My skimmer broke, and guess what?

[bizzybeas]

Four days ago my skimmer was making an awful noise in the motor. My tank has only been set up for several months! It was late at night so I unplugged it. Now it ill not work at all. I still have the warranty, so I will be sending it back this week. (It was a red sea prizm, and did an awesome job!) Now, I have noticed a little cyano on my sand. eeekkk!My tank parameters are: ph=8, dkh= 11, calc=400, nitrate =5. I do not have a phosphate test but have never added anything but RO water. I use tropic marin salt.

I know to cut back my feedings, What about half? I only feed them once a day. Should I cut back my lighting? I have a crocea clam, a bubble coral,an open brain and some mushrooms. My corrent lighting schedule is 7 hours of actinics, four of halides. Would my clam do okay if I cut this?

I have not siphoned it because I have very fine sand and it is only in the sand bed. I have a lot of coralline on my rocks, so I have not noticed it there yet. I have just been stirring the sand bed to get rid of it.

Any other ideas until I get my new skimmer

[fishfreek]

Phosphate can enter via the food we feed aswell. Its possible the amount of DOC's that your skimmer usualy removes is now not being removed so thats where the cyano is probably comming from. If you do a water change and cut back on the feedings until the skimmer can get working again it should help.

[loganj]

Did you check the skimmer impeller for trash and/or obstructions?

[bizzybeas]

I am not very mechanical, I will try to check it tonight. I usually do about a 10% water change a week, should I do more?

[brndfrb]

Yeah i have noticed a little cyno in my tank latley too. I have a skimmer and everything. How do you get rid of it. I heard it can take over your whole tank. don't want that to happen

wow I had a bit of cyano on my sand bed and when the lights got changed to the new MH all of it lifted up nicely away from the sand and was able to get sucked up real easy.. My old lights were the cause of my cyano.. Turkey Basters come in real handy

JAmes

[bizzybeas]

I have been using a turkey baster, it is working wonderfully. I am getting the skimmer fixed and will be getting it back in a couple of days. I am lucky that I have good coraline growth, there is none on my rocks. My fish are wondering why they are not getting as much food.