scolley's Big Little Nano – yet another build thread

You're welcome. It was worth a decent write-up anyway.

And forgive my repetition, but I want to make sure everyone reading this thread is clear... I'm a fan of ATSs. But I do not subscribe to the notion that they replace good husbandry practices like regular water changes, using DO/DI for your salt mix, and running a skimmer. IMO they are everything you ever hoped for that big ball of chaeto in your skimmer. ;)

In fact, I'm not convinced that a really, really good chaeto setup might not be as good. I've just never been too successful with it, so I wouldn't know. This however, does not die like Chaeto does on me when my Nitrates and Phosphates get low. The ATS pounds those numbers down, and keeps them down. :)
 
In dealing with my cyano issues I've been increasing my skimmer maintenance. Normally I clean my cup weekly. Over the last week or two I've been doing it daily. What I've found is that in one day I get about 1/2 the skimmate I normally accumulate in a week. Well... It does not take a genius to realize that that means my Tunze 9002 is hitting its uncleaned limit in a couple of days. That's 5 days out of 7 with little/no skimming if I stick with the weekly cup cleaning schedule. Which I will. And more frequently is too much maintenance for me

This begs the need of a better skimmer. This has been suggested earlier in this thread. I'm happy to upgrade. I'm not concerned about the cost of a skimmer for such a small tank. But I'm dimensionally challenged.

My wet section is 17.5" high. Factoring the thickness of the sump bottom, practically speaking that's 17.25". So that's all the height I have to fit at skimmer AND remove the cup. Anything higher means serious stand interior rework. An option, but highly undesirable.

Also, the sections in my sump are all 6" wide (ID). So any replacement has to have its smallest dimension 6" or less. The alternative is to have a new sump made. But frankly I'm happier to do that than rebuild the inside of the stand to accommodate a taller sump.

Any suggestions for a better skimmer hopefully no more than 17.25" high, with the smallest dimension 6" or less? I figured I'd ask here before I created a new thread to ask.

Thanks! :)
 
Too bad you have the room limitation....I'd recommend the SWC 120 but you'd need another several inches of clearance. What about a second Nano skimmer?
 
What's the other dimensions? 6" x X". How high is the water level in that part of the sump? I had to mod mine to make it fit put it was not that hard to do.
 
tpallas said:
Too bad you have the room limitation....I'd recommend the SWC 120 but you'd need another several inches of clearance. What about a second Nano skimmer?
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Actually that's a good suggestion. Thanks. I looked at those, and unless I'm missing something, I'd need another 1.25". That's to accommodate its 18" height and 1/2" clearance for cup removal. It would not be TOO hard to do that. A PITA, but doable.

A 2nd 9002 is a thought. Going to have to cogitate on that for a while. Thanks. ;)

clittrell said:
What's the other dimensions? 6" x X". How high is the water level in that part of the sump? I had to mod mine to make it fit put it was not that hard to do.
Click to expand...
The chambers in my sump are ID 6" x 15". So a SWC 120 would just barely fit with its 6" x 7.25" footprint.

For water depth, that chamber in my sump is currently 9.5". If I had a new sump made, I could go as low at 6.5". Unfortunately the SWC wants 5-8". So that means major mods to my sump, or a new one. Raising the skimmer would be an option, but only if my stand had lots more vertical space.

How did you mod yours to reduce space (height)?
 
I have done plumbing Mods to save space and convert Reef Octopus to standard plumbing sizes since it was metric. A lathe can help with that. :) Have you thought about a hang on back. It seems you have room in the second chamber and depending on the size you may be able to put the intake and exit in the skimmer chamber and the skimmer in the middle chamber. Just a thought but I was looking and reef octopus may have some options. Also you may be able to get these guys to build you a custom one, or you could cut it. I have tools if you need to cut stuff.
 
Thanks for the offer on the tools! :thumbsup: Problem is, I've got no clue what kind of mods would compromise functionality. Skimmers must be so tall for a reason.

The HOB idea's good too, Thanks. Will explore that.

