or two of my GBTAs. I got in touch with Anthony Calfo on a feeding question - a point that somone said he made. One day after feeding my GBTAs two of them went into hiding. They've come out sparingly. Im hoping it'll come out ok.

Im planning on finishing my massive electrical system upgrade in the next week or so, and will have pics then. No other updates to the system since my new skimmer.

rstimeout · #**342** 02/13/2007, 10:44 AM

THANK YOU FOR SHAREING YOUR POST it gives me lots of ideas for my 240 coming at the end of this month thanks again

bheron · #**343** 02/13/2007, 10:47 AM

rstimeout - thanks for the feedback! just about everything I know on the subject I learned right here on this forum. So Im happy to give back and provide yet another place for others to learn.

Stop back when you start your 240, as I check this thread alot. Or PM me anytime with questions. Good luck and may the Schwartz be with you.

tgunn · #**344** 02/13/2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bheron
randy - I agree, do what works best. you know, when it was in my sump, just by luck it wound up getting caught in the waterfall of flow by my baffles, so naturally, it just spun in this really fast tumble! Really cool. So I weas thinking that it might be perfect for exporting nutrients. I even took a video of it b/c it looked so neat. Natural, tumbling filter!

Hmmm, I dont know much about gracilleria. Ive only tried chaeto. Never Caulerpa b/c of the gamete release thing. But my tangs would love it. I'll have to look it up and see if I can get some local. Diversity is key! Thanks.

HAHA - on the skimmer tweaks. boy did i learn my lesson.

Im also a little worried about one or two of my GBTAs. I got in touch with Anthony Calfo on a feeding question - a point that somone said he made. One day after feeding my GBTAs two of them went into hiding. They've come out sparingly. Im hoping it'll come out ok.

Im planning on finishing my massive electrical system upgrade in the next week or so, and will have pics then. No other updates to the system since my new skimmer.

I originally had my chaeto tumbling in the sump; it did look cool, but inevitably it moved out of the "tumble zone" and would just float to the surface.

So that's where it stays now; it's on the surface with the skimmer output dumping out underneath it.

How long do you light your chaeto Bryan?

Tyler

bheron · #**345** 02/14/2007, 09:14 PM

Hey Tyler - I always keep my chaeto lighted 24/7. Mostly thats b/c I like having at least part of my tank lit when the main lights go out. I hear that helps keep the PH stable. PH drops at night with the lights off.

bheron · #**346** 02/14/2007, 09:15 PM

Hey Tyler - I always keep my chaeto lighted 24/7. Mostly thats b/c I like having at least part of my tank lit when the main lights go out. I hear that helps keep the PH stable. PH drops at night with the lights off.

gkarshens · #**347** 02/14/2007, 09:50 PM

From my understanding it helps with PH swing more if you reverse light the fuge instead of leaving it on 24/7.

bheron · #**348** 02/15/2007, 01:40 PM

really gkarshens? dont leave me hanging - explain?

tgunn · #**349** 02/15/2007, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bheron
really gkarshens? dont leave me hanging - explain?

During 'fuge lights on the chaeto is using carbon dioxide, thus raising the pH of the tank.
During 'fugre lights off the chaeto is using oxygen and producing carbon dioxide, thus lowering the pH of the tank.

The same applies to your corals in the tank.. By alternating lights on and off like that you're attempting to get the fuge to use CO2 during the night when your corals are giving it off.

Some people opt to drip Kalk at night only to help level out pH swings of this nature..

Unless you're seeing pH swings likely not an issue though..

I may try extending my chaeto photoperiod though... I figure the more light it gets, the more it grows.. Perhaps if it's lit during my tanks' lights on period it'll help eat up the nutrients that cause in tank algae.

Tyler

gkarshens · #**350** 02/15/2007, 03:05 PM

Also think about it this way - If the fuge is lit 24/7 it would have a constant PH factor which would then balance out with the swing in the display. But if the lights in the fuge are opposite then the PH is rising there while it is falling in the display. Thus it causes a smaller overall swing. I recently dumped all my calurpa and went with just Cheato so I could go to reverse instead of 24/7. Before I would get down to 7.9 at night. Now it only goes down to about 8.05.