skimmer for my detritus

[sansouci01]

Ok..So I think I've found the cause of my algae outbreak on my rocks. The cracks in the rocks are loaded with detritus. Most posts I've read say that you can use a turkey baster to get it out of the rocks and should do that often to keep it clean. i used to run a skimmer on my tank but lots of people say that because it's only 20 gallons, you really don't need one if you keep up with water changes which I do. My question is...would it help to put the skimmer back in to help with the detritus when I stir it up out of the rocks? Would the skimmer suck up the floating detritus in the water column or should I only blast the rocks when I do water changes to get most of it out of the tank.

 

[Sniperhank]

A skimmer won't pick up the chunks of stuff really. That is what filter socks and such are for. The skimmer is grabbing the stuff in the water column that is small particulate matter when the bubbles break when cresting into the skimmer cup.

 

[sansouci01]

That's what I thought. Would it be better to just blast it off the rocks and let it settle. Then suck it up off the bottom

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Ideally your flow should keep it suspended until it can be pulled out by your filtration. If your having a lot if detritus settle in your rocks you may want to consider reducing the amount your feeding, and increasing your flow. Not sure what all your using for filtration but filter socks or floss work great for catching the larger particles and keeping them from getting back into the tank.

 

[sansouci01]

I have a HOB filter. Just have chemi-pure elite in it

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

I use polyfil from Walmart for my filter floss in my aquaclear, works great and is $9 for enough to last over a year. Just put it so the water flows through it before your other media and toss it during your weekly wc.