JB NY
Active member
How do you like running with no skimmer. I'm really not sure if I should keep the skimmer or the ARID.
JBNY's 270 Ver2.0
- Thread starter JB NY
- Start date
How do you like running with no skimmer. I'm really not sure if I should keep the skimmer or the ARID.
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
Not really digging it...
But right now I'm attributing that to being indoctrinated and brainwashed with the need for a protein skimmer on a reef tank...we're talking waaaay back to 1986 when skimmers were a 4 inch tube of clear plastic with wooden air stones, and Xenia was tough to keeps, SPS was impossible, and the high tech reef keeper had a sump with a rotating spray bar over DLS material.
I'm seeing some growth in my few remaining sps and in my lps...which is a nice change from them receding due to no measurable PO4.
I should point out that I was running an upgraded Super Reef Octopus XS250...changed out pumps and basically turned it into a SRO 5000 internal...which is rated for a 500 gallon tank...on a 140 gallon system... So too big a skimmer for my system anyway...
All of that to say that I'm pretty sure my dislike of not running a skimmer is more mental than anything else.
It's working...so there's that.
jackson6745
Yeah Yeah
Hey Joe, which salt are you using?
jackson6745
Yeah Yeah
Reason why I ask is because I just had a buddy switch from Red Sea Coral Pro to Coralife. He couldn't get his SPS tank right for many months. All his SPS would get tip burn or pale spots, and it was not AWFW damage. After an 80% wc with coralife, and several more smaller wc's, his tank is on the right path again. I've read other guy having issues. Not sure if you're using this salt, but if you are you might want to consider a LARGE wc with a old school safe salt.
reefmutt
Active member
Jo, I have found that my corals have done much better since allowing nitrates to naturally occur rather than having to dose n..
Yes.. P becomes a problem but mine have been around .1 for months and the corals are pretty happy... I'm not pleased with the bubble and other nuisance algea, however..
Also, something I did over a year ago to acclimate some corals but then never stopped because of how good the tank did was to turn the mh off a couple times a day for an hour or so each time.. Gives the corals a break in the higher energy...
Hope you get around this!
Yes.. P becomes a problem but mine have been around .1 for months and the corals are pretty happy... I'm not pleased with the bubble and other nuisance algea, however..
Also, something I did over a year ago to acclimate some corals but then never stopped because of how good the tank did was to turn the mh off a couple times a day for an hour or so each time.. Gives the corals a break in the higher energy...
Hope you get around this!
jackson6745
Yeah Yeah
I see so many threads where guys can't keep SPS alive and they're using RSCP salt. Search it on the popular sites Joe.
JB NY
Active member
Sorry evryone I didn't get am email and missed your comments.
I ended up dropping the ARID to only 6 hours of light. So far that seems to be working.
I switched from RSCP to IO back in may 2015, I've probably done about 600 gallons of water changes with it.
I stopped dosing KNO3 a few weeks ago, basically the same rational that you have. I dropped my photo period of the ARID down and am holding nitrates around 5ppm. hmm maybe I will turn off the MH for an hour after being on for 4 hours. I'll think about that.
I ended up dropping the ARID to only 6 hours of light. So far that seems to be working.
I switched from RSCP to IO back in may 2015, I've probably done about 600 gallons of water changes with it.
I stopped dosing KNO3 a few weeks ago, basically the same rational that you have. I dropped my photo period of the ARID down and am holding nitrates around 5ppm. hmm maybe I will turn off the MH for an hour after being on for 4 hours. I'll think about that.
JB NY
Active member
No, on for 6 hours a day right now.
It will get better. Hope the LEDs are working out for you.
I have not, the biggest reason to use cheato for me is that it doesn't migrate to the rest of the tank and doesn't go sexual.
JB NY
Active member
Mine is at 6 hours and while it is helping I am still not able to keep N steady without dosing, Last night I measured N at 2.5ppm so it took about two weeks to lower it from 5ppm with 6 hours of light. I'll drop the lighting to 4 hours and see how that goes.
For me turning off the skimmer forces me to make a change in my system. When I first set up the tank I never envisioned removing the skimmer so my main pump is also my skimmer pump. It's a sequence 6000, the thing puts out crazy flow under high head pressure (4000GPH at 16ft), so if I turn off the skimmer the amount of water that goes into the tank needs to be throttled back even more. At that point I would be better off getting a different pump that doesn't us so much electricity (360watts).
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
I saw little growth at 4 hours a day. But, I did see chaeto growth. Tristan was surprised that I saw any at all.
I would try throttling down the skimmer to bare minimum at first, and go week to week. When you get 4 weeks of consistant no3 readings, and you want to reduce the level, I increase your skimmer flow some and start a new 4 week period.
Just a suggestion...obviously you know your system better than anyone else.
I would try throttling down the skimmer to bare minimum at first, and go week to week. When you get 4 weeks of consistant no3 readings, and you want to reduce the level, I increase your skimmer flow some and start a new 4 week period.
Just a suggestion...obviously you know your system better than anyone else.
