Starboard Reef is up and running

[Bomber]

If you look into this you'll see that the only "theories" are the ones in the hobby. There is plenty out there on marine sediments and how they really work.

Do you really see much benefit from running UV? Isn't it just killing any free floating life?

and that's exactly what I want it to do.

[mmmmsushi]

If you look into this you'll see that the only "theories" are the ones in the hobby. There is plenty out there on marine sediments and how they really work.

Is it safe to assume they will work in the same manner when in an aquarium?

Do you really see much benefit from running UV? Isn't it just killing any free floating life?

and that's exactly what I want it to do.

So the UV just prevents microalgaes and possibly bacteria from accumulating in the system. It keeps the glass cleaner? Is that the main reason you use it?

[Bomber]

Is it safe to assume they will work in the same manner when in an aquarium?

No. aquariums are magical and everything works the total opposite in aquariums. (you may shoot me now LOL)

So the UV just prevents microalgaes and possibly bacteria from accumulating in the system. It keeps the glass cleaner? Is that the main reason you use it?

Actually the main reason is I got sick and tired of my "pet" fish getting sick and tired every time I introduced something with something on it.

and the whole light degradation thing.

[Kregg]

Perhaps you all could provide some wet skimming advice for me.

I have a relativly new set up reef following the BB high flow "starboard" example discussed in this thread. I have a 120 gal display and a 75 gal sump (pic in my gallery if more details are needed). The skimmer sits ontop of my sump (8 to 10 inches above sump water level. The skimmers 1.25 inch drain goes directly into my first chamber of my sump (next to the tank drain/dump). The skimmer pump intake is also in this same area.

I just hooked up a stock PM Bullet-3 skimmer running from a Iwaki 70. I went all out and followed Bombers lead. The Iwaki 70 has a adjustment valve between the pump and skimmer, but is currently running all open. The skimmer water level is adjusted using the exit gate valve from the Bullet and the water is about 1 inch above the base box chamber per the directions. This exit gate valve is open almost all the way. I started with the air valve in the 5 o'clock position.

The Bullet has been set up and skimming for about 4 days now. I can get a good very wet skimmate or dry depnding upon my air valve adjustments. The problem is keeping it consistent. A very slight tweek to the air valve and I get big changes in the bubble column.

I can set it up for a good wet tea colored skimate and it will run great for a couple of hours and when I check again it has usually dropped down to a dry skimmate. the crud collects on the walls of the riser tube. Originally I was adjusting the exit gate valve for bubble control, but I quickly discovered that this could result in loss of lots of water (yes I had an overflow mess in the basement).

Now I'm pretty much just adjusting the air valve and find it extreamly touchy.

PM said that the 8 inch drop of my drain was not good. However, Bomber suggested getting it up even higher for a quick drain action? PM also said that the skimmer drain pipe should not exit below the sump water surface. If it does (like now) I need a vent Tee to release some of the pressure.

I can try and take a few pix this evening if that will help.

[Bomber]

Get pictures of the drain plumbing. I think you're getting air into the drain and air bubbles are making it go up and down.

[RnB]

do you have any spikes in nitrate or phosphate levels over time?

what is the tank running for these levels at the moment.....


great thread here bomber.

[Bomber]

Then let's soup that big boy up.

Raise the becket holder up about a foot on 1"PVC.

If Mike sent you a 3/4" fitting for the becket, change it to 1" = 1" plumbing from the pump to the becket and no 90 on the top of the becket.

Change your output/drain pipe from the skimmer so it's not running straight down. Mine runs at about a 45 degree angle and that eliminates the air lock from bubbles.

Take a 4" one and a half foot long PVC pipe and reduce it to fit the air intake on the becket. Filter fluff - carbon - filter fluff. Not only cleans the air (beckets pull in a lot of air and crude with that air) but it helps to stabilize the bubbles.

To set the skimmer.

First - no air - adjust the water level so it's about 1" BELOW the coupling between the bottom riser and the top riser. That's about 6" up in the bottom clear tube.

Then start adding air. A little at a time until you have it popping on the very top of the skimmer and not flowing out.

When you first set it up, it's going to remove a lot - then the water level in the skimmer will drop. Add a little more air and wait. Each time it will remove more skimmate from the tank until you get the levels low enough in the tank water that it stabilizes.

I would have a 5gal bucket of new water ready. Drain the skimmer into a 5gal bucket and when it stops skimming - then finely adjust it and add the new water to the tank. If there's a lot that needs skimming out, you'll get a lot. It there's not a lot that needs skimming out, you won't get much.

[MiddletonMark]

Kregg, let me just say that I feel like I have yet a bit to learn about my PM ... but the vent/tee from the skimmer output might be a good idea - or at least cheap enough to be worth the try.

I hate to say, but IME there was a learning curve when I got my PM - which still rarely hits mel
Yet my wife commented last week on how it seemed to her the skimmer upgrade last summer made the whole tank look better / algae completely disapper - if she notes it's working, it's working!

I can secretly think it was from removing my substrate the month before, but that's just between you and me

[Bomber]

BTW you want it to run until it's not taking out much. Which means then you get stable wet foam.

