Is my skimmer sufficient enough for my tank?

[JIsBusyReefing]

Hi all. Quick question for you. I have 150 gallon tank and I've been dealing with high NO3 (40-80ppm) for months and diatoms all over the sand bed. The tank is 7 months old. I have a Reef Octopus Classic 150INT that's skimming the tank. It pulls out lots of gunk, the liquid is dark brown/nearly black, and I have to empty it out 2-3 times a week. Recently added a biopellet reactor to address the NO3 but I'm concerned the skimmer might not be up to par. Current tank inhabitants are listed below. Is the skimmer fine enough or do I need to upgrade to the Classic 200INT?

Fish:
-assortment of damsels
-pair of maroon clownfish
-coral beauty angel
-two bannerfish
-powder blue tang
-blue tang
-sailfin tang

Corals
-frogspawn
-torch
-hammer
-fuzzy leather
-red monti
-birdsnest
-alveopora
-gsp
-lobophylia
-bubble coral
-Xenia
-Kenya tree
-Duncan
-palys
-Zoas

Inverts
-ritteri/magnifica
-GBTA
-various CUC (snails + hermits)
-conch
-sand sifting starfish

 

[islandreef]

Just from looking at the schematics, its rated upto 150, I usually drop that number and if its rated up to 150 gallon I would go bigger if my tank is a 150. But BRS says rated to 120 Gallon so it maybe just a bit on the small side.

 

[DC Reefer]

The skimmer is probably ok for the tank but on the small side. If you have to empty it every couple of days or so it sounds as if it running pretty wet. I would dry the skimmate out some and see if that help. If you decide to upgrade the skimmer I would go bigger than the 200. I have been running a now discontinued 300 series on my 155DT (190g total volume) for 8 years and it has been solid.

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

Just from looking at the schematics, its rated upto 150, I usually drop that number and if its rated up to 150 gallon I would go bigger if my tank is a 150. But BRS says rated to 120 Gallon so it maybe just a bit on the small side.

True. They rate the 200INT at a max of 160 gallons, so maybe that would be the better option? Or should I go bigger, like @DC Reefer is suggesting?

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

The skimmer is probably ok for the tank but on the small side. If you have to empty it every couple of days or so it sounds as if it running pretty wet. I would dry the skimmate out some and see if that help. If you decide to upgrade the skimmer I would go bigger than the 200. I have been running a now discontinued 300 series on my 155DT (190g total volume) for 8 years and it has been solid.

Does running drier pull more out thus reducing nitrate?

 

[mdb_talon]

Does running drier pull more out thus reducing nitrate?

No it just means you are pulling less saltwater and possibly less trace elements than with wet skimming. Also means you have to clean it more often. If your goal is to maximize the organics you pull out then I would definitely stick with wet skimming. If you just started with the biopellets I would give it some time to see how that works before investing in a new skimmer. As others said you are at the top end of the recommended range --- but so much of that has to do with feeding/etc.

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

No it just means you are pulling less saltwater and possibly less trace elements than with wet skimming. Also means you have to clean it more often. If your goal is to maximize the organics you pull out then I would definitely stick with wet skimming. If you just started with the biopellets I would give it some time to see how that works before investing in a new skimmer. As others said you are at the top end of the recommended range --- but so much of that has to do with feeding/etc.

Ok. Would you recommend feeding less? My phosphate is registering as non-existent when I test it. To be fair, I'm using API but I have not been able to successfully grow macro algae in my refugium and my corals don't grow much and look chronically stressed. Tried chaeto once and died. Currently have caulerpa but it doesn't grow very fast. My alveopora actually bleached out not long ago, so I'm just trying to sort the problems out before I run into disaster.

Current feeding schedule is:

-Ocean Nutrition pellets + nori pellets once daily in the morning
-Mysis once daily in the afternoon
-Broadcast feeding of one heaping pinch coralific delite Monday, Wednesday, Friday
-One capful of Microvert on Saturday

 

[mdb_talon]

Ok. Would you recommend feeding less? My phosphate is registering as non-existent when I test it. To be fair, I'm using API but I have not been able to successfully grow macro algae in my refugium and my corals don't grow much and look chronically stressed. Tried chaeto once and died. Currently have caulerpa but it doesn't grow very fast. My alveopora actually bleached out not long ago, so I'm just trying to sort the problems out before I run into disaster.

Current feeding schedule is:

-Ocean Nutrition pellets + nori pellets once daily in the morning
-Mysis once daily in the afternoon
-Broadcast feeding of one heaping pinch coralific delite Monday, Wednesday, Friday
-One capful of Microvert on Saturday

I would not cut the feeding back yet I would wait on biopellets to see if they make a difference.

I am not really a "hater" of the API tests in general, but I will say I dont think they have any value for testing phosphate specifically in a reef tank. Chances are your phosphates are not zero with your nitrates high unless you consistently running GFO or something, but it is possible. If they truly are zero that can explain why you are having trouble growing chaeto. As far as my experience chaeto is simple to grow with the correct lighting and phosphates and nitrates in the tank. Nitrates are most important, but it also needs some phosphates and will die without it. Do you have a lot of algae growth in the tank? If not that could be another sign you really do have zero phosphate because with high nitrates you really should be seeing quite a bit of algae growth.

