16G BowFront --> 29G Reef Tank Build

[Bearchumjs]

Just got outbid with 1 second to go :/ it sold for $58!!

Oh no!! I'm sorry.

 

[DanS180]

Oh no!! I'm sorry.

Yeah what r ya gonna do? Lol guess I'll have to wait for another awesome deal lol

 

[DanS180]

I'm starting to get foamy/bubble stuff in my skimmer.. is that normal??

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I'm starting to get foamy/bubble stuff in my skimmer.. is that normal??

Yep. That's exactly what you need to see.

 

[DanS180]

Yep. That's exactly what you need to see.

Awesome what is it tho?

 

[DanS180]

Well I haven't done a water change in the past several days and my numbers are pretty stable..
Ammo 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrates 5ppm
Salinity 1.024

Now I know I have a built in skimmer but still don't understand the concept of it. Does it naturally help reduce nitrates too???

 

[CorallineAlgae]

It pulls out some of the dissolved organics in the water. You can sometimes see a film on the water surface. Some types of proteins and other contaminants have two chemical attachment points, one that wants to stick to water or a solid and another that wants to attach to a gas. Any surface of water and air is where some of these DOCs collect. A skimmer gives these compounds lots of water and air points to attach by creating a foam. This foam is collected into a cup to be removed BEFORE they can be broken down by bacteria into nitrate.

That may be an oversimplification but that's basically what it does. It's important to have really strong flow in the tank for all the parts of a filter to do it's job. The idea is to keep as much waste in the tank moving through the water (instead of settling on the rock and sand) so the mechanical and chemical pads can trap it and the skimmer can remove it too. The bacteria handle the rest. The more the skimmer, mechanical and chemical media remove the less DOCs are left to be broken down by bacteria into nitrate. I'm half dead today so I'm just hoping that made sense. lol

 

[DanS180]

It pulls out some of the dissolved organics in the water. You can sometimes see a film on the water surface. Some types of proteins and other contaminants have two chemical attachment points, one that wants to stick to water or a solid and another that wants to attach to a gas. Any surface of water and air is where some of these DOCs collect. A skimmer gives these compounds lots of water and air points to attach by creating a foam. This foam is collected into a cup to be removed BEFORE they can be broken down by bacteria into nitrate.

That may be an oversimplification but that's basically what it does. It's important to have really strong flow in the tank for all the parts of a filter to do it's job. The idea is to keep as much waste in the tank moving through the water (instead of settling on the rock and sand) so the mechanical and chemical pads can trap it and the skimmer can remove it too. The bacteria handle the rest. The more the skimmer, mechanical and chemical media remove the less DOCs are left to be broken down by bacteria into nitrate. I'm half dead today so I'm just hoping that made sense. lol

Wow that makes perfect sense haha yeah I need to get another powerhead n point it towards the surface a lil.. dead spot on the right side of my tank

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Wow that makes perfect sense haha yeah I need to get another powerhead n point it towards the surface a lil.. dead spot on the right side of my tank

Phew! I'm glad that didn't sound like gibberish.

I thought you already had two powerheads. The surface doesn't need to ripple everywhere (that sure wouldn't hurt though) but you do want strong flow all around the rocks. That's where detritus settles. One more note about your Skilter: when the pump is creating the air for the skimmer it reduces the flow of the filter and the skimmer should get a lot of air. Adjust it so it creates a large enough foam to collect brown liquid in the cup but not so much that it collects clear liquid (skimate) in the cup.

 

[DanS180]

Phew! I'm glad that didn't sound like gibberish.

I thought you already had two powerheads. The surface doesn't need to ripple everywhere (that sure wouldn't hurt though) but you do want strong flow all around the rocks. That's where detritus settles. One more note about your Skilter: when the pump is creating the air for the skimmer it reduces the flow of the filter and the skimmer should get a lot of air. Adjust it so it creates a large enough foam to collect brown liquid in the cup but not so much that it collects clear liquid (skimate) in the cup.

I originally was goin to buy 2 power heads but funds were limited at the time so I just got one.. yeah right now there's just foam where the cylinder meets the basket.. there is a lil bit of brown stuff in there but not much

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I originally was goin to buy 2 power heads but funds were limited at the time so I just got one.. yeah right now there's just foam where the cylinder meets the basket.. there is a lil bit of brown stuff in there but not much

Ok, I see now. Sure. Another powerhead is a great idea. You're 100% right. One powerhead in a 29 means dead spots. Can't wait to see what you get!

It sounds like you have the filter set just right. It's not a large tank and everything is still very new. You probably won't collect to much scum yet. As long as you're getting a head of foam above the water line and see some of it spill over into the cup, over time, you're golden.

 

[DanS180]

Ok, I see now. Sure. Another powerhead is a great idea. You're 100% right. One powerhead in a 29 means dead spots. Can't wait to see what you get!

It sounds like you have the filter set just right. It's not a large tank and everything is still very new. You probably won't collect to much scum yet. As long as you're getting a head of foam above the water line and see some of it spill over into the cup, over time, you're golden.

Sweet sounds like I'm doing things right for a change! I'm prob goin to eventually get another koralia 425 and put it on the opposite end of the tank of where the other one is

 

[DanS180]

Okay my Halloween hermit is eating my Feather Duster i believe :/ lol the feather duster is completely out of its "tubing" and the crabs on top of it

 

[DanS180]

on a better note, heres some updated pics of my Frogspawn and Hammer sitting side by side... theyve gotten soo much bigger in the past few days and the other pic is my Red Mushroom and Orange Digi

 

[DanS180]

Yeah my Halloween crab ate my feather duster :/

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Yeah my Halloween crab ate my feather duster :/

That's awful!!

 

[DanS180]

I know! So now I just have the "tube" it lived in, in the tank... grrr. Guess I gotta fish it out

 

[DanS180]

Just being curious but could I put a dwarf angel in my tank? And if so, which kind? Also a starfish?? Not planning on buying anything for awhile, like everyone said I wanna let my tank settle and establish itself now

 

[22engine]

Just being curious but could I put a dwarf angel in my tank? And if so, which kind? Also a starfish?? Not planning on buying anything for awhile, like everyone said I wanna let my tank settle and establish itself now

Tech yes you could but they are known to nip on corals. It's the only reason I dont have one. I mean you can just watch it. I have a sand sifting star in mine. It's cool but i don't see it 85% of the time cause it is hidden in the sand

 

[DanS180]

Tech yes you could but they are known to nip on corals. It's the only reason I dont have one. I mean you can just watch it. I have a sand sifting star in mine. It's cool but i don't see it 85% of the time cause it is hidden in the sand

Ahh gotcha.. just figured id ask.. really like the look of them