Overskimming and Refugium adivice

urville · 04/03/2008, 04:13 AM

1. the skimmer
I was looking at this the Octopus Recirc 110 fro my 75 gallon tank, would that be overdoing it?
this the link: http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/ca...products_id=72

What about this pump to feed it?
One site devoted to them said 1.5 times tank volume on gph. Is that right? Seems low. maybe the more powerful of these:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...01&pcatid=4601

2. the refugium
I have a 29 gallon refugium that receives half the flow from my dual 1" output constant siphon overflow off the main tank. I suspect it isnt full flow as well as i have the 29 on the accompanying AGA stand. I wanted it to be low flow, that seemed more logical. it then uses another overflow with only one 1" to my sump where it meets the 2nd output from the main tanks dual overflow and my skimmer, then it baffles and goes back to the main tank.

Right now I have about a 6 inch round slop of chaeto. it doesnt seemt o grow very fast. I was wondering if some other algaes would help? Like that green blade algae, lettuce? and or some gacilera. i know caulerpa is bad and can go sexual and over run everything right?

I plan not to use any mud or sand as i personnally have never seen proof of DSB's, and because after many convos with Randy Holmes-Farley it seems adding trace elements is less than helpful, especially i imagine in this unknown time versus potency of releasing substance.

I do plan to use about 20-30 pounds of live rock.

I need to find a light... i saw some under cabinets at walmart.. or I could buy a refugium light... Any suggestions? color, temp, brand, fixture/bulb

Suggestions and sdvice all around?

luke33 · 04/03/2008, 07:34 AM

For my fuge i run 200-300gph through it t'd off from my return. My chaeto grows well. It didn't grow hardly at all when i just had one 15w compact florescent that had an output like a 125w bulb, but when i added a 75w halogen on it, the chaeto took off and went from a 6x6x6 ball to a 30x16x12" ball in two mths. I also went to lighting it 24/7. That is the only thing i run in my fuge since i'm only looking for nitrate export. My trates have been zero for 2+ yrs now. I like keeping the sand and rock in my display, not in my fuge.

As for the skimmer, you'll be better off to get the recirc 150 as the 110 isn't large enough imo. I'd even say go with the msx160 or das ex1 which would both be better skimmers.

inachu · 04/03/2008, 07:53 AM

Wouldn't over skimming mean less nutrients for the plants?

luke33 · 04/03/2008, 08:17 AM

I don't see any overskimming going on here. If your chaeto grows like crazy and never stops to me it says you have some excess nutrients your skimmer doesn't pick up. If your chaeto doesn't grow but looks healthy, then it tells me your skimmer is doing a very good job and your chaeto is extra defense and its absorbing enough to survive. A very stable mature environment. But thats my theory. I guess if you were overskimming and had chaeto in a correct setup and it died down alot or completely it could be because there's not enough nutrients for it, but i've never seen that happen before.

tas5tas · 04/03/2008, 09:55 AM

Your skimmer will never catch all the nutrients on the first pass. If you refugium is after your skimmer section(which it should be) the macro will always have nutrients passing through it. Always buy the biggest and best your wallet can afford. We all upgrade in the future so if it's too small then, you can sell it and put the money towards another skimmer.

urville · 04/03/2008, 11:47 AM

Well i cant afford too much... maybe... 200 some... it sucks but thats the truth of it. Right now my skimmer barely works turning it self on and off and i dont get a whole lot of collection cup skimmate.

My chaeto doesnt really seem to be growing much, but it isnt dying it looks very dark green and healthy. but i only run one screw in PC at 6700k, and thats all thats in there right now.

I do not run my skimmer first. I run one output of the main tank overflow to the skimmer, one to the refugium, then it flows to the skimmer area from the refugium to meet up with the other main tanks overflow output. I use a fluval foam block across the bulkheads in my overflow from the main tank. it's the only place I have any mechanical like filtration if you can really call it mechanical.

orientalexpress · 04/03/2008, 12:03 PM

will,sometime it's better to get a use skimmer ,here is a brand new one http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1346403

can't beat that price gl

lapsan

urville · 04/03/2008, 02:12 PM

I have been searching the used forums and even trying to keep my eye on ebay. I work alot though and these thngs seem to go fast.

urville · 04/05/2008, 01:28 PM

Any other algaes anyone reccomends?

