Scaley water on surface...why

[pkstylez]

Noticed my surface water looked scaley. Then also noticed my right side return wasn't draining. Pulled out the drain pipe and flooded the sump with stale water in return not tank is cloudy.

Is it a good idea to flush the returns and clean the drains?
And what does scaley water mean? Lack of movement? Protein skimmer behind?

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[LeJeune981]

By "scaley" water.. do you mean like dusty looking..like a film on the surface?

If so.. that just means you don't have enough surface agitation and the surge e becomes stagnant..

I point my powerheads towards the surface to create alot of movement to prevent it becomeing stagnant and it also allows for good gas exchange for the tank

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[Easy E]

Film on the surface is pretty common. You just need something to break it up. Ideally you should put the inlet to your skimmer right at the surface so it sucks in all the film. You will need to keep the tank topped off for that to work. That's not possible for me, so I take a powerhead and point it up to create waves.

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[pkstylez]

What about returns ? Pull drain pvc out and scrub and drain?

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[ReefkeeperZ]

should be cleaning drains and weirs (if you have them) regularly I have 2" drains so I pretty much never "need" to clean the drain it's also a straight drop to the sump but I still run a bottle brush through it every month just in case. (it's easy for me because I just drop a length of polyester twine down the drain and the flow pulls it through then I yard the brush down through it)

I also remove and clean my return lines once a month since they are clear and smaller dimension they clog faster impeding flow. PVC wont clog as fast but cleaning them is stilla good idea. it's amazing how many life forms can thrive in that high flow environment slowing down flow.

 

[mcgyvr]

protein slick..