How does a skimmer remove bacteria?

[spamreefnew]

I run an ATS,skimmer and I dose vinegar 30ml/day on my 45 gallon mixed reef. I am just starting to notice the whitish bacterial film on all of the solid surfaces of my tank. This got me to thinking,if bacteria grows on surfaces only then how does the skimmer remove this bacteria? We all know that you dose carbon then the bacteria in turn take up N&P and somehow the skimmer is said to remove the bacteria along with that N&P. BUT the bacteria is not in the water,it's everywhere BUT the water..Are we missing something here? Are we only skimming out the bacteria that we disturb with the mag-float? Would more basting of rocks and more scrubbing of equipment enhance carbon dosing??

 

[mofro]

Just because you cannot see them with the naked eye, does not mean they are not there. Enough is present in the water column, whete do you think the smell in skimmate left for a few days comes from?
Also, flow shears off bac films for removal by skimmer.

 

[madadi]

I dose 30ml in 150gallon system. if you see bacteria, you are dosing too much.

 

[Allmost]

I run an ATS,skimmer and I dose vinegar 30ml/day on my 45 gallon mixed reef. I am just starting to notice the whitish bacterial film on all of the solid surfaces of my tank. This got me to thinking,if bacteria grows on surfaces only then how does the skimmer remove this bacteria? We all know that you dose carbon then the bacteria in turn take up N&P and somehow the skimmer is said to remove the bacteria along with that N&P. BUT the bacteria is not in the water,it's everywhere BUT the water..Are we missing something here? Are we only skimming out the bacteria that we disturb with the mag-float? Would more basting of rocks and more scrubbing of equipment enhance carbon dosing??

bacteria is everywhere. not just on surface ... carbon dosing = bacterioplankton . bacteria floating in water.

if you have good flow, then the "mulm" or the white stuff u see, should get dislodged, go through a pump, get shredded, and feed your reef.

these bacteria feed on N and P and many other elements, these bacteria now are full of nutrients, and corals can feed on them. the excess will go though the skimmer.

30ml in 45 Gallon sounds like ALOT though .... carbon dosing [vinegar] is kinda risky, too much can lower O2 in water and crash your reef.

 

[spamreefnew]

good thoughts all. however I was under the impression that vinegar was 1/10th the carbon as vodka so if your starting dose for vodka should be lets say .2ml then your starting dose for vinegar would be ten times that? I have seen nothing but good results so far and my ph is steady at 8.3 (so far) . the white film I see is very thin and I can only see it on the glass at just the right angle. I have been dosing for about two months and started with 5ml/day. my sump also holds 10+gallons so my total volume is about 55 gal.

 

[Timfish]

Skimming will only remove molecules, bacteria particles that have a hydrophobic quality to them. Dr. Ken Feldman, et al, has a good brief description in his evaluation of skimmers here: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/1/aafeature2
Randy Farly-Holes has written about them also.

 

[wildman926]

I run an ATS,skimmer and I dose vinegar 30ml/day on my 45 gallon mixed reef.

Why are you using two methods at once to remove N/P?

 

[madadi]

my skimmer picks up ants, bristle worms, flake food, and chucks of frozen food out of the water.

 

[accordsirh22]

lol ants

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Why are you using two methods at once to remove N/P?

Why not? I think it is better to use more as each has imperfections in the N/P ratio that other methods might make up for. I use GFO, skimming, vinegar, macroalgae, large rock-filled refugia, and GAC.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

however I was under the impression that vinegar was 1/10th the carbon as vodka so if your starting dose for vodka should be lets say .2ml then your starting dose for vinegar would be ten times that?

Roughly, yes.

 

[spamreefnew]

thanks randy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:thumbsup:

Happy Reefing.

 

[Timfish]

. . . Randy Farly-Holes . . .

Ooops! Sorry about the horrible misspelling Randy Holmes-Farley! :sad2:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:lol:

Happy Reefing.

 

[SantaMonica]

Bacteria is the most abundant biomass in the world, including in the oceans. I'm a fan of saying algae is the largest biomass in the ocean, but that is besides bacteria.

 

[atrox]

Curious never taken a salinity reading on skimmate. Any tested it before?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Skimmate comes out at about tank salinity. Then it may partially evaporate, increasing salinity.