What are you feeding you animals?? You may not have a skimmer problem
but a lack of food. I've check around at some of the aquatic farms and
most say feed as much as the animals will take. I don't exactly do that
but I feed 3 times a day 9AM when the Ultralums come on and again at 4-5
PM and then at 7-8 pm as lights go down. We make our own fish food using
a variation of AThiels recipt using fresh sea animal that are available
here. For morning we mix a flat piece of home made food about the size
of a 1/4 a dollar bill to a piece of thawed brine shrimp about the size
of 4 quarter stacked and a table spoon of Omega One Marine flake and a
table spoon Omega Veggie flake with enough Boyd's Vita Chem to give it
texture. The two evening meals are the same as the morning except we use
O.S.I Spirulina in place of the Omega Veggie. On Mon, Wed, & Fri we add
a little Marine Phytoplankton. After the first evening meal I drip 2
tsp of KSM and Vital Gold to the sump. I also add 1/4 tsp of Iodine to
the sump separate from the other additives.
I have a heavily stocked tank .
jp
Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Joe Stiene
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 1:05 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: CHANGE AIRSTONES IN RON'S SKIMMER
This is getting more interesting as more folks chime in. More info on
my
system: I have a 125 with a Calcium Reactor. I have 3 Iwasaki 250W
Metal
Halides along with a pair of VHO Actinics for supplement. This is
supposedly a popular configuration that I run. My Alk is stable around
3.53
and my Calcium is around 400. I don't add anything else to the tank
with
the exception of food for the fish, which includes 2 Clown fish, 1 Blue
Tang, 1 Banggai Cardinal and one 3" goby. I have many
copepods,bristleworms,mysid shrimp also. I also run a 5" sand bed. I
also
use Salifert test kits, so I know my measurements are correct. Overal,
my
setup is optimized. Except my corals don't grow. So I have been trying
to
figure out what the problem is. Finally I started thinking maybe my
skimmer
is pulling all the vital elements out of the saltwater. As the result,
maybe I am starving the tank....anyway...I guess I will see what happens
as
the weeks go by. I was also only feeding the tank every 3 days or so..I
am
increasing that two every other day and then every day.
Joe
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Jerry Porter
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 2:28 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: CHANGE AIRSTONES IN RON'S SKIMMER
I agree and I have the same problem with coralline. The 90 gal (daisy)
worse than the 220 and the 90 is skimming more than the 220. You change
water for the additives but have you ever tested the water you will use
to do a water change for buffers or calcium levels. I too use Reef
Crystals and change 10% weekly but have tested the water to go into the
tank and found the buffers are lower than I wish. Maybe the type of
container I use to make water??
jp
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Elden Bucher
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 9:03 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: CHANGE AIRSTONES IN RON'S SKIMMER
The issue that the skimmer is to blame for no coral growth or coralline
algae is interesting. There can be several other issues as well as the
skimmer. Lighting, PH, calcium levels, etc.....
There are no 2 reef tanks alike. Hobbyists may employ similar
techniques
but they won't be 100% the same. Grant you, I have a heavy stocked
system.......I have to use a razor blade every 2 weeks to scrap the
corraline algae off the glass. I use ESV Bionic 2 part daily and drip 1
gallon kalk daily to maintain calcium levels. I do a 10% water change
every
2 weeks. I use Reef Crystals salt.....
I have found it easier to change the water every 2 weeks than trying to
add
additives.
I use Golden Pearls to feed the corals......coral growth is good.
Not to start a debate but I use VHO lighting....I am doing mostly soft
corals so the lighting is more than enough for my system.
Keep us up to date how things go after you remove the skimmer.
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