OK I'm tossing in the towel and need some PROFESSIONAL HELP. :)

[Chipster67]

I have been fighting Green Hair Algae for MONTHS...

I've changed the feeding to 1/2 a cube of Myso or Brine shrimp a day, mixing in flake every so often, not even all of that is eaten since I use a feeding tube
to suck up the shrimp and spot feed the fish. There is barely any food left over once done, been doing this for a good month.

I purchased a 5 stage RO/DI unit from BRS and been using that with 0 TDS

I've been using Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Salt and keeping the Salt at .025

I do my 20% changes weekly, and last week even did a 40% change out

I am running LED's and barely take them past 50% power for blues and whites.

I have a HOB CPR refugium that has Cheato and Sandbed. The Cheato was looking like crap so I purchased a new bulb and put it on last weekend. The old bulb was a year old

I have a RemoraC HOB skimmer that is using a 1200 maxi jet pump. Rated for 75gal max I estimate I have 55 gallons, I clean the cup daily but rarely see huge amounts of gunk, on occasion but not often.

I also have a Overflow box, that drops down to a Aquoen Flex Sump. My sump has 2 200mm socks in the first chamber then the second chamber can be either a refugium or a Bio Ball chamber, then a 2 inch break and final chamber which I currently
have sending water to the tank.

I have a Little Fishes Phos reactor that is currently running Bio Pellets.

The fish I have are, 2 Chromis, 2 Clown, 1 Engineer Goby, 1 Coral Beauty, 1 Fire Fish, 1 Scooter Blenny, 1 Catlina Goby
I have approx 100+ Nassarius Vibex, 20 Dwarf Cerith, 5 Turbo Snails, 5 Red Legged Hermit Crabs, and a few other unknown crabs.

So my thoughts were as shown in the attached image. I have very little room in my sump for a larger Skimmer. My assumption is my skimmer is not efficiently skimming the gunk, and I need something a bit more powerful. So I thought I would buy a 10gal
tank, and put in a plexi glass bubble trap with some acrylic adhesive, and drop in the NEW Skimmer then a heater and push back in to tank from there.

So please look over the image and let me know if you can think of better way to do this. Sadly due to my stand, I have very limited space below the tank to put in a larger sump and or skimmer. so was going to buy a cabinet to hold the 10 gal tank.

Also I have a nice bonus, so was going to buy a New Skimmer. any suggestions, thinking in the 300 - 350 range..
View attachment 1831

Thanks

Chip

 

[SkullV]

I wouldn't want one pump feeding the other one. that is a flood or burnt out pump waiting to happen. Can you put the fuge sump higher up in the stand and have it gravity drain (overflow) via PVC pipe to the other sump with the return pump? Also, no acrylic adhesive for the 10g sump. Just plain old aquarium silicone.

 

[Chipster67]

Ted,

Good point on the pump, last thing I want is a flood or burnt out pump. I do have room to move the current sump UP in the cabinet, so I guess I could do some gravity feeding to the 10 gal.

So I was just looking at Skimmers and came across this, This might be a good solution for me. since the 10 gal is just being used as an area for me to put a larger skimmer, maybe I could go with an external skimmer instead.

http://www.aquacave.com/SKIMZ-SM-122-Monzter-E-Series-External-Protein-Skimmer-P3240.aspx

Whatcha think? Just not sure where I would put the pump, it would almost have to be at the end of the sump...

 

[Sawdonkey]

What Ted said exactly. THere is no way you'll exactly match the flow of your return and the pump on the reactor. Even if you did, one is bound to fail at one point and you'll have a flood or a burnout.

I like my Skimz 201, but I don't have a lot of experience with anything but ASM skimmers.

 

[SkullV]

Chip, if you don't mind having 2 cabinets, the having one full fuge sump and one sump for the skimmer/return is not a bad or uncommon idea, just needs to be executed correctly. Basically I would put the fuge tank up on a platform under the tank, then drill a hole in the side of the stand to pass 2 x 1" PVC pipes through (redundancy, especially with chaeto in the fuge, don't want to clog), run them overflowing to the skimmer/return tank, and that back to the display. Would greatly increase water volume, and also give you a ton of room to expand. With the acrylic sump you have now it would be super easy to drill for bulkheads as well.

If you get all the stuff you need and have the 10g tank glued up and ready, I'd be happy to come over and help you set it up and plumb it.

 

[vasilithegreek]

How often do you change your filter socks? As nice as they are to catch detritus and excess food. They are a problem area unless you change them out a couple times per week. They become nutrient factories.

 

[Chipster67]

Hmm mm I think I know what your saying do as I designed.. but rather then the pump in to the prhos ban then in to the 10 gal.. just raise acrylic sump higher then 10 gal tank. Then drill a bulkhead hole in to the sump and attach pvc piping so it goes down to the 10 gallon. Then skim and finally return to tank. Am I understanding that right?

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[Chipster67]

Vas actually I change out every week or so... but your right I just purchased a couple bags so should do it at least twice a week. Probably a huge portion of my issues. They do get dirty and lots of green crap in the socks.

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[Triggerdood]

I change mine out every few days so they dont become a nitrate factory.