Overall though I would say avoid making drastic changes or too many changes at once. In addition to the biopellets I would increase your water change frequency. While WC are somewhat stressful to fish/coral it is the easiest way to make signficant water chemistry changes with minimal risk. I would also see about getting a low range phosphate test kit or take to an LFS if you have any nearby with a good phosphate test.

 

[Crustaceon]

IME, you can typically get away with a smaller skimmer than advertised when carbon dosing. Keep in mind, these things are rated with just themselves in mind and not with an addition of a carbon source.

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

I would not cut the feeding back yet I would wait on biopellets to see if they make a difference.

I am not really a "hater" of the API tests in general, but I will say I dont think they have any value for testing phosphate specifically in a reef tank. Chances are your phosphates are not zero with your nitrates high unless you consistently running GFO or something, but it is possible. If they truly are zero that can explain why you are having trouble growing chaeto. As far as my experience chaeto is simple to grow with the correct lighting and phosphates and nitrates in the tank. Nitrates are most important, but it also needs some phosphates and will die without it. Do you have a lot of algae growth in the tank? If not that could be another sign you really do have zero phosphate because with high nitrates you really should be seeing quite a bit of algae growth.

Overall though I would say avoid making drastic changes or too many changes at once. In addition to the biopellets I would increase your water change frequency. While WC are somewhat stressful to fish/coral it is the easiest way to make signficant water chemistry changes with minimal risk. I would also see about getting a low range phosphate test kit or take to an LFS if you have any nearby with a good phosphate test.

I'm growing diatoms everywhere and some coralline but I have no other algae in the display. I never once had algae outbreaks since setting it up. In the refugium, I have caulerpa and some small wads of hair algae that hitchhiked into there. It does grow. But I'm not sure if it's growing too slow or not. I've only had to harvest it once in the 2 or 3 months I've had it. I'm using the below light to grow it.

 

[PeterC99]

Try some chaeto in your refugium and run the refugium light on the complete opposite lighting cycle.

 

[X-37B]

More skimmer companys should rate their skimmers based on what level your tank is at.
Check out the Tunze website as they quote these levels.
I run a 9410 dc on my 120.
It is rated at 317 gallons.
A heavy sps only tank will take that skimmer down to 70% less or
95 gallons.

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

Try some chaeto in your refugium and run the refugium light on the complete opposite lighting cycle.

Currently running it from 6am to 10pm, so 16 hours a day. So run it at night from say 6pm to 10am? What do you mean?

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

More skimmer companys should rate their skimmers based on what level your tank is at.
Check out the Tunze website as they quote these levels.
I run a 9410 dc on my 120.
It is rated at 317 gallons.
A heavy sps only tank will take that skimmer down to 70% less or
95 gallons.

I'm looking but all they state is "up to (insert max gallons/liters here)" same as what Reef Octopus does.

 

[Ippyroy]

If you are still having Diatom issues, there is a different problem. The first thing you need to do is check your water source. You have to be adding silicates to the tank or you are not removing them. Do you use an RODI? Do the filters need replacing? If you are purchasing the water, I'd find a different place. Diatoms feed on silicates, not NO3 and PO4. They should disappear not long after they appear.
Your skimmer should be fine. It is producing skimmate. Try running it drier, maybe add a hose to the cup to empty into a bucket with a lid. This will allow it run longer between cleaning.

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

If you are still having Diatom issues, there is a different problem. The first thing you need to do is check your water source. You have to be adding silicates to the tank or you are not removing them. Do you use an RODI? Do the filters need replacing? If you are purchasing the water, I'd find a different place. Diatoms feed on silicates, not NO3 and PO4. They should disappear not long after they appear.
Your skimmer should be fine. It is producing skimmate. Try running it drier, maybe add a hose to the cup to empty into a bucket with a lid. This will allow it run longer between cleaning.

I make my water. It's RODI from the Aquatic Life 50GPD 4 stage unit and the salt is Fritz RPM. Cartridges were replace a couple of months ago and still have some life left in them but the membrane has not been replaced since initially buying it in mid July last year.

 

[PeterC99]

Currently running it from 6am to 10pm, so 16 hours a day. So run it at night from say 6pm to 10am? What do you mean?

Yes - You want your refugium light schedule to be the opposite of your tank light schedule - this helps keep the pH from dropping during the night.

If you light your refugium light too long, you are gonna rapidly burn through all the nutrients and elements that the macros need to grow.

 

[JIsBusyReefing]

Yes - You want your refugium light schedule to be the opposite of your tank light schedule - this helps keep the pH from dropping during the night.

If you light your refugium light too long, you are gonna rapidly burn through all the nutrients and elements that the macros need to grow.

So don't do 16 hours?

 

[Fastpitch]

I ran a biopellet reactor for 9 months until I threw in the towel. The pellets did nothing for nitrates. Tried dosing with MB7 and that didnt help the biopellets either. I finally converted the biopellets to a chaeto reactor. We'll see if that works better. Maybe biopellets work for some, but not for me.

 

[Ippyroy]

I haven't tested for them, but BRS carries a few test kits. You might need another stage or 2 for your RODI unit.

MultiTest - Silicate

MultiTest Silicate test measures silicates to less than 0.5 mg/L. Silicate is often overlooked, but excess silicate can contribute to certain chronic issues in reef tanks. If you are suffering from chronic issues with diatom algae or dinoflagellates, it's often worth taking a look at silicate as...

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