Never thought about custom either. Another good idea. I think I'll make some calls tomorrow. ;)
 
I called SWC today, and they were very, very helpful in talking about doing custom to make SWC xtreme 120 fit my stand. Unfortunately it meant taking the water level in my sump - potentially - down to 5.5" deep. And that's not possible with my pumps.

But they were very nice. Very responsive and helpful. Given the good reviews their skimmers get, I will not hesitate to give a SWC serious consideration on my next tank.
 
You know, as I reflect on my current predicament - needing a better skimmer, but unable to fit one in - I'm forced to reflect on the obvious. Specifically, what was the value of all the extensive planning I went through if something so fundamental can be wrong?

I guess the its the fact that I assumed my Tunze 9002s parents adequate performance in my old 29g would be sufficient for my new 33g. But I suspect where the wheels fell off the wagon was my overlooking the fact that skimming a mature 29g might be a LOT easier than skimming a new 33g, beyond the obvious minor 4g volume difference.

So... Maybe I don't have a problem at all. I've posted the fact that I've got a cyano issue. Clearly there is stuff leaching out of my new rock. Maybe that's what's giving my 90002 such a hard time. So while I'll continue to explore the possibilities of accommodating a new one, I don't think I'll pull the rip cord until - and unless - my chain goes away and I STILL have a skimming problem.
 
You know, as I reflect on my current predicament - needing a better skimmer, but unable to fit one in - I'm forced to reflect on the obvious. Specifically, what was the value of all the extensive planning I went through if something so fundamental can be wrong?

I guess the its the fact that I assumed my Tunze 9002s apparently adequate performance in my old 29g would be sufficient for my new 33g. But I suspect where the wheels fell off the wagon was my overlooking the fact that skimming a mature 29g might be a LOT easier than skimming a new 33g, beyond the obvious minor 4g volume difference.

So... Maybe I don't have a problem at all. I've posted the fact that I've got a cyano issue. Clearly there is stuff leaching out of my new rock. Maybe that's what's giving my 90002 such a hard time. So while I'll continue to explore the possibilities of accommodating a new one, I don't think I'll pull the rip cord until - and unless - my chain goes away and I STILL have a skimming problem.
 
scolley said:
I don't think I'll pull the rip cord until - and unless - my chain goes away and I STILL have a skimming problem.
Click to expand...
Huh? What chain? I think that was "cyano" that got autocorrected by my HP Touchpad. Gotta stop posting with that thing.

clittrell said:
Sounds like a wise plan. I really like the way you talk through your plans in Posts.
Click to expand...
Thanks! LOL! Do you like twice as much when I double-post? ;) I REALLY gotta be careful with that Touchpad!

reyrd said:
Steve,
I read a thread on this forum that a fellow reefer solve his cyano issue by replacing the spiral pc light on his sump with 5000k led light.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the help. But that's not going to do it for me. He had measurable phosphates at 0.2 ppm. If the last post is to be taken at face value, the lamp in his sump was not growing his chaeto fast enough. He replaced the lamp. Chaeto grew, and cyano died due to lack of phosphates. That's not going to happen in my case, because I'm ALREADY doing that by virtue of my ATS. If what appears to work in your referenced thread was going to work for me, I would have never gotten cyano in the first place. On that topic though...

My cyano is both spreading, and diminishing. It's moved to the other large new rock. But it is less aggressive. I had been removing it daily. Now only every 3-4 days. Don't get me wrong... it's still bad. But appears to be improving.

In researching cyano here I came across a fascinating comment by a fellow reefer (wish I could remember who to give them credit). In one of the many long cyano threads here, they posted a very informed sounding post that was pretty much ignored. They basically said that once cyano starts, it's going to continue until you rob it of its carbon source. That it can survive just fine without N & P if it's got a carbon source.

So I've been watching the pH on my tank. It's lower than I'm used to seeing it in my old 29g. The salt mix is the same. Dosing is the same. Its lights are the same. It's even in the same exact location. So why's the pH so low? Simple. It's dead of winter, and the house is sealed up tight as a drum. And the tank is in my family room where 2-4 of us gather every night for 4-5 hours. Our respiration is carbonating the tank, driving down my tank's pH, and possibly providing the cyano an carbon source in the form of dissolved CO2.

