I have old school skimmer - do I need new?

[Pokerman11]

I have an old school ETSS 700 downdraft skimmer.

using a Iwaki MD-55RLT to power it. I've had this setup since the 90's.

You can see a picture of what this skimmer looks like here: (not mine just googled to get am image.)

https://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/sale-trade/99398-ae-tech-etss-700-downdraft-skimmer.html

I'm running a mixed reef 90. My sump is in the basement and this skimmer is there also. It's very noisy, but as it's basement, noise is not a big deal.

I'm wondering if this skimmer is doing enough or if a new modern skimmer will work better?

I'm having issues with my tank. Mostly hair algae. I've been fighting it for over a year. I don't have fish anymore. I do lots of W/C. I used to run a 45g fuge in my setup, but cheto does not grow, so shut off as makes W/C more effective. . I'm about to get out of the hobby after 25 years, it's driving me insane.

New skimmer help?

 

[ca1ore]

I doubt a more current skimmer will perform any better, though it might be less expensive to run it.

 

[mcgyvr]

Nope.. aside from energy usage as stated above there is nothing "new" to skimmers that makes them any better than what was out in the 90's.. Just lots of "marketing" features that don't amount to any real performance gains for the most part..

 

[rvareef]

get a foxface and keep the skimmer

 

[Quartapound]

Is the tank, by any chance, getting more natural sunlight than it used to?

What were you using to light the chaeto? BRS has a great video regarding chaeto, and it shows that the more light you fed it, the better it performed... the algae in your tank is probably outcompeting the fuge as it likely has a stronger light source.... if you put a ton of light over the fuge I bet it'd help.

Using GFO reactor? might want to give it a shot.

Are you sure the WC water isn't exacerbating the problem? It might be what's feeding the algae, especially if you aren't feeding the tank much. If you have no fish you should be able almost completely stop adding nutrients to the tank (for awhile, anyway), and stop doing WC's... this could(should) in theory starve out the algae (especially with chaeto competing for the same nutes in fuge)

...I'd consider giving macro algae in the fuge another shot, with intense light for a longer photoperiod than the DT.

Good luck!

 

[LeJeune981]

Is the tank, by any chance, getting more natural sunlight than it used to?

What were you using to light the chaeto? BRS has a great video regarding chaeto, and it shows that the more light you fed it, the better it performed... the algae in your tank is probably outcompeting the fuge as it likely has a stronger light source.... if you put a ton of light over the fuge I bet it'd help.

Using GFO reactor? might want to give it a shot.

Are you sure the WC water isn't exacerbating the problem? It might be what's feeding the algae, especially if you aren't feeding the tank much. If you have no fish you should be able almost completely stop adding nutrients to the tank (for awhile, anyway), and stop doing WC's... this could(should) in theory starve out the algae (especially with chaeto competing for the same nutes in fuge)

...I'd consider giving macro algae in the fuge another shot, with intense light for a longer photoperiod than the DT.

Good luck!

I had the same problem.. I couldn't grow cheato.. even had t5s on it...
Long story short... I finally beat the gha.. still couldn't grow any macro..tried cheato and ulva no luck

Converted fuge to a xenia fuge... put a mars black box on it... blues only for 8 hours. I'm growing xenia like weeds.. cheato/ ulva and now grape calderpa (dunno where it came from) like weeds as well..


To the O.P.

I build a DIY upflow algae turf scrubber... with in 2 months.. my 90 display and 49 gallon bow front fuge were GHA free!!!
After battling the crap for a year (my own fault.. I didn't learn about tap vs rodi till I had the tank up for about 7 months

Sent from my SM-G930VL using Tapatalk

 

[Member No. 1]

You'd be hard pressed to find a skimmer as good as that one. If it wasn't for the noise and power factor, I'd still be running PM skimmer with a Becket Venturi.
These were hard to beat.
If your skimmer can pull dark, thick skimate, then a new one isn't going to do any better.
I would look into the simple things first.
Are you using RO/DI water?
If so how is the output? Anything more than 0 TDS could cause problems.
When was the last time you changes the membrane or DI resins?
What type of lighting are you using? If T-5's or MH how old are the lamps?
How long is your photo period?
Since no fish, are you feed your tank anything?
What are your Nitrates, Phosphates?
After mixing up new saltwater, check Nitrates/Phosphates. Some salt mixes have been known to be high on these.
Just a few things to think about.

