Don't turn off Skimmer during coral feeding!!

[Dyngoe]

Hi All,

Got your attention, huh? Here's a trick I learned:

Instead of turning off your skimmer during feeding, which some opt not to do, try adding four drops of Selcon to your food. In my system four drops of Selcon will kill the skimmate in my skimmer for ~45 minutes. This is long enough for the food to cycle through the tank many times and I don't need to worry about turning the simmer back on at the end.

[jmc74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10542793#post10542793 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dyngoe
Hi All,

Got your attention, huh? Here's a trick I learned:

Instead of turning off your skimmer during feeding, which some opt not to do, try adding four drops of Selcon to your food. In my system four drops of Selcon will kill the skimmate in my skimmer for ~45 minutes. This is long enough for the food to cycle through the tank many times and I don't need to worry about turning the simmer back on at the end.


selcon? where do you get it? and what benefit does it have vs. turning off the skimmer?

I now wired my return pumps and the skimmer to a single switch, so when I feed, I turn them off for about 30 min, so no water movement is on... or should I get a sm power head to move water on my tank while feeding? :confused:

[Dyngoe]

Selcon is actually a vitamin supplement for fish food. I used it to help treat LLD on my hippo tang. It's high in vitamins and fatty acids. What you usually do is soak dry or frozen food in it for a while before feeding to fish.

You can get it a most good LFS.

I would highly suggest YOU do this since your skimmer and pumps are on the same circuit. Some people don't like to turn off their skimmers during feeding but everyone leaves some if not all pumps on.

What happens with Selcon is the high vitamin content and/or oil affects the surface tension of the water and hinders bubbles from creeping up the skimmer. This usually subsides in ~45 minutes in my tank. I think it's just an easier method than turning off a skimmer. Plus, the fatty acids may actually be beneficial to certain corals (Selcon's words).

[Kinetic]

I usually turn off the return pump such that the food doesn't goto the sump anyway.

I usually actually kill all my pumps for a few minutes. I hold my food in my fingers and let the fish pick at it. I doubt any food ever goes down to the bottom of the tank.

[delsol650]

I turn off all pumps and skimmers. Allows the cloud of food or phyto that I feed the corals, zoos/palys and LPS time to eat the stuff and not get blown around in the tank.. it also allows the slower feeding fish like mandarins to feed confortably.

[Thales]

I am not sure why buying an extra product to add to your tank is easier than turning off the skimmer.

[Kinetic]

well maybe selcon is used primarily as a source for vitamins for the fish, while it doubles as a skimmer disabler at the same time?

[dieselgrk]

i used selcon for a while and stopped. the only thing i did find it useful for is the above mentioned reason of not having to turn off the skimmer during feeding. other than that i found absolutely no improvement in color or health in any of my fish nor did it help out with lld with my blue tang. not sure what all the hypes about?

[tuberider]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10545081#post10545081 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Thales
I am not sure why buying an extra product to add to your tank is easier than turning off the skimmer. I agree

[GreshamH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10545081#post10545081 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Thales
I am not sure why buying an extra product to add to your tank is easier than turning off the skimmer.

Look at it this way (money saving feature)

Selcon ~$20 (in this use it'll last a long time)
vs.

Needlewheel impellar ~$60 - ~$300 (if using a needlewheel skimmer)

Every time you turn off a pump and turn it back on it bangs the impellar a bit. With NW's this can and will lead to broken needles and entire impellar magnets.

If your feeding corals I highly suggest not turing off your in tank pumps unless your feeding live food. With out the forced contact many corals will not capture the feed for various reasons.

FWIW I don't turn off my skimmer nor return pump when I feed. I hate replacing impellars and not much food is taken up into the skimmer since I feed Arcti-Pods first (high fatty acid content, same feature as Slecon)

[Thales]

FWIW, I don't turn off my skimmer either, I just run the bypass on the return. :D

[jmc74]

so, let me get this straight; if I turn on & off the pumps, it has the potential of breaking the impeller? why? is the force of the water that strong?


btw, what do most of you feed the corals and how often?

[tuberider]

It's more of a repetitive thing, stops and starts, breaking shafts and such through fatigue. Many of the needle wheel impellars (euro-reef as an example) are not cheap. For the price, yes you can buy a lot of Selcon.