[Bomber]

Sign up now!

Bomber's Becket School

[MiddletonMark]

Originally posted by Bomber
Sign up now!

Bomber's Becket School

write me down

[Bomber]

Read that post I made Mark, I'll bet you're not adjusting it that way.

[MiddletonMark]

I eventually figured out something not too far away.
But I'm always open to new ways to tweaking my skimmer.

Took me a few weeks to figure out that 1" instructions on mine was bunk. Raised it until it looked right [at first barely below the second riser - eventually about 1"], seemed to work better.

Foam was a mystery, for a while - still impossible to explain for me.

Then about 6 weeks about I swapped out that stupid 3/4" plumbing, ran it 1" the whole way. Added another 5" of riser as it looked cooler and seemed like a good plan with my setup as it is.

Now I'm about 2" up the riser: great foam, better control ... not perfect at it yet, but that just doubled performance.

The air-intake `sounds right' when uncapped [useful for hearing if adjustment/cleaning necessary - though likely unreliable in all minds but my own]

But I'll be re-reading your post the next time I clean it ... as I would say I re-tune things by feel now.

[Bomber]

Did you make a air filter for it??

[MiddletonMark]

Yup - though not as tricked out as the one above.

First was DIY auto-shutoff collection chamber [thanks Ereefic],
then going 1" on the intake/beckett/etc [thanks DIY forum people]
air-filter is next - the least of the upgrades as I have a small one now [thanks Bomber].

It's a shame, as it kept my arms out of the tank

[FastUno]

Bomber, what are your levels like? Do they fluctuate at all? Are NH3/4, NO2/3 always zero?

When you guys give BB advice is it typically assuming you have SPS as the majority? What about a sys on LPS/Softies only?
How do you guys feel the following corals will handle your tank:

-toadstool
-galaxia
-maze brain
-candy cane
-colt
-frogspawn/hammer
-torch
-mushrooms & zoos
-brains

I understand things like toadstool releasing toxins, or the galaxia stinging other corals, but from this aside do you think that each coral individually taken can do well in a BB' style tank?

[spleen93]

Potential problems with too much flow for softies and LPS. Otherwise, the same principles should hold ...

Spleen

[Kregg]

Well I went home yesterday and the bubble column was all but non existent. I also noticed my sump was a bit low. Before I took a pix I added some top off RO water and then the skimmer started working very good. The pix below were from later that evening and it is still working good this morning. We will see if the water level was causing some of my controll problems? However the dump section of my sump never changes when the water level is lower?

This is a complete overview of my sump with the Bullet ontop. I'm glad I lowered my entire sump tank level (per Bombers reco). As you can see, the skimmer is sitting ontop of the tank and the cup is in the ceiling joists of my basement. It can not go any higher and can not move any closer to the other side of the sump. Given this, it will be a real challange to change my skimmer drain pipe, unless I dump into the return section of the sump. Then I will have micro bubbles again.

This is a close up showing the Bullet drain pipe w/ the 90 elbo that could be changed to a tee.

This is decent foam, if it will stay. My water level started much lower than your reco detailed above. perhaps I should readjust for that?

This is skimate from about 8 hours last night. Good color and amount.


I was planning on making the mods you detailed, but I was just trying to get my system a bit more stable with the basics, before I jumped into those updates.

[Kregg]

An earlier post asked about softies in a system like ours. I have a few nice shrooms colonies that were very unhappy in my new setup. My water quality is good (Amon0,Nitrates0,PH8.2,Temp80), except for my calcium. I have been dripping lime water for almost a week now and it has only risen from 300 to 350. My Alk is stable at 9.8.

I am getting very minor brown alge in a few small spots, but the snails are doing their job pretty good. I hope this stops soon. The tank has been running for about 3 weeks since cooking and such.

Last evening I removed the shrooms and put them in a QT tank to see if they can come back.

[Bomber]

Kregg, I think this is your problem.



You're getting a air lock in the skimmer return from bubbles in it. Is there a way to put the skimmer on the other (right) side and eliminate that long return? Also, not have the end of the return under water?

[Bomber]

Also, I have a lot of things that you guys would call "softies" and they are loving it.

[Kregg]

Moving the Bullet to the other side will be challenging, I have a I beam and duct work right above the sump and on the right side. I will look again, but I do not think so. My current flow is not being slowed down by this horiz drain pipe. The 70 is running flat out and is unrestricted. Would this still be a problem based upon that info?

Mike @ PM did indicate that the exit below the water line was a problem. Thats why he suggested a tee for air venting. I was simply trying to avoid more micro bubbles and turbulance in the already crazy dump zone.

You have softies that are doing well. I do not know why my shrooms were not happy. Perhaps the higher water flow and increased calcium just stressed them out?

[mmmmsushi]

Those rics are awesome Bomber. I love how it looks like they are holding hands.

[tankslave]

arg.
I wish my tank looked like that

[FastUno]

Damn lovely pics!! They look soooo healthy.

I must analyze your system some more? Do you have a website where you describe your sys bomber?

What skimmer are you using for your 450g?