Is my skimmer too big?

[Jasongtr]

Okay. It was just a thought - my RS skimmer took a while to break in, but that doesn't sound like your problem.

No worries. Thanks

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

surely the bioload and nutrients come fromthe livestock and feeding which will be the same on day 1 as day 1000

no, on day 1000 you will have 1000 days of accumulated waste lying around in your tank (oversized filters can pull most of it out, but never all of it). It is not at all the same as day one.

 

[Jasongtr]

no, on day 1000 you will have 1000 days of accumulated waste lying around in your tank (oversized filters can pull most of it out, but never all of it). It is not at all the same as day one.

Still seems counterintuitive that i cant get the skimmer to pull out more yet my nutient levels are fairly high

 

[Troylee]

More likely is lack of nutrients due to roller. Not much left to skim. It does have some color to it so it is taking out something. Depends on you if you want to continue to use it but I doubt that a different skimmer will change anything.

This! ^^^^

 

[Jasongtr]

This! ^^^^

Yet my nutrients are nitrates in the 30's and phosphate just under 0.3 so clearly not lacking in nutrients

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

skimmer does not pull phosphates, nothing to do with phosphates, you need a different tool to battle that one.

Does not lower nitrates either, it pulls organic waste from the water before it can become nitrate. Once the nitrate registers on the test kit, a skimmer will not lower it.

 

[Troylee]

Yet my nutrients are nitrates in the 30's and phosphate just under 0.3 so clearly not lacking in nutrients

The skimmer doesn’t remove either.. it removes the doc’s that turn Into po4 and no3… take your roller mat offline and that skimmer will kick in.. turf scrubber or macro algae in a fuge will help with no3 and po4 if that’s your goal..

 

[Jasongtr]

skimmer does not pull phosphates, nothing to do with phosphates, you need a different tool to battle that one.

Does not lower nitrates either, it pulls organic waste from the water before it can become nitrate. Once the nitrate registers on the test kit, a skimmer will not lower it.

Understood so by that logic the skimmer isnt working properly then if its not removing organic waste properly then it registers as nitrate, either way the skimmer isnt doing its job for whatever reason by not skimming effectively and allowing the tank to register high nitrates, is that correct?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

In the pic I see green skimmate in your skimmer.
Skimmer also is THE best source to provide oxygen to the water, for your fish and corals.
So yes, the skimmer is working and doing its job.

 

[Mark Goode]

As your skimmate does have some colour, it is pulling disolved organics from your water. It's also pulling clean water too, so my guess is that, if none of the suggested problems apply, you need to spend time tuning it (which can be a pain). Good luck.

 

[Jasongtr]

The skimmer doesn’t remove either.. it removes the doc’s that turn Into po4 and no3… take your roller mat offline and that skimmer will kick in.. turf scrubber or macro algae in a fuge will help with no3 and po4 if that’s your goal..

Ok. My goal is to have nutrient levels lower than i currently have, if the roller mat takes waste out of the water before it breaks down so the skimmer can do its job then that has to be better than allowing it to break down, i still dont understand why im getting high nutrient levels when the roller mat is working properly and the skimmer doesnt appear to be doing enough that whats left can still register high nitrates, i dont want to buy another skimmer if i dont have to, just want to get it right

 

[Jasongtr]

In the pic I see green skimmate in your skimmer.
Skimmer also is THE best source to provide oxygen to the water, for your fish and corals.
So yes, the skimmer is working and doing its job.

Yeah its a massive airstone right now, it just seemingly cannot be effectively or easily tuned to get anything other than this light coloured very wet skimmate

 

[Troylee]

Ok. My goal is to have nutrient levels lower than i currently have, if the roller mat takes waste out of the water before it breaks down so the skimmer can do its job then that has to be better than allowing it to break down, i still dont understand why im getting high nutrient levels when the roller mat is working properly and the skimmer doesnt appear to be doing enough that whats left can still register high nitrates, i dont want to buy another skimmer if i dont have to, just want to get it right

Water source or food is elevating your nutrients.. unless you’re over stocked with fish.. but yes the roller mat does the same thing as a skimmer but the skimmer raises your o2 levels and keeps your ph up..