04/03/2008, 04:13 AM	#1
urville Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Federal, Wy Posts: 767	Overskimming and Refugium adivice 1. the skimmer I was looking at this the Octopus Recirc 110 fro my 75 gallon tank, would that be overdoing it? this the link: http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/ca...products_id=72 What about this pump to feed it? One site devoted to them said 1.5 times tank volume on gph. Is that right? Seems low. maybe the more powerful of these: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...01&pcatid=4601 2. the refugium I have a 29 gallon refugium that receives half the flow from my dual 1" output constant siphon overflow off the main tank. I suspect it isnt full flow as well as i have the 29 on the accompanying AGA stand. I wanted it to be low flow, that seemed more logical. it then uses another overflow with only one 1" to my sump where it meets the 2nd output from the main tanks dual overflow and my skimmer, then it baffles and goes back to the main tank. Right now I have about a 6 inch round slop of chaeto. it doesnt seemt o grow very fast. I was wondering if some other algaes would help? Like that green blade algae, lettuce? and or some gacilera. i know caulerpa is bad and can go sexual and over run everything right? I plan not to use any mud or sand as i personnally have never seen proof of DSB's, and because after many convos with Randy Holmes-Farley it seems adding trace elements is less than helpful, especially i imagine in this unknown time versus potency of releasing substance. I do plan to use about 20-30 pounds of live rock. I need to find a light... i saw some under cabinets at walmart.. or I could buy a refugium light... Any suggestions? color, temp, brand, fixture/bulb Suggestions and sdvice all around? Last edited by urville; 04/03/2008 at 04:46 AM.

04/03/2008, 09:55 AM	#5
tas5tas Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Lumberton,TX Posts: 536	Your skimmer will never catch all the nutrients on the first pass. If you refugium is after your skimmer section(which it should be) the macro will always have nutrients passing through it. Always buy the biggest and best your wallet can afford. We all upgrade in the future so if it's too small then, you can sell it and put the money towards another skimmer. __________________ In school for the next few years, but will be back bigger and better than ever!! Current Tank Info: Hiatis from hobby

04/03/2008, 12:03 PM	#7
orientalexpress Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: San francisco Posts: 1,785	will,sometime it's better to get a use skimmer ,here is a brand new one http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1346403 can't beat that price gl lapsan __________________ You can say something to popes, kings and presidents, but you can't talk to officials. In the next war they ought to give everyone a whistle Current Tank Info: 72x36x30

04/03/2008, 07:34 AM	#2
luke33 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,375	For my fuge i run 200-300gph through it t'd off from my return. My chaeto grows well. It didn't grow hardly at all when i just had one 15w compact florescent that had an output like a 125w bulb, but when i added a 75w halogen on it, the chaeto took off and went from a 6x6x6 ball to a 30x16x12" ball in two mths. I also went to lighting it 24/7. That is the only thing i run in my fuge since i'm only looking for nitrate export. My trates have been zero for 2+ yrs now. I like keeping the sand and rock in my display, not in my fuge. As for the skimmer, you'll be better off to get the recirc 150 as the 110 isn't large enough imo. I'd even say go with the msx160 or das ex1 which would both be better skimmers.

04/03/2008, 07:53 AM	#3
inachu Moved On Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Maryland, metro area Posts: 1,219	Wouldn't over skimming mean less nutrients for the plants?

04/03/2008, 08:17 AM	#4
luke33 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,375	I don't see any overskimming going on here. If your chaeto grows like crazy and never stops to me it says you have some excess nutrients your skimmer doesn't pick up. If your chaeto doesn't grow but looks healthy, then it tells me your skimmer is doing a very good job and your chaeto is extra defense and its absorbing enough to survive. A very stable mature environment. But thats my theory. I guess if you were overskimming and had chaeto in a correct setup and it died down alot or completely it could be because there's not enough nutrients for it, but i've never seen that happen before.

04/03/2008, 11:47 AM	#6
urville Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Federal, Wy Posts: 767	Well i cant afford too much... maybe... 200 some... it sucks but thats the truth of it. Right now my skimmer barely works turning it self on and off and i dont get a whole lot of collection cup skimmate. My chaeto doesnt really seem to be growing much, but it isnt dying it looks very dark green and healthy. but i only run one screw in PC at 6700k, and thats all thats in there right now. I do not run my skimmer first. I run one output of the main tank overflow to the skimmer, one to the refugium, then it flows to the skimmer area from the refugium to meet up with the other main tanks overflow output. I use a fluval foam block across the bulkheads in my overflow from the main tank. it's the only place I have any mechanical like filtration if you can really call it mechanical.

04/03/2008, 02:12 PM	#8
urville Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Federal, Wy Posts: 767	I have been searching the used forums and even trying to keep my eye on ebay. I work alot though and these thngs seem to go fast.

04/05/2008, 01:28 PM	#9
urville Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Federal, Wy Posts: 767	Any other algaes anyone reccomends?