 

[Pokerman11]

Thanks Folks. I've done all the simple stuff long time ago.

BRS 4 stage RO/DI (new membrane /filters) TDS meter shows 0 (or I change resin)
BRS twin media reactor GFO / Carbon
Lighting is china box LED - Reefbreeders LED 48"
Fudge lighting was also LED - (I've seen the BRS video) 18H photo period
Not feeding tank much of anything at this point
Using same salt (instant ocean)
two Tunze Turbobelles for in tank circ
CAL 420
ALK 9
MAG 1350
PH 8.2
Salt 35.4 (but I admit my Apex prob is two years old.)
78 deg

About 18mths ago it this GHA started to grow. Even with phosphates too low to test it grows. It grows when my Cheato will not. I've turned down main tank lights to 25% and shortened my photo period.

I've pencil urchins (x2) fuzzy chitons (x5), and Florida cerith and some various other from reef cleaners.

As a minor bonus, I did have a bit of bubble algae issue for a while, but that's gone, GHA takes over.



Yes I do take direct sun in the fall and spring, when the leaves are off the trees. (Winter the sun changes angle so not going thru window.) This month getting a bit of red slime in the low circulation spots. That happens to me every year.


I mostly was wondering about my skimmer. I've been thru everything else.

 

[Member No. 1]

Yup, you definitely have covered the basics as I would expect someone with that many in this hobbie has.

One other question I posed, does your skimmer pull dark skimmate? if so then you can rule out the skimmer.

Contrary to what you might think is a solution, doing a lot of large water changes might be exacerbating the problem. Have you tired to cut back on the frequency or amount?

 

[Pokerman11]

I did cut back on W/C about 6 weeks ago. Was not helping or making any difference.

I've never pulled dark skimmate out of this skimmer. It's still thick but ligher colored.

I clean the venture about once a month, and then the bio balls in the tower twice a year. It's easy to tell when the venture is clogging up as the mass of bubbles thins out.

Lately there is not alot coming out of the skimmer. I gotta believe there is just no nutrients to skim off.

I'm thinking I got some super strain of low nutrient GHA. It's med green colored, it is SUPER tough (you can't pull it off a rock.) and takes over corals. It grows and crowds out mushrooms, Zoa, Green Star Polyps - I've this one large patch of GSP that is being crowded out by this stuff. it grows up around the hammer / frog spawn & birds nest and eventually chokes it. The only thing that is not loosing the war is my one big dish of Hollywood Stunner Coral.

Thinking of dumping a bottle of bleech in the tank, throwing everything away and then starting over or not.

 

[AlSimmons]

FWIW we all know those Seaclone skimmers get no love, but to tell you the truth though if I'm in a bind I'll modify one with a Aquaclear 402 powerhead, an air pump and a wooden air stone to get things done. (in sump) I've done it once and I'll do it again. (I've got pictures) That old school skimmer should be fine, given your willing to do some other work too. You can't really put the health and longevity of a tank all on this tool.

 

[Floowid]

Have you tried completely removing the bio balls, just leave an empty chamber? I used to have bio balls in my overflow and all it did was collect crud and cause nutrient problems. I pulled them out and gave the overflow a good cleaning and my diatom/turf/cyano issues faded away a few months after.

As with anything in this pain in the arse hobby it could be coincidence, but it might be something worth looking into.

 

[sirreal63]

Have you tried completely removing the bio balls, just leave an empty chamber? I used to have bio balls in my overflow and all it did was collect crud and cause nutrient problems. I pulled them out and gave the overflow a good cleaning and my diatom/turf/cyano issues faded away a few months after.

As with anything in this pain in the arse hobby it could be coincidence, but it might be something worth looking into.

He cannot remove the bio-balls, they are what makes the bubbles in the skimmer.

 

[jayball]

Give Vibrant a try before you pack it in. It cleared up an on again off again algae problem I had (hair, bubble, and bryopsis). Coral picked up some color as well.

Dose 2X a week for 2-3 weeks then 1X a week until the problem goes away. After that you can back off to every other week. A 16 oz bottle is spendy but you should get between 45 and 50 doses out of it for your tank.

When I did it the hair went away quickly, the bubble and bryopsis took months but stopped spreading immediately.

For a more natural fix look into the Algae scrubber thread in the advanced forum
As a somewhat more nuclear option you can look into Fluconazole treatments.