Week before last my wife, one of my sons, and I took a three day trip. One son remained. When I returned, I was expecting to see BAD cyano, since I had been removing it daily. Instead I was shocked to see it barely different that when I had left three days previously. And a quick look at my Apex' pH history graphs and it was clear... my pH had clearly risen. Why? Fewer people exhaling in that room for several days. Less carbon, less cyano? Maybe.

And since it's a bacterial problem, having mono-colonies appear to promote cyany. That's why it's "new tank syndrome". So I'm fighting it bacteriologically also. A little over a week ago I started hitting the tank with a couple of drops of ZEObak every other day. I'm trying to help establish a better beneficial bacteria population. Did I mention that it's improving? :)

Time will tell. Either beneficial bacteria, open windows in the springtime, or just plain old tank maturity will kick in sometime over the next few weeks or months, and hopefully it will become history. Or maybe a combination of all three. I'm not really worried.
 
Though - as I stated earlier - I'm not inclined to purchase a new skimmer until my tank is past this "new tank syndrome" stuff, I have been researching skimmers. The height limitation of my sump really limits options. And I've come to the conclusion that I'm absolutely unwilling to raise the shelf that limits that height by more than an inch, if that.

So I've kind of settled on an Eshopps S120. Will just barely fit.Though I cannot find out how much additional height is needed for cup removal. But I've seen pics of one disassembled, and and it does not look like more than an inch. That's still too much for me, but could be accommodated with a slight raising of that shelf, or modding the skimmer (maybe). And the thing about this skimmer is that it appears to be the variety that does not require raising it up or down in the water (impossible in my sump) to dail it in. But I'm not real skimmer savvy. Someone please let me know if I've got that wrong. Thanks.
 
Have you considered an external skimmer? It would circumvent stand and sump size limitations, but would mean no longer having everything contained in the same footprint. If this isn't a deal breaker, an external skimmer could be concealed quite easily in a small cabinet or some such furniture near the tank.
 
That's a good idea Crooks. Thank you.

Fact is, everything necessary to sustain this setup is not in the stand now. I've got a remote chiller, a remote saltwater reservoir, remote DO/DI, remote ATO reservoir, and remote 2-part pumps and supplies. Why not a remote skimmer?

I mean, sure... I'd be disappointed for it to not be in the sump as planned. But the fact is my plans are already potentially blown. Those plans depended on a Tunze 9002 being suffecient.

Any reccomendations?

I've reviewed the usual suspects, and nothing seems quite right. Oh... BTW, I've git a cabinet less than 9 inches from the stand, so there's lots of room.
 
I assume you planned carefully for the sump in the stand for good reason and I know nothing about the layout of your home but what about going remote with the sump? It would free up a number of options for you. Probably something you considered right from the start but just thought I'd throw it out there.
 
A whole remote sump is a good suggestion. Thanks. But I'm afraid for it's not consistent with my long term plans. I've not discussed those thus far...

For a future project I plan on creating a kind of bench seat, something that looks similar i style to the stand. And into that love seat I'll move my RO/DI, salt and fresh reservoirs, and my remote 2-part pumps and alk, Ca, and Mg solution containers. It would require plumbing connections in back. But then my whole tank and supporting systems would be the tank/stand combo, the nearby bench seat, and the chiller.

A sump COULD theoretically go in that bench seat. But I'd rather not if I can help it.

Thanks though. :)
 
Given that there likely aren't a whole lot of options for a small-load recirc skimmer, my preference would be the SWC 120. It's not a recirc (but could be modded), however, the simplest solution would be to sit it in a container in your spare cabinet. A 5 gallon tank would fit the 120 with room to spare. Drill it for a bulkhead drain and feed it from the main sump. This would work for any skimmer you prefer, I just like the SWC 120 as I have the 160 and love it :)
 
I strongly prefer to keep any skimmer in my current sump. The problem with the 120 is it's water depth need. I don't have the room to raise and lower a skimmer. And with the 120, that means a new sump were the water level itself can be raised and lowered. It's not a big deal to do that - my old sump did that. But that just means having a new sump fabbed and swapping out sumps too.

But with the Eshopps it works with the 9.5" of water that's in there now. IF there's room to remove the cup.
 
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