I feed what Gresham is serving myself, with and emphasis on Roti-Feast. Reef Nutrition needs to change the name of some of the lines though. For example, Roti-crack, Arcti-crack, Phyto-crack etc.

[Dyngoe]

Hey Gresham,

Thanks for the info. I also feed arctipods during each feeding. I'll see my skimmer performance without the Selcon and see if it works.

My reasoning was not as "legitimate" as Greshams. I imply didn't like two things:
1. I occasionally forgot to turn the skimmer back on after 45 minutes.
2. I didn't like the water draining out of my skimmer.

Neither of which is critical or catastrophic, but personal preference.

And, to answer jmc74:
I feed at least every three days. After talking with Gresham and Steve at the swap, I think I'm going to go daily.

[Thales]

When I used to turn off my skimmer when feeding (no needle wheel breakage issues) I put it on a timer so it automatically came back on. :D

[bookfish]

I just plug the air intake.

[jmc74]

I use Roti-Feast, is there a problem with this food? I also use the Phyto from the same company...

[jmc74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10546863#post10546863 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dyngoe
And, to answer jmc74:
I feed at least every three days. After talking with Gresham and Steve at the swap, I think I'm going to go daily.

I talked to Steve too, so I have been feeding daily, and doing a sm water change every other day...

[GreshamH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10548013#post10548013 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmc74
I use Roti-Feast, is there a problem with this food? I also use the Phyto from the same company...

Not sure where you got the idea there maybe a problem with RF as several people in this thread have mentioned they use it.

[GreshamH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10547167#post10547167 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bookfish
I just plug the air intake.

Best non automated option IMO/IME.

Automated one would be to have a solenoid on a timer for you air intake (like on my new tank).

[Nuuze]

On my Elos skimmer it came with two clamps for the venturi. One is set to where I want it and the other is for this very reason when you feed. I just close the second one off completely or leave slightly open where the skimmer doesn't overflow. Also I heard some just lift the collection cup off but it could get messy with all the tiny bubbles if your skimmer is off to the side of the sump.

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n85/Nuuze/DSC06857.jpg [/B][/QUOTE]

[bookfish]

Another way to accomplish this is to have your skimmers air intake just above the sumps running water level. If you turn off the sump return with a timer during feeding, the raised level in the sump will block the air intake and when the return clicks back on, the skimmer will fire up again.

[jmc74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10546742#post10546742 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tuberider
Reef Nutrition needs to change the name of some of the lines though. For example, Roti-crack, Arcti-crack, Phyto-crack etc.

this is what I was asking....

[Thales]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10548013#post10548013 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmc74
I use Roti-Feast, is there a problem with this food? I also use the Phyto from the same company...

No problem. What problem are you worried about?

[Dyngoe]

Hi All,

I didn't expect the amount of response that this thread received, but I must say that I like it. I personally like seeing the different ways everyone handles their feedings. I think we should compile these as an FAQ:
What to do when feeding your coral?
A. Turn off skimmer while leaving overflow pumps running
-Benefit: can be put on a timer
-Issues: Causes wear on the impeller
B. Leave skimmer running but block off air tube while leaving overflow running.
-Benefit: No wear on pump
-Issues: Must be manually turned on/off
C. Leave skimmer running but turn off overflow pumps
-Benefit: Bypasses skimmer problem all together, food stays in tank. May be put on timer.
-Issues: Wear on overflow pump, lack of circulation through coral
D. Leave skimmer and overflow pumps running but use a high fatty food to negate skimmer temporarily.
-Benefit: No need for timer or manual on/off. No wear on impeller
-Issues: Brings food into sump/fuge.
E. Do nothing :)
-Benefit: No work required
-Issues: Food gets skimmed out and passes through the whole system.
Or, should we make it a poll? Regardless, it is another example of how BAR facilitates great conversations. No one way is ever the correct way, everyone should know this by now. :P

[jmc74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10559847#post10559847 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Thales
No problem. What problem are you worried about?


no, I don't have a roblem, but I was asking about the comments on name, just wondering if there was a problem with that food... that's all..



thanks

[bookfish]

I think Jeremy was making a funny.

[jmc74]

excuse my NOOBINES :rolleyes:

[GreshamH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10559754#post10559754 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmc74
this is what I was asking....

His was clearly a joke (which was at least apperant to me) but yours looked like a serious question to me. As a vendor/Manufacturer such things warrant a response as we're very proactive on those type of comments (possiable problems, etc).