After some discussion with Todd aka twillard I am convinced that my skimmer is not functioning at a optimum level. He tells me that through the great advice here and from others his tank is doing better than it ever has. This was due to his skimmer now working effectivly. So I am sending out an SOS (the Police are on tour again ya know) to Skimmerwhisperer and anyone else who may have a clue!
Specs
90gal tank with a sump about 8-10gal worth. It is a corner overflow tank set up water flows down into the sump no filter bag unless I am doing a major tank scrub (which happens rarely maybe 3 times in the past year). Skimmer is a AquaC Ev-120 which is overdriven by a Mag5 if I remember correctly (which sits down in the low side of the sump). I have a valve installed between the pump and skimmer to control the flow and keep the water at the correct level (if the pump was to run at its own rate I would have water shooting out the top of the skimmer). It bubbles right at the level it is supposed to as told to me by the folks at AquaC. The air valve is opened all the way seems to create the best bubble flow to me (and again what they told me). Water then flows back into the low side of the sump. I clean out the skimmer overflow bucket maybe once a month only because I want to not because I need to.
Here is why I think it is not working. I went on vacation for a week and set up a auto feeder that just trickled out a very small amount of food for the fish (all small less that 2.5 inches, 1 flame angel, 1 percula clown, psedocromis, 1 yellow tang, 2 blennys). So not much food, very little bioload. Thus my corals, (just some polyops and mushrooms) did great, in fact I had a fair bit of new growth. I came home very happy! Vacation and new coral! So it leads me to belive that my bioload is high or my skimmer is not doing its job, I think its the skimmer. I have had a problem with some cyanoalgae (red slimey stuff). That was also greatly decreased after vacation.
I do have a Tunze streammaker to stir up the water in the tank (it is all timed to pulse on and off throughout the day).
So I am open to suggestions
Thanks
Travis
Specs
90gal tank with a sump about 8-10gal worth. It is a corner overflow tank set up water flows down into the sump no filter bag unless I am doing a major tank scrub (which happens rarely maybe 3 times in the past year). Skimmer is a AquaC Ev-120 which is overdriven by a Mag5 if I remember correctly (which sits down in the low side of the sump). I have a valve installed between the pump and skimmer to control the flow and keep the water at the correct level (if the pump was to run at its own rate I would have water shooting out the top of the skimmer). It bubbles right at the level it is supposed to as told to me by the folks at AquaC. The air valve is opened all the way seems to create the best bubble flow to me (and again what they told me). Water then flows back into the low side of the sump. I clean out the skimmer overflow bucket maybe once a month only because I want to not because I need to.
Here is why I think it is not working. I went on vacation for a week and set up a auto feeder that just trickled out a very small amount of food for the fish (all small less that 2.5 inches, 1 flame angel, 1 percula clown, psedocromis, 1 yellow tang, 2 blennys). So not much food, very little bioload. Thus my corals, (just some polyops and mushrooms) did great, in fact I had a fair bit of new growth. I came home very happy! Vacation and new coral! So it leads me to belive that my bioload is high or my skimmer is not doing its job, I think its the skimmer. I have had a problem with some cyanoalgae (red slimey stuff). That was also greatly decreased after vacation.
I do have a Tunze streammaker to stir up the water in the tank (it is all timed to pulse on and off throughout the day).
So I am open to suggestions
Thanks
Travis
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