180 gallon advice

blau · 10/29/2007, 10:24 PM

I started an in-wall 180 gallon about six months ago or more. I have been aquiring parts during this time. I got everything up and running with a ~75 gallon sump. I have a lifereef 30" tall skimmer. I was basically forced to put some fish in due to someone else divorce etc. " I thought the fish would end up poured out in the back yard. None the less I tried to sustatin these fish in my thirty gallon tank. I started loosing control of the parameters quickly. The fish are one clown two damsels and something else that is yellow and pink. I will id him later. The fish might total 4" at most. I was wondering how much skimmate I should expect per day per week etc. I dont have an outo top off solution yet so it is a pain to keep adjusted correctly. Any advice would help. I tried to take a pic but the cell phone just wont cut it.

Thanks
B

Aadler · 10/29/2007, 10:39 PM

well the skimmate will depend on if your skimmer has broken in and what level you have the water set at (IE dry skimmate or wet). I would lose the damsels and hang onto the clown and royal gramma to keep the nitrate a bit lower and give the tank time to adjust. Im also not sure on the effects of over skimming. why not put the fish in the 180? (or is it not yet set up?)

As for the top off, put a cover on the tank to help reduce evap and you really can let the salinity swing quite a bit (1.023-1.033 would be fine IMO, as long as you dont take it from 33 down to 23 all at one time!).

fyi swings that big are not ideal, but those fish should be fine as long as you are in that range.

blau · 10/29/2007, 10:51 PM

I did put them in the 180. The fish are fine I had a small frag of xenia....they are not happy.

Aadler · 10/29/2007, 10:59 PM

ok I was confused, i thought they were in the 30g, the more water you have exposed the most evap you get and sadly this is the worst time of year, if your heater (for you house, not the tank) has a humidifier make sure you turn it up, that will help slow evap a bit.

The skimmate question has to many variables to answer with any reliability.

spike78 · 10/30/2007, 01:56 AM

What does your skimmer production have to do with your water level? Is your skimmer output below the sump water level? There should be a gate valve on the output line of your skimmer that you use to adjust the skimmer. The outflow to the sump should be above the water line in the sump. Are you running a lifereef sump as well?

Do you have any filtration to speak of rather then the skimmer? The skimmer is going to pull any DOC's but it doesn't have any filtering capabilities as far as denitrization.

blau · 10/30/2007, 08:08 AM

The sump is a custom sump from the LFS. The skimmer is in the sump and as the water level rises or falls the skimmer needs to be adjusted accordingly. The other half of the sump has some Cheato and plenty of Live sand along with the rest of the 180. I have about a four inch sand bed.

spike78 · 10/30/2007, 10:06 AM

Wow, that doesn't sound like a very robust design. They have basically required you to get a real-time RO-DI topoff or else your skimmer won't work?

Maybe we can modify it to work better. DOes the outflow have a pipe attached to it? If so, where does it go? How do you adjust the skimmer? By filling the sump?

spike78 · 10/30/2007, 10:07 AM

sorry, double

blau · 10/30/2007, 09:20 PM

no no the skimmer has a gate valve. I could make a section in the sump that stays the sam height just for the skimmer I guess.

spike78 · 11/02/2007, 11:36 PM

The gate valve is on the output of the skimmer right? If so, the output after the gate valve must be higher than the water line. If the output is below the water line, the back pressure will throw the skimmer out of adjustment. The gate valve should be the only thing that needs adjustment to tune the skimmer. The water level in the sump should not matter.

10/29/2007, 10:24 PM	#1
blau Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: St. Louis MO Posts: 36	180 gallon advice I started an in-wall 180 gallon about six months ago or more. I have been aquiring parts during this time. I got everything up and running with a ~75 gallon sump. I have a lifereef 30" tall skimmer. I was basically forced to put some fish in due to someone else divorce etc. " I thought the fish would end up poured out in the back yard. None the less I tried to sustatin these fish in my thirty gallon tank. I started loosing control of the parameters quickly. The fish are one clown two damsels and something else that is yellow and pink. I will id him later. The fish might total 4" at most. I was wondering how much skimmate I should expect per day per week etc. I dont have an outo top off solution yet so it is a pain to keep adjusted correctly. Any advice would help. I tried to take a pic but the cell phone just wont cut it. Thanks B

10/29/2007, 10:39 PM	#2
Aadler Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 1,336	well the skimmate will depend on if your skimmer has broken in and what level you have the water set at (IE dry skimmate or wet). I would lose the damsels and hang onto the clown and royal gramma to keep the nitrate a bit lower and give the tank time to adjust. Im also not sure on the effects of over skimming. why not put the fish in the 180? (or is it not yet set up?) As for the top off, put a cover on the tank to help reduce evap and you really can let the salinity swing quite a bit (1.023-1.033 would be fine IMO, as long as you dont take it from 33 down to 23 all at one time!). fyi swings that big are not ideal, but those fish should be fine as long as you are in that range. __________________ MiniBow 7 - WooHoo

10/29/2007, 10:59 PM	#4
Aadler Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 1,336	ok I was confused, i thought they were in the 30g, the more water you have exposed the most evap you get and sadly this is the worst time of year, if your heater (for you house, not the tank) has a humidifier make sure you turn it up, that will help slow evap a bit. The skimmate question has to many variables to answer with any reliability. __________________ MiniBow 7 - WooHoo

10/29/2007, 10:51 PM	#3
blau Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: St. Louis MO Posts: 36	I did put them in the 180. The fish are fine I had a small frag of xenia....they are not happy.

10/30/2007, 01:56 AM	#5
spike78 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 420	What does your skimmer production have to do with your water level? Is your skimmer output below the sump water level? There should be a gate valve on the output line of your skimmer that you use to adjust the skimmer. The outflow to the sump should be above the water line in the sump. Are you running a lifereef sump as well? Do you have any filtration to speak of rather then the skimmer? The skimmer is going to pull any DOC's but it doesn't have any filtering capabilities as far as denitrization.

10/30/2007, 08:08 AM	#6
blau Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: St. Louis MO Posts: 36	The sump is a custom sump from the LFS. The skimmer is in the sump and as the water level rises or falls the skimmer needs to be adjusted accordingly. The other half of the sump has some Cheato and plenty of Live sand along with the rest of the 180. I have about a four inch sand bed.

10/30/2007, 10:06 AM	#7
spike78 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 420	Wow, that doesn't sound like a very robust design. They have basically required you to get a real-time RO-DI topoff or else your skimmer won't work? Maybe we can modify it to work better. DOes the outflow have a pipe attached to it? If so, where does it go? How do you adjust the skimmer? By filling the sump?

10/30/2007, 10:07 AM	#8
spike78 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 420	sorry, double

10/30/2007, 09:20 PM	#9
blau Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: St. Louis MO Posts: 36	no no the skimmer has a gate valve. I could make a section in the sump that stays the sam height just for the skimmer I guess.

11/02/2007, 11:36 PM	#10
spike78 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 420	The gate valve is on the output of the skimmer right? If so, the output after the gate valve must be higher than the water line. If the output is below the water line, the back pressure will throw the skimmer out of adjustment. The gate valve should be the only thing that needs adjustment to tune the skimmer. The water level in the sump should not matter.