 

[Jasongtr]

Water source or food is elevating your nutrients.. unless you’re over stocked with fish.. but yes the roller mat does the same thing as a skimmer but the skimmer raises your o2 levels and keeps your ph up..

No idea then, water is always 0 tds rodi, i have 8 fish, 6 of which were transferred from another tank with the rock and media that was in that tank, then i added 75 lbs of dry rock and 40lbs 'live' sand when this tank was set up

 

[Troylee]

No idea then, water is always 0 tds rodi, i have 8 fish, 6 of which were transferred from another tank with the rock and media that was in that tank, then i added 75 lbs of dry rock and 40lbs 'live' sand when this tank was set up

Dry rock can and will contribute to your po4 as it binds it and then releases it over time slowly.. your nitrates aren’t really high.. your numbers are honestly good in my opinion and I run mine higher in a Sps system.. I wouldn’t wanna lower my po4 lower than .03 or your flirting with a dino outbreak… do you have an algae outbreak or something?

 

[Jasongtr]

Dry rock can and will contribute to your po4 as it binds it and then releases it over time slowly.. your nitrates aren’t really high.. your numbers are honestly good in my opinion and I run mine higher in a Sps system.. I wouldn’t wanna lower my po4 lower than .03 or your flirting with a dino outbreak… do you have an algae outbreak or something?

Phosphate is 0.3 mate not 0.03, starting to see an algae covering on the rocks, nothing too bad though just trying to head it off before it goes mad, lights are barely on either, i think the whites are at 3 or 4 %, no green/red and blues are about 6/7%

 

[Troylee]

Phosphate is 0.3 mate not 0.03, starting to see an algae covering on the rocks, nothing too bad though just trying to head it off before it goes mad, lights are barely on either, i think the whites are at 3 or 4 %, no green/red and blues are about 6/7%

That’s not horrible but a touch high., run some gfo or dose phosphate E from bright wells.. just go slow and keep an eye on it! Def don’t want to bottom out..

 

[Jasongtr]

That’s not horrible but a touch high., run some gfo or dose phosphate E from bright wells.. just go slow and keep an eye on it! Def don’t want to bottom out..

I have been using phosphate e, i need to set sonething up to drip it into my filter roller chamber, the last tank it went up to 1.89 !!!

 

[metalle]

Few comments, it is hard to make foam in a river water. It’s basic but verify your saline level just to cross that out. I run 2 12” skimmers on my tank based on Neptune ORP, two stage one at 275 mV and the other at 250mV and cut out at 310mV. I run the skimmer foam low at the base of the cup, never close to overflow as you will get watery skim, I leave it low with healthy bubbles and it takes a few days to build (once seasoned, I carefully empty the cup but try not to disturb the film that the skimmer built.

I don’t have a roller yet, but how does the roller filter look. If constant dark, You may be removing most floatable solids already. However the skimmer should be able to remove the 100-130 micron particles that the roller will not catch.

Yes your cheato reactor will help lower phosphates/nitrates but also need 3-6 weeks to see a few ppm drop.
Its mind vs. Patience

 

[Jasongtr]

Few comments, it is hard to make foam in a river water. It’s basic but verify your saline level just to cross that out. I run 2 12” skimmers on my tank based on Neptune ORP, two stage one at 275 mV and the other at 250mV and cut out at 310mV. I run the skimmer foam low at the base of the cup, never close to overflow as you will get watery skim, I leave it low with healthy bubbles and it takes a few days to build (once seasoned, I carefully empty the cup but try not to disturb the film that the skimmer built.

I don’t have a roller yet, but how does the roller filter look. If constant dark, You may be removing most floatable solids already.

Yes your cheato reactor will help lower phosphates/nitrates but also need 3-6 weeks to see a few ppm drop.
Its mind vs. Patience

Hi

Salinty 1.025 constantly

Used roller is indeed dark, skimmer has a drain hose so unless cleaning it its never removed really