I think it's time to upgrade

[EDJFA]

I've been battling some phosphate and nitrates for a while now and it's starting to get under my skin.

Therefore, I think it's time to take a look at what I'm currently doing and make some necessary changes.

Let's start with the skimmer: I have a Aquamaxx ConeS 2 skimmer that is rated for up to 300g for a light bioload and only 160 for a heavy bioload. I honestly don't know whether to consider mine light or heavy, but either way, I've got fish crapping in my water and this thing isn't pulling enough of it out. It's not that it doesn't pull anything out, I just think this tank it too big for it.

Looking for some suggestions on a good skimmer. I've probably got somewhere around 250g of total water volume. I prefer an in sump skimmer as I don't have the additional area under the tank for an external one. And my sump isn't drilled, so the internal just makes my life easier.

I think the next thread I start will be on my sump. I took a look down there last night and realized that a big part of my problem might be all the junk trapped down there. The pods love it, but that much detritus breaking down can't be good for the tank. I'm going to do a 40g water change in the next few days and try to suck a lot of that stuff out while I'm at it.

It never ends with this hobby, does it?

 

[kegogut]

Im using a Skimz SM201 and think its an amazing skimmer.

 

[Mr D smack]

A few skimmers in this thread for sale. One is rated for 1000 gallons
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2564304


Personally I'd clean the sump first and then try to find the source thats causing high phosphates and nitrates. Routine water changes should reduce your phosphate and nitrate issue unless your RODI filters need changing. Gfo is a great friend also

Remember skimmers only pull 30%doc out of your water and if I'm not mistaking thats a top of the line skimmer

 

[_E_]

I'm running a skimmer similar to Kego's except it's the DC veraion. I've been happy so far.

 

[Pife]

So I have seen your system. I would double the flow in the tank and vacuum the sump and the sand in your display. It has been set up for awhile right? All that crap settling into cracks and crevices in your rock should get blown out every so often too.

 

[Nanook]

Bigger, better skimmers are always fun, but it's just not that simple Increasing flow, vacuuming sump, limiting nutrient input, increasing nutrient export with WC and using some GFO and possibly a denitrator will solve your problems.

 

[EDJFA]

Update to this thread:

Holy cow am I a bad reef owner! I was doing a water change last night and decided it was time to blow off my rocks while I was at it.

Evidently crap had settled into EVERY crack, crevice, and hole in my rocks. It's amazing how blowing a stream of water down one hole in a rock makes clouds of detritus come out of ten other holes. And the amount of that crap that is in between polyps of palys is amazing.

I didn't even get to the point where I tried to vacuum out the sump. There's enough in the display to deal with first.

The question I have now is how to deal with the stuff that is now free from the cracks and crevices of the rock. I don't have filter socks as I have read over and over that they can become nitrate factories. Well, I think I'm well past that already, so would it be a good idea to run with some filter socks in place specifically when I'm blowing off the rocks like that?

I'm determined to get this figured out.

 

[Aqua Man 07]

i would run a sock while cleaning out the rock work.

 

[smoothdog]

Yup. Run a sock until the water clears up. Sound like you need to up your flow too. Some detritus is normal when blowing out the rock but if it's excessive then you've got too much crud settling out instead of being carried to the skimmer or the sump where it can be vacuumed out.