My 300 gallon turf scrubber system
- Thread starter n-kleine
- Start date
natebedwell06
New member
I will take some pics next time i work or next time i go in for something, was going to today and forgot the camera and my camera on my phone doesnt work
I know this sounds to good to be true. It took me at least 5 years of dealing with Inland before I switched from skimmers . My last skimmer was a Bubble King Supermarin 200 on a 210 system and couldn't get near the growth I have now especially sps corals. I loved buying and trying out all the new skimmers but now I am fully convinced that Inland has turf scrubbing down to a science. I have been up since october of 2010 still no water changes and growth keeps accelerating. All water tests are perfect from day one.
Well everyone sad to say it was to good to be true. Had a full tank crash when the temp went up. I was running about 78f and went to 80f. Fish began dying but the corals were doing fantastic. Began running tests. All water parameters were perfect except oxygen and disolved organic compounds. I found that the turf algae was trying to adjust and was depleting oxygen. Even my sand bed began changing color. I feel that if I would have had a protein skimmer I would not have lost all these precious fish. The scrubber is fantastic for corals or tanks with low fish counts. Heavy stocked tanks need a skimmer.
I have since removed the algae screen and lighting. I use the massive dump bucket as a wave maker. In a sump that I have built I now have a Royal Exclusive Alpha skimmer. Live and learn I guess.:headwally:
I have since removed the algae screen and lighting. I use the massive dump bucket as a wave maker. In a sump that I have built I now have a Royal Exclusive Alpha skimmer. Live and learn I guess.:headwally:
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Reefski's
Active member
i have to say it is not the temperature if your thermometer is accurate. my tank was 84 today and everything is fine.
a two degree rise is nothing to worry about.
check out this info by a scientist. http://www.ronshimek.com/salinity_temperature.html
78 is at the low end of normal. no reefs in the northern hemisphere are anywhere near 78 degrees right now or even 80 degrees.
Carl
Carl
a two degree rise is nothing to worry about.
check out this info by a scientist. http://www.ronshimek.com/salinity_temperature.html
78 is at the low end of normal. no reefs in the northern hemisphere are anywhere near 78 degrees right now or even 80 degrees.
Carl
Carl
Yes I am aware that temp was not the problem as I said above we found it has something to do with oxygen depletion. Thank you for that excellent link.
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Reefski's
Active member
how did you determine it was the O2 level? did pumps shut off? were the lights off on the turf scrubber? that is when the algae would use O2.
last year my power went off for about four hours and by the end the fish were starting to loose consciousness and swim erratically. fortunately i got the power restored and didn't lose any fish.
last year my power went off for about four hours and by the end the fish were starting to loose consciousness and swim erratically. fortunately i got the power restored and didn't lose any fish.
can you elaborate on this? how would the turf algae adjust and deplete oxygen? live plants consume C02 and produce 02, did the turf algae die off? was there a sulfur smell?
Exactly. We were baffled as well. Yes the screen was dying off but why??? To this day I am not sure. All I know is I installed a large air pump and the remaining fish began eating and acting normal again. Also when I pulled the screen to inspect it was loaded with detritus and organics. Also installed a carbon reactor and filled it full. Within 3 days it was solid with organics. We believe that my organics got out of control causing the screen to rot.
It has been tested several times at Inland Aquatics and they report that the skimmer had adverse affects on water quality. I do not know the full details but I tried it for a week and the screen began to die off. Inland told me the turf algae needed full growth to be efficient.
