*Need Help (Pics)*
- Thread starter chatyak
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chatyak
New member
I got a good laugh regardless... but now for some help!
Can I use my top off unit with something other than gravity? It is THE only unit to hook up to an RO/DI but I don't know how... I don't want to have my unit hooked up to a running faucet 24/7.
I guess I'm going to be stuck with gravity for now.. paid a lot for that and don't want to waste it.
Sump compartments on a 90?
Can I put live rock in the skimmer section? Instead of a bubble "tower" with baffles.. can I plunk a bunch of live rock in the area where the skimmer stand is... would help me to have a larger return area and more room for chaeto? I can have a small pod area... although I like the look of clean white sand with green plants in a fuge...
Can I use my top off unit with something other than gravity? It is THE only unit to hook up to an RO/DI but I don't know how... I don't want to have my unit hooked up to a running faucet 24/7.
I guess I'm going to be stuck with gravity for now.. paid a lot for that and don't want to waste it.
Sump compartments on a 90?
Can I put live rock in the skimmer section? Instead of a bubble "tower" with baffles.. can I plunk a bunch of live rock in the area where the skimmer stand is... would help me to have a larger return area and more room for chaeto? I can have a small pod area... although I like the look of clean white sand with green plants in a fuge...
Whys
New member
You could try a water barrel or two. Often made of either white or blue plastic.
What's wrong with using a gravity feed on your ATO? One less electrical part to burn out. Or is this going in the stand and needs to be pump? That can be done, but I can't speak for your particular ATO hardware.
Just so you know ATO has been known to fail. A lot of systems are coming with dual float switches in case one gets stuck. An ATO failure can be a real disaster.
You can put liverock in the skimmer section. But without a tower or baffles, micro-bubbles can become a real distraction in the display tank.
If you like the look of a refugium, then go fo it. But looks probably shouldn't be your sole rationale. Refugiums can serve several functions, and which functions you're aiming for should decide its setup. The options include, but are not limited to: separate slow-flow, liverock, rubble, chaeto, deep sandbed, shallow sandbed, bare-bottom, turf algae, long-hair green-algae, and more. The necessity and effectiveness of any of these options, for any particular purpose, is always a debate.
I personally advocate for a separate slow-flow, because of its depositional energy aspects. A slow-flow fuge creates an area where things floating in the water column can naturally settle. This is often the smallest of detritus, as well as the most sugar-fine grains of sand that get kicked up in the display from time to time. It is my own belief, shared by some others, that this can help to create an ideal environment for pod production. Others sometimes disagree, for a variety of reasons including both effectiveness and necessity. Much the same can be said of substrate in the fuge, be it shallow or DSB. It's even a debate if chaeto preferes slow or fast flow.
Tswifty will back me up on this, I'm sure.
So what is your aim? More pods? Lower nitrates? A time-out area for trouble makers in the display? Do you want it to be easy to clean? There are a lot of logical inferences, but the hard data is often limited or non-existent, thus refugia have mostly become a matter of personal style. Some people even set them up more like a smaller display tank, but I don't see the point in that at all. None-the-less, to each their own. So again I ask, what is your aim?
What's wrong with using a gravity feed on your ATO? One less electrical part to burn out. Or is this going in the stand and needs to be pump? That can be done, but I can't speak for your particular ATO hardware.
Just so you know ATO has been known to fail. A lot of systems are coming with dual float switches in case one gets stuck. An ATO failure can be a real disaster.
You can put liverock in the skimmer section. But without a tower or baffles, micro-bubbles can become a real distraction in the display tank.
If you like the look of a refugium, then go fo it. But looks probably shouldn't be your sole rationale. Refugiums can serve several functions, and which functions you're aiming for should decide its setup. The options include, but are not limited to: separate slow-flow, liverock, rubble, chaeto, deep sandbed, shallow sandbed, bare-bottom, turf algae, long-hair green-algae, and more. The necessity and effectiveness of any of these options, for any particular purpose, is always a debate.
I personally advocate for a separate slow-flow, because of its depositional energy aspects. A slow-flow fuge creates an area where things floating in the water column can naturally settle. This is often the smallest of detritus, as well as the most sugar-fine grains of sand that get kicked up in the display from time to time. It is my own belief, shared by some others, that this can help to create an ideal environment for pod production. Others sometimes disagree, for a variety of reasons including both effectiveness and necessity. Much the same can be said of substrate in the fuge, be it shallow or DSB. It's even a debate if chaeto preferes slow or fast flow.
Tswifty will back me up on this, I'm sure.
So what is your aim? More pods? Lower nitrates? A time-out area for trouble makers in the display? Do you want it to be easy to clean? There are a lot of logical inferences, but the hard data is often limited or non-existent, thus refugia have mostly become a matter of personal style. Some people even set them up more like a smaller display tank, but I don't see the point in that at all. None-the-less, to each their own. So again I ask, what is your aim?
