okay i bought a skimmer yesterday and i know i'm going to hear that its crap because it's by Red Sea but it's the only thing i can afford right now. i am not a business executive or in some high paying job like most on here. i am a single mom of 2! I'm not being rude just laying down the facts. now as you can see from what i have i just need the skimmer now and trash the cannister and the hang on filter. i do plan to add a few corals in a few months and i'm in no rush i just want to make sure that im doing this right. I have no aquarium experience ever so i'm glad i came on here and there a patient people.
i got skimmer now what
- Thread starter new2scene
- Start date
taillonjohn
Member
why don't you keep the canister? I think you do have everything you need, except water flow, which can be provided by powerheads or the return from your canister, which I use. its also good for running carbon if you want.
okay it seems everyone on here has just the skimmers running on their display. I will get 2 pwrhds soon. keep the carbon out of the filters unless polishing or removing medicine right? keep the other media in the cannister the blue sponge thing and the ceramics. am i right. I just seems like alot of things to be hanging on the aquarium. clean them once a month one at a time. i know i can i know i can i know i can i know i can
taillonjohn
Member
I don't think you need to keep the hang-on filter if you have a canister, that would be a lot to hang off your tank. Carbon is good for many things, I run it 24/7. The live rock you have will provide the biological filtration, so you don't need the ceramic things either. enlightened or confused?
Scuba_Steve
Premium Member
Ceramics provide bio filtration, thats it. Your live rock will provide all the bio filtration you need, combined with some good flow to circulate water around them. Ceramics, and even filter pads just collect junk that causes nitrates to collect. Get rid of them. A canister is a good thing to run carbon in though, and provide a lil extra flow, but if you wanted you could get rid of it entirely and just use powerheads to eliminate clutter. Consider looking at a hob overflow, and a sump at some time. It will make your tank alot less cluttered. Just a thought for the future.
Scuba_Steve
Premium Member
Just dont take it all out at once if you have livestock already, as your bacteria population will need a little time to build itself back up.
miztahphong2
New member
go ahead and plug that baby in and let it break in. the red sea prizm skimmer was my first on my first tank and it worked fine although i had to adjust it daily but worked fine.
it seems okay although i have to take it back today it has a small leak on the side. looks like it fills up fast with full flow like you said i guess i will have to play with it to get it at a comfortable flow rate.
I have another question i bought 2 camel shrimp on tues. and i can only find one. upon looking in the tank this morning i see a body like a shell casing with antennae and feet. do shrimp molt. i only have five astrea snails and if he died would his body decompose so fast.
I have another question i bought 2 camel shrimp on tues. and i can only find one. upon looking in the tank this morning i see a body like a shell casing with antennae and feet. do shrimp molt. i only have five astrea snails and if he died would his body decompose so fast.
Frick-n-Frags
New member
if you bought a berlin skimmer, make sure you use a decent pump on it or it won't work for crap. we're talking Mag9 or RIO2600 level here.
taillonjohn
Member
yes, shrimp molt
Scuba_Steve
Premium Member
Some shrimp often hide alot, so you may never see him unless your looking with a red lens flashlight at night. But use this as a learning experience. Ask on rc before buying anything, wildlife or equipment. Camel shrimp can cause probs with coral. Usually not, so you should be fine, but there is a chance. JMO, if it were me, I would try to catch them and take them back. That is if you can catch them. Does the glass leaning on a rock with food work to catch shrimp anyone?
