Well I've now gone through 48 hours with the turf, and about the same time with no skimmer. I originally had some carbon and polyfilters in, but took them out along with turning the skimmer off. Tonight the phos tested 0, and the nitrate about 3, same as the last several weeks. However, I QUADRUPLED the feeding: Twice as much plankton and phyto along with the fish, and, doing it twice a day instead of one, which I've never done before. No additional algae has formed on the glass; I'm just started to get it today (was last cleaned three days ago), about what I'd expect pre-turf.
PH seems to have settled in at .2 above normal. I shut off kalk for a full day and it settled in at 8.15, whereas it would normally be 7.95 without kalk.
The turf screen seems to have cleared a few more spots, at least that's what I'm perceiving. However when I went back and looked at the pics above, it looks the same. I'll wait a week and take another series of pics.
One of my four clams jumped off the rock he'd been sitting on for months; they normally jump off when they aren't happy. Maybe the turf has taken the clam's N and P, and made him mad.
jjr1964: If it's normal for a skimmer to stop working when turf is used properly, why have a lot of folks in the past been able to keep using their skimmers. I'm keeping my skimmer in the sump (unplugged) for now, but usage of it is not an option.
tmz: You say that cost, surge and lighting kept you away from turf in the past. Cost of course, starting at $3,000 for a commercial unit (if you can find one). But did the surge or the lighting pose a problem for your tank? Or were you saying that building one with surge and lighting would be a problem. I'm happy that, besides the timer and pre-seeded screen, this turf in a bucket system is (kinda like a DSB in a bucket) basically free. I think most people have the materials. I wish I knew if not having a timer would be a problem; I'd be scared to turn my timer off and chance the turf dying.
Why doesn't someone show me that I'm not going skimmer crazy, and build a "freebie" turf in a bucket with no timer and no seeded screen, hook it up and see what happens over the next four weeks? If it will help, here's what I used:
o 5 gal bucket
o 700 gph pump (might be okay to use down to 400)
o 1.25 inch pvc for spraybar; mine was a narrow-walled one meant for a sink drain. A 1/8 inch slit longways for the screen to go into.
o Tank divider rails, to hold the screen straight, from the Penn Plax 29-55 gal size. Could
also use 1/2 inch stiff tubing split down the length. If you use stiff screen (stiffer
than the Penn Plax), it will stand up by itself without rails.
o 3/4 inch clear vinyl tubing, from pump to bucket, and from bucket drain back to tank.
o Bulkhead for the 3/4 inch drain in bottom of bucket.
o Packaging tape to seal one end of the spraybar closed, and to attach the other end of the
spraybar to the 3/4 tubing, and to position the spraybar on top of the bucket in the
middle so it won't slide off.
o Two clip-on lamp holders; bulbs are CFL 23W (125W equivalent light output; 5100K)
And for those willing to buy a timer and seeded screen ($150 total)...
o Call Mike at Inland Aquatics 812-232-9000, and get turf "sized to a 5 gal bucket" overnighted to you. Already have your bucket operating, though.
o The JBJ Ocean Pulse Duo timer. Any wavemaker timer will do, though.
Maybe I should change the name of this thread to "turf in a bucket"
