Red Sea ReefMat 500 roll usage

[Mr31415]

I have the Red Sea ReefMat 500 installed in my sump in a Red Sea Reefer 350 G2+ running for about 3 weeks now. The daily usage was about 10cm until the 10th, when it jumped to 26cm, then 38 the next day, then 54 the next.

The only changes I made on the 10th was a water change, and I added a small clown fish, two snails and two hermits. I started dosing Tropic Marine Balling 3 part as well. I target feed the clown once a day with some frozen brine shrimp / mysis shrimp. Why would the usage of the roll skyrocket like that?

I did look at the gunk on the filter paper and it is brown so it is picking up something...

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Depends a lot on how much food goes down the overflow.
Turning the pump off helps a lot or soaking your food so it doesn't float.

 

[Mr31415]

Sure but if I add 4 brine shrimp surely the reef mat will not use almost 1 meter of roll to flush that out even if they all went over the overflow.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Double check the setting of the float switch that activates the motor.
You might be able to raise it some.

 

[Mr31415]

It is securely locked on the side of the unit and at the same height as the previous 2 weeks where it operated fine. I tried removing the GAC in the bottom holder to see if that helps.

 

[kharmaguru]

Perhaps some microscopic algae is prospering in your water and the filter is catching that. You may find it subsides after a few weeks or gets worse depending on what it is.

 

[Mr31415]

Well that I can figure out - will look at the mat under my microscope.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

I think there was someone with a similar problem.
He found it was due to the media basket reducing the flow out from the roller section.
Once he removed the basket everything went back to normal.
Try that.

 

[Mr31415]

Yeah thanks I did mention that I pulled the GAC in the bottom holder yesterday.... It made some difference but not as much as I hoped for.