I bet. That makes sense. I get tired of changing the socks daily,although its not real hard. I might try lowering the dose amount just to see if the slime curtails some. Maybe something I just have to live with?
vinegar dosing
- Thread starter biecacka
- Start date
I bet. That makes sense. I get tired of changing the socks daily,although its not real hard. I might try lowering the dose amount just to see if the slime curtails some. Maybe something I just have to live with?
jimmy frag
New member
i found that under skimming was the problem with slime.
Sounds perfect.
I change most (maybe 3/4) of it every 2 weeks or so, but I do leave some as a starter culture, although I do not know if that has any real benefit or not.
I'll look into that. I run a ETSS-1400 which seems to do good job skimming. I'll crank it up some.
Big E
Premium Member
If it was me, I would just eliminate the socks..........I really don't see the benifit. The bacteria will colonize somewhere else & the skimmer will get the excess.
The bacteria is growing heavy in the socks because it's trapping detritus/nutrients for the bacteria to feed on.
The bacteria is growing heavy in the socks because it's trapping detritus/nutrients for the bacteria to feed on.
Steveb
Premium Member
So I'm thinking concentrating (via trapping in the sock) the things we want to remove and making it easily available to the bacteria that consume it along with a nice surface to colonize on would be a good thing. Skimmer already gets a ton of nasty dark brown gunk.
Besides that they do help polish the water. I have run the system both ways and the water looks to my eyes to be cleaner when the sock is in vs. out.
Big E
Premium Member
Changing clogged socks once a day is just more work. I look at dosing vinegar to eliminate chores not add to them.
The bacteria will find somewhere to go. I've been dosing for about 3 weeks & don't have any socks or anything else & the bacteria have found a place to go. My skimate is definately darker & that's what a skimmer is supposed to do.
In the end, it's a personal preference. To me anything that clogs or holds detritus is a PO4 producer. I want that out of the system not allowing water to constantly flow through it.
The bacteria will find somewhere to go. I've been dosing for about 3 weeks & don't have any socks or anything else & the bacteria have found a place to go. My skimate is definately darker & that's what a skimmer is supposed to do.
In the end, it's a personal preference. To me anything that clogs or holds detritus is a PO4 producer. I want that out of the system not allowing water to constantly flow through it.
Steveb
Premium Member
Yeah I don't change socks ever day... Usually for mine its 2-3 days to get slimy, another 2 to get to where it is just starting to overflow and by Saturday at the next change its about 50% overflowing. Funny thing is they are really not that visibly dirty. I usually change mine every Saturday along with water change and skimmer cleaning. Once a month I change GAC/GFO and pull circulation pumps for a vinegar soak. So really its no additional work but I understand what you mean.
FWIW, if you are willing to spend the time and effort, collecting the slime and exporting it frequently on a sock is a good way to export nutrients.
FWIW, if you are willing to spend the time and effort, collecting the slime and exporting it frequently on a sock is a good way to export nutrients.
Is the slime Not a good thing? I though the bacteria was eating the nutrients.
Steveb
Premium Member
felt 200 micron 4x14
Alright, so I was happy and now I'm starting to worry. Started dosing vinegar a week ago today and everything was looking great and even darking up. Now I see bleach spots on my green birdnest and on my orange/green birdnest. The other corals are starting to lighten up too. I have 90 gallon sps only with 3 fish, two green chromis and one disjardini tang so I'm light on the bioload.
Salifert dkh 9.6
Elos cal 480
Elos mg 1300
Sg 1.025
Temp 76
2x250 MH bulbs are 7 months test kits are a little newer.
0 ppm NO3 Elos
0 ppm PO4 Hanna
But I believe I have both since I have a little HA
I have a bubble magus auto dosing unit so chems are dosed slowly 24 hours a day. No burnt tips except growth.
I'm running 24 hour GAC reactor but I just cut that off. I think it is the GAc doing it. I have 4 fish in qt right now so it will be another month before I add them. Also, I can't up the feedings anymore.
I'm thinking about getting some AA tomorrow after work. What you think?
One more thing, I do 5 gallon water changes every week and I have two spots that have HA about the size of 50 cent pieces.
Salifert dkh 9.6
Elos cal 480
Elos mg 1300
Sg 1.025
Temp 76
2x250 MH bulbs are 7 months test kits are a little newer.
0 ppm NO3 Elos
0 ppm PO4 Hanna
But I believe I have both since I have a little HA
I have a bubble magus auto dosing unit so chems are dosed slowly 24 hours a day. No burnt tips except growth.
I'm running 24 hour GAC reactor but I just cut that off. I think it is the GAc doing it. I have 4 fish in qt right now so it will be another month before I add them. Also, I can't up the feedings anymore.
I'm thinking about getting some AA tomorrow after work. What you think?
One more thing, I do 5 gallon water changes every week and I have two spots that have HA about the size of 50 cent pieces.
It is, but exporting the whole bacteria takes those nutrients permanently out of the system, while leaving it in doesn't necessarily do so.
