Nuvo 10 Bioload

Ling_Thing · Feb 21, 2018

Ok so ive had my nuvo 10 up for about 4 years now. started off as a complete noob and over the years i feel like im fairly experienced in the hobby now. I had that piece of crap IM ghost protein skimmer for a couple years and took that out because it belongs in the trash, anyways i only have 1 clown in there and some snails, hermits and a lot of acropora. I ran GFO on and off for awhile but kept losing colors in SPS, and trying to maintain ULN phosphates in a 10 gallon is a joke so i just run filter pads, chemi pure elite in the media basket and carbon in the mini max media reactor. My nitrates have always read 0 "nyos test" and phosphates around .01-.06 "Hanna". I bought a reef glass skimmer thinking it would be perfect size for this tank which it is however i cannot get it to produce any foam/skimmate at all. Ive played with the air valve and the height and still no foam. my question is, is it possible my bio load is so light with only one fish i simply can't produce skimmate but enough phosphate from that to cause brown algae on the glass every day? just wanted to lower my glass cleaning maintenance but also don't want 0 phosphates as i will lose my acros. what do you guys think?

Reefing Madness · Feb 22, 2018

Yup, absolutely. Your system may be to clean. That and you gotta remember that your skimmer needs a few weeks to actually break in.

Tahoe61 · Feb 22, 2018

In a 10 gallon even with one fish you should still be getting green-brown skimate. Both skimmers you mentioned are not great products. If you want to skim I would look at a HOB like Octopus. I do not know if a Tunze will fit in the back compartments, but that would be a big improvement. Or just do not worry about a skimmer and up your snail population. I rarely use a skimmer in a nano.

Michael Llabona · Feb 22, 2018

If you already maintain low nutrients don't bother with a skimmer. You might actually deprive the corals if the water gets too clean

Tdawg · Feb 22, 2018

Ling_Thing said:
Ok so ive had my nuvo 10 up for about 4 years now. started off as a complete noob and over the years i feel like im fairly experienced in the hobby now. I had that piece of crap IM ghost protein skimmer for a couple years and took that out because it belongs in the trash, anyways i only have 1 clown in there and some snails, hermits and a lot of acropora. I ran GFO on and off for awhile but kept losing colors in SPS, and trying to maintain ULN phosphates in a 10 gallon is a joke so i just run filter pads, chemi pure elite in the media basket and carbon in the mini max media reactor. My nitrates have always read 0 "nyos test" and phosphates around .01-.06 "Hanna". I bought a reef glass skimmer thinking it would be perfect size for this tank which it is however i cannot get it to produce any foam/skimmate at all. Ive played with the air valve and the height and still no foam. my question is, is it possible my bio load is so light with only one fish i simply can't produce skimmate but enough phosphate from that to cause brown algae on the glass every day? just wanted to lower my glass cleaning maintenance but also don't want 0 phosphates as i will lose my acros. what do you guys think?

+1 on ghost skimmer

Ling_Thing · Feb 22, 2018

ok guys thanks for your input, i think i was getting a little too impatient with the reef glass skimmer as its now starting to make foam, had to turn down some of the air coming in and just starting to break in (5 days in). It really is difficult trying to maintain a low nutrient tank in such a small tank but the acros are growing and not browning or bleaching so ill take it.