Potential 9005 Buyer

[Brian77]

I am building a 30 gallon saltwater tank without a sump and I recently heard about the 9005 skimmer. I know it is intended for the all in one units, but will it work inside a 30 gallon display tank? I do not currently have an ato, will I constantly be fiddling with the 9005 as the water level in the display changes? Also, how noisy is the unit? The tank is in my bedroom and I am a fairly light sleeper. One final question, are micro bubbles a problem? The tank will be holding seahorses and micro bubbles can cause them significant problems.

Thanks!

 

[rvitko]

I would be dishonest if I told you it won't produce any microbubbles, but to that extent I have never seen an intank or hang on skimmer, even with a bubble trap that produced absolutely no microbubbles. The water level can slowly fluctuate up to 1" and it won't have a dramatic effect on the skimmer. An ATO would be ideal however. I think to really get to where you want to be you should use a sump or even consider going skimmerless. Seahorses tend to live in fairly nutrient rich water, at least where we find them in South Texas they live in the brackish water bays that are full of mud and mangroves and the mud is very anaerobic and high in organics, it is black and every time you step really foul gas bubbles come to the surface. I might try a miracle mud or similar DSB type substrate and lots of macro algaes and possible a small skimmer in a sump or a 9002 in a small acrylic box placed in tank like an overflow with no drain and use that to control microbubbles.

 

[Brian77]

Roger, I really appreciate the information. I actually screwed up and was thinking about the 9002 all along, not the 9005. So the 9002 would work in a display tank but you feel that there would be a problem with micro bubbles, correct?

I'm not exactly sure how the unit works, but would it be possible to use a sponge on the return side to reduce the possibility of micro bubbles? You mention using an acrylic box in the display tank with a 9002, how would that take care of the micro bubble issue?

I have heard of several seahorse setups using the Remora C and Octopus HOB's but I don't have the room behind the tank for them. Do you think the chance of micro bubbles are greater with the 9002 then say a Remora C or just as likely?

Also, I know it sounds silly, but how noisy is the unit while running?

Thanks for all of your help!

Brian

 

[rvitko]

If you have it set up correctly it is very quiet, I would say quieter than the other options. The microbubbles will be comparable to the others but they offer bubble traps which will reduce them, but you will still have some escape (I cannot say for the Reef Octopus as I have never used one). My suggestion is build a small box with a surface skimmer, just like a built in overflow and place the skimmer inside it to contain the bubbles. You would need a small pump inside the overflow box. The skimmer really has no intake side or return side, the pump recirculates the water and proteins and waste diffuse in by osmosis, but bubble escape from the bottom and slots in the back, especially when the skimmer is brand new.

 

[Brian77]

Roger,

I really appreciate your help and I want to run a couple more things past you.

Could I create an overflow box with a surface skimmer and make the box a few inches longer then the 9002 but keep the bottom open? My thinking here is that with the open bottom I wouldn't need a pump and that any micro bubbles should stay within the box and rise to the surface (since the walls are lower then the skimmer and figuring that the bubbles should rise and not fall).

What if I just covered the openings with on the skimmer with some filter sponge material and not use the box?

My knowledge of skimmers in general (especially the Tunze) is very limited so I apologize if my solutions are completely off base and missing the problem. It just looks like a great product and I'd really like to get it to work.

Thanks,

BRian

 

[E.intheC]

I want to throw in my 2 cents on this. I've used both the Tunze 9002 and the Aqua C Remora. The Remora threw out tons more microbubbles and wasn't nearly as effective. The Tunze is a good unit that shouldn't produce too many bubbles.