Tswifty
New member
I'm not sure... I'm not familiar with that ATO unit. If it had some way to signal the pump to turn on and off, then it would probably work.
However most gravity fed (float valve) systems work by opening and closing a valve depending on where the float is located, and gravity does the work. So unless yours has a way to utilize a pump... it won't work.
Yeah they are great little ATO pumps because they have such a slow flow rate. It would really have to stick on for a long time to completely nuke or overflow your system. They also need maintenance every few months, especially if you use them with kalk... but they're great little pumps... and dirt cheap.
I can no longer use mine since I added the Aquacontroller 3 to my system. Apparently the dc8 carries enough stray voltage that it can turn the pump on, but has trouble turning it off. So it's going to go on the frag tank.
I'm very happy with the MSX skimmer. Like I said, they're are modeled after the ATI Bubblemaster line of skimmers, but half the price.
Although I got to witness a Royal Exclusive BubbleKing External 300 skimmer today w/ a self cleaning head. Now THAT was a skimmer... might cost more than some people's cars though... but I was in awe watching this thing. :lol:
As far as the PO4 test kits go... I've always been able to get some reading with the Salifert kit. You may need to ask around a little more though.... as I'm not sure how much algae present in the system would (if at all) throw off the readings. I think the Hannah PO4 meter is considered the top of the line... Honestly... I have no idea.
Here are the symbols (recycling codes) for you... usually located on the bottom of the container:
chatyak
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14453197#post14453197 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Whys
You could try a water barrel or two. Often made of either white or blue plastic.
What's wrong with using a gravity feed on your ATO? One less electrical part to burn out. Or is this going in the stand and needs to be pump? That can be done, but I can't speak for your particular ATO hardware.
Just so you know ATO has been known to fail. A lot of systems are coming with dual float switches in case one gets stuck. An ATO failure can be a real disaster.
You can put liverock in the skimmer section. But without a tower or baffles, micro-bubbles can become a real distraction in the display tank.
If you like the look of a refugium, then go fo it. But looks probably shouldn't be your sole rationale. Refugiums can serve several functions, and which functions you're aiming for should decide its setup. The options include, but are not limited to: separate slow-flow, liverock, rubble, chaeto, deep sandbed, shallow sandbed, bare-bottom, turf algae, long-hair green-algae, and more. The necessity and effectiveness of any of these options, for any particular purpose, is always a debate.
I personally advocate for a separate slow-flow, because of its depositional energy aspects. A slow-flow fuge creates an area where things floating in the water column can naturally settle. This is often the smallest of detritus, as well as the most sugar-fine grains of sand that get kicked up in the display from time to time. It is my own belief, shared by some others, that this can help to create an ideal environment for pod production. Others sometimes disagree, for a variety of reasons including both effectiveness and necessity. Much the same can be said of substrate in the fuge, be it shallow or DSB. It's even a debate if chaeto preferes slow or fast flow.
Tswifty will back me up on this, I'm sure.
So what is your aim? More pods? Lower nitrates? A time-out area for trouble makers in the display? Do you want it to be easy to clean? There are a lot of logical inferences, but the hard data is often limited or non-existent, thus refugia have mostly become a matter of personal style. Some people even set them up more like a smaller display tank, but I don't see the point in that at all. None-the-less, to each their own. So again I ask, what is your aim?
I prefer gravity feed to be honest. Less electricity and more fail safe IMO. (can run the auto top off device w/ solenoid on a timer so it only runs a few mins each day).
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/Auto-...top-off-unit-for-RO-systems/product_info.html
As for the rock in the skimmer section... I was planning on having baffles of course... after the skimmer section... I was just going to place a bunch of rock on eggcrate in the area between the draining pvc pipes and the skimmer pump. What do you think?
As for the fuge.... I think at this point in time my main objective is to lower nitrates and phosphates as MUCH as possible. I do not want to see another strand of algae as long as I live.
Pod production would be nice... I have pods in the DT but would like to try and breed Tigger Pods in the sump.
I also enjoy the look of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JFIlYBmUGY
....but do not want sand in the tumbling chaeto department.
chatyak
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14453238#post14453238 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty
I'm not sure... I'm not familiar with that ATO unit. If it had some way to signal the pump to turn on and off, then it would probably work.
However most gravity fed (float valve) systems work by opening and closing a valve depending on where the float is located, and gravity does the work. So unless yours has a way to utilize a pump... it won't work.
Yeah they are great little ATO pumps because they have such a slow flow rate. It would really have to stick on for a long time to completely nuke or overflow your system. They also need maintenance every few months, especially if you use them with kalk... but they're great little pumps... and dirt cheap.