 

[Chipster67]

OK I think I know what I'll do.. Pull one of the two 4 inch socks out of first chamber. Put in a 1200 Maxi Jet and run a 3/4 tube to the external skimz skimmer then go from skimmer to the final chamber where the water gets pushed back up via pump...

Keeps me in one cabinet and I do have the room to put external under cabinet so that is a plus

Also think changing the one sock will be easier.. may not catch as much but will get some stuff and skimmer will get the rest I'd hope..

This sound doable ? If doesn't work like I expect then Ted I'll be calling lol..

Chip

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[SkullV]

Hmm mm I think I know what your saying do as I designed.. but rather then the pump in to the prhos ban then in to the 10 gal.. just raise acrylic sump higher then 10 gal tank. Then drill a bulkhead hole in to the sump and attach pvc piping so it goes down to the 10 gallon. Then skim and finally return to tank. Am I understanding that right?

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Yep, exactly. I would drill TWO 1" bulkheads and run TWO pipes from the top fuge to the sump though. With chaeto in the fuge you don't want to get clogged.

 

[SkullV]

OK I think I know what I'll do.. Pull one of the two 4 inch socks out of first chamber. Put in a 1200 Maxi Jet and run a 3/4 tube to the external skimz skimmer then go from skimmer to the final chamber where the water gets pushed back up via pump...

Keeps me in one cabinet and I do have the room to put external under cabinet so that is a plus

Also think changing the one sock will be easier.. may not catch as much but will get some stuff and skimmer will get the rest I'd hope..

This sound doable ? If doesn't work like I expect then Ted I'll be calling lol..

Chip

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Also a fine plan, you don't really need to remove any filter socks though if you are going to run an external skimmer. Bulkheads are pretty flush from the inside (I'm assuming you will be driller for the in/out for the external skimmer). Just make sure you can access the skimmer for maintenance if you have a tight working space.

 

[Chipster67]

Thanks for all the info guys. I will be changing socks out a few times a week... As I can see them being nitrate factories contributing to my green hair algae issues and I assume a better skimmer and small fee king and 20% weekly changes will do wonders for killing the GHA..

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[SkullV]

Yep, that is a pretty good plan! Are you using RODI? 100% you are getting 0TDS? What salt are you using?

 

[Chipster67]

Yes getting 0 tds using a 5 stage ro/Di I purchased from bulkreef. Love it.. As for salt I was using the instant ocean reef crystals. But open to suggestions

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[SkullV]

Yes getting 0 tds using a 5 stage ro/Di I purchased from bulkreef. Love it.. As for salt I was using the instant ocean reef crystals. But open to suggestions

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Reef Crystals is generally pretty good but some people have tested fresh RC with significant phosphate in it. Wouldn't hurt to test some fresh mixed water and see what you get. One of the nicest SPS tanks I've ever seen was on Reef Crystals. Cleanest salt I've ever personally used is Crystal Seas Bioassay mix though.

 

[Swttgirl]

I've had the same problem when I was using reef crystal but the moment I switched over to either salinity /red sea plus adding gfo my problem went away. What are your phosphate and nitrate level?

This might sound tedious, but how do you feel about about daily water changes instead of doing 20% a week, do 3%-5% a day. This way you can replenish nutrients as well as constantly keeping the nitrate and phosphate low.

 

[Chipster67]

Will test the fresh batch i made yesterday tonight... Going to be down town most of the day. So no time to do it earlier... I had wondered but never tested so will do so..

Swttgirl - Thanks for info.. not impossible to do it nightly but might have days missed... As for my levels.. They are 0 but due to GHA using them up I suspect.

Hopefully Aquacave has the Skimmer in Stock today...

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[wld1783]

I'm battling a little Hair algae in my SPS despite exporting a lot of Macro Algea and heavy skimming.

The tangs are worthless on this but Crabs especially emerald help a lot. The down Side is they do not live forever. Now every couple of months I add a few more.

As far as skimming Tunze makes a small skimmer that does quite a good job given its size.

Bill

 

[Chipster67]

Well after a nice time at the Museum, and some downtown time, I made my way back to Gurnee, and AquaCave. So I picked up a Skimz SM-122 Skimmer.

First impressions.. This thing is a BEAST.

The set up was very very easy, my only issue is that the skimmer sits lower then the top of my sump, so in order to get the outlet pipe to work, I had to temporary put the skimmer on a brick.. Tomorrow I'll drill out the sump so that I can run the output pipe through it, and in to my last chamber.

Right now I have it set so my Maxi Jet is running in to my Phosban reactor, then out of the reactor in to my Skimmer. Seems like it's getting plenty of water, so may just keep this setting.. Unless someone can tell me why I would NOT want this set like this. tomorrow I'm going to drill a hole in the first chamber platform, and drop the MJ1200 in to the first chamber. Then my second chamber will be my Refugium. I've always run live sand in my HOB Refugium, but wondering if I should go with some Miracle Mud...

As for my GHA, going to do a 20% change tomorrow, since I'll have the Sump pulled out for a cleaning and drilling. Will continue to do the smaller feedings and hope the new Skimmer and Phosban reactor helps kill this stuff off.

Thanks for all your help.

Chip