I can no longer use mine since I added the Aquacontroller 3 to my system. Apparently the dc8 carries enough stray voltage that it can turn the pump on, but has trouble turning it off. So it's going to go on the frag tank.
I'm very happy with the MSX skimmer. Like I said, they're are modeled after the ATI Bubblemaster line of skimmers, but half the price.
Although I got to witness a Royal Exclusive BubbleKing External 300 skimmer today w/ a self cleaning head. Now THAT was a skimmer... might cost more than some people's cars though... but I was in awe watching this thing. :lol:
As far as the PO4 test kits go... I've always been able to get some reading with the Salifert kit. You may need to ask around a little more though.... as I'm not sure how much algae present in the system would (if at all) throw off the readings. I think the Hannah PO4 meter is considered the top of the line... Honestly... I have no idea.
Here are the symbols (recycling codes) for you... usually located on the bottom of the container:
Great stuff. I will check at Home Depot tomorrow. What do you think of wheeled brute bins? Will the wheels plop off with the weight of the water?
I can always pump the water from one bin to the next with this tubing couldn't I? (Braided nylon)
I don't want to use the vinyl tubing from HD anymore.. I think it's dirty inside.
chatyak
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14453238#post14453238 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty
I'm not sure... I'm not familiar with that ATO unit. If it had some way to signal the pump to turn on and off, then it would probably work.
However most gravity fed (float valve) systems work by opening and closing a valve depending on where the float is located, and gravity does the work. So unless yours has a way to utilize a pump... it won't work.
Yeah they are great little ATO pumps because they have such a slow flow rate. It would really have to stick on for a long time to completely nuke or overflow your system. They also need maintenance every few months, especially if you use them with kalk... but they're great little pumps... and dirt cheap.
I can no longer use mine since I added the Aquacontroller 3 to my system. Apparently the dc8 carries enough stray voltage that it can turn the pump on, but has trouble turning it off. So it's going to go on the frag tank.
I'm very happy with the MSX skimmer. Like I said, they're are modeled after the ATI Bubblemaster line of skimmers, but half the price.
Although I got to witness a Royal Exclusive BubbleKing External 300 skimmer today w/ a self cleaning head. Now THAT was a skimmer... might cost more than some people's cars though... but I was in awe watching this thing. :lol:
As far as the PO4 test kits go... I've always been able to get some reading with the Salifert kit. You may need to ask around a little more though.... as I'm not sure how much algae present in the system would (if at all) throw off the readings. I think the Hannah PO4 meter is considered the top of the line... Honestly... I have no idea.
Here are the symbols (recycling codes) for you... usually located on the bottom of the container:
Would this skimmer work?
http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/p...uper+Marine+200+Internal+Protein+Skimmer.html
You said someone tested ATI vs MSX and the MSX outperformed the ATI? Why so much for ATI then?
Tswifty
New member
I use the 44g brute can with the little trash can dolly (purchased separately) under it, and have never had issues. I would not pick up one of the cans that has 2 wheels attached to the can for the reason you stated.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14453258#post14453258 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chatyak
Great stuff. I will check at Home Depot tomorrow. What do you think of wheeled brute bins? Will the wheels plop off with the weight of the water?
I can always pump the water from one bin to the next with this tubing couldn't I? (Braided nylon)
I don't want to use the vinyl tubing from HD anymore.. I think it's dirty inside.
Sure, that tubing would work fine.
:lol:
Tswifty
New member
Another "high-end" skimmer is the Reeflo Orca skimmers. I believe the models are 200 & 250.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-11/pr/index.php
I know a few guys who run these skimmers on their systems and love them as well. I have a friend who runs the 250 (w/ the extended neck), and I forget how many gallons of water the skimmer itself holds. It's something ridiculous though.
The guy running the Reeflo Orca 250 has probably 400g total system volume (220 SPS display).
The guy running the BubbleKing 300 I think has around 300g total system volume w/ 125g SPS display.
http://www.buckley1.com/Buckley1/Welcome.html
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-11/pr/index.php
I know a few guys who run these skimmers on their systems and love them as well. I have a friend who runs the 250 (w/ the extended neck), and I forget how many gallons of water the skimmer itself holds. It's something ridiculous though.
The guy running the Reeflo Orca 250 has probably 400g total system volume (220 SPS display).
The guy running the BubbleKing 300 I think has around 300g total system volume w/ 125g SPS display.
http://www.buckley1.com/Buckley1/Welcome.html
Last edited:
chatyak
New member
I'm debating getting this one...
http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/p...uper+Marine+200+Internal+Protein+Skimmer.html
What if it doesn't skim as well as the lifereef i have now?
http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/p...uper+Marine+200+Internal+Protein+Skimmer.html
What if it doesn't skim as well as the lifereef i have now?
