Jump to content

Serious nitrate problems!!

Gilbert

By Gilbert,
in New to the Hobby

 Share

Recommended Posts

Gilbert Starfish

Gilbert

  • Author

I'll gladly take it Tony D, btw I have mushroom thing I told you about. I'm not sure if its a ricordia or just another mushroom. Its got a purplish pink body and the bubbles on them are beautiful neon green. Heres a pic from my phone of the mushroom, its the biggest one on top of the rock, for the past week it moved up to that rock and has detached it's foot and its barely hanging on to the rock with the last small mushroom its parting from. It actually came withe the LR that was given to me when I first began my tank in January. It has finally given me four smaller mushrooms. So if you're still interested I can give you this thing lol

post-2632362-129157818492_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TonyD Tang

TonyD

Gilbert,

 

I looked in my bin of spare fish equipment and I can't find it. I don't recall if I threw it out or not. I'll look again, but I'm afraid I might have trashed it when I didn't have a use for it anymore. :sad:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gilbert Starfish

Gilbert

  • Author

oh know!! lol its okay no worries, I'll think I'll wait for the next cheap ro/di unit anyone wants to sell on the forum and also a skimmer rated up to I guess 150 gallons for my tank. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OldReefer Grandmaster Reefer

OldReefer

Check out the Avast CS1kit. Very affordable skimmer for that your tank and built in Del Ray. That plus some of the

Instant Ocean Nitrate Reducer could get things back in line while you get the RO/DI thing sorted out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gilbert Starfish

Gilbert

  • Author

so I've been on Marinedepot.com and they're selling an AquaEuro Classic 135 protein skimmer with needle wheel pump and bubble plate (http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.aspx?idproduct=ED3115&idCartRow=22641598&isKit=0 ) I was thinking about ordering this bad boy, does anyone have any idea of how well this thing works or if its a good investment for my 92 gallon corner tank w/ 20gallon sump

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gilbert Starfish

Gilbert

  • Author

yes I saw that skimmer, I sent Zygote2k a pm but I think someone might have beat me too it! also I saw an ro/di unit HowardofNova is trying to sell, so hopefully if I get both of these bad boys, and I think I'll be set on fish equipment for a while.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Origami Neptune Reefer

Origami

so I've been on Marinedepot.com and they're selling an AquaEuro Classic 135 protein skimmer with needle wheel pump and bubble plate (http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.aspx?idproduct=ED3115&idCartRow=22641598&isKit=0 ) I was thinking about ordering this bad boy, does anyone have any idea of how well this thing works or if its a good investment for my 92 gallon corner tank w/ 20gallon sump

I don't have experience with this skimmer. However, you may want to consider this: While the initial price is attractive, will it do the job? Also, if it breaks, or if the pump needs maintenance, are parts available? And, if it doesn't work for you, will it work for someone else and does it have a resale value? Trial and error when looking for a decent skimmer can get very expensive. In trying to save money, you actually wind up spending more. You may want to consider putting the $140 toward a better skimmer alternative. Consider buying used equipment from someone who's upgrading, or buy new from a reputable line.

 

Here's something from someone who recently had a less than successful experience with this skimmer.

 

"Now that my tank is healthy the 135 AEusa just isn't getting enough pulled in while the water flow passes the skimmer in the sump/refugium. On a super dry skim it takes 2 days to get a good cup vs 1 day. Ive tried raising the skimmer on a shelf at numerous heights."

 

He continues, "I found best skim was achieved with more water around the skimmer at 11'' deep with no shelf. how I ever got talked into this skimmer is beyond me. Skimmer is rated for 135 gallons and with a 60 gal tank , 30 gal sump, reactors, averaging about 80+ total volume..."

 

Finally, he concludes, "I could of worked off a new skimmer for the time put into finding info for this POS."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Origami Neptune Reefer

Origami

I think that you'll find it more acceptable than the AE, yes. The fact that Zygote's put a new pump on it is good also.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Aaron Urchin

Aaron

Okay now that I have my new ro/di and skimmer, anyone wanna come over to make sure I got these things working right? In the Del Ray area :)

 

The RO unit should be pretty straightforward. Not sure exactly what setup you are working with, but usually there is a saddle valve for the feed, and a waste line that ties into PVC drain pipe wherever you install it. There are a lot of different scenarios and ways that it _could_ be installed to suit your situation, but you can't really do it "wrong" unless you were to tie into a hot water line which would destroy the membrane, or make the mistake of installing the saddle valve in a location where there is no means to shut off the water supply to it (without shutting off the water to the house, which can be a PITA, and sometimes the valves don't hold - even bigger problem :) ). I don't mean to scare you. It's really no more difficult than plumbing in an icemaker with vinyl tubing or a dishwasher with copper tubing and compression fittings.

In my case, I installed it under the kitchen sink, tied into the waste line and cold water supply after the valve. This worked for me because the kitchen sink is no more than 15 feet from my system, but your situation may vary.

One of the key things is having adequate water pressure, otherwise there's a lot of waste water and it takes forever. This is related to the flow restrictor and the pressure required for the membrane to operate at maximum efficiency. Sometimes a booster pump is required.

Some of the units also come with an adapter that will allow you to connect the unit directly to a faucet or spigot. If that is your preference, and you don't have the parts, they are easily obtained from just about anywhere.

Basic rule of thumb to save yourself from having to fix a bunch of little leaks is to use either teflon tape or pipe dope (usually applied in gas pipe applications) on all of your threaded connections. I prefer the tape, and it really is the right match for a project like this.

 

For the skimmer, I am not familiar with the particular model that you have, but these are my suggestions...

If it is an in sump model, the things I would be most concerned with are:

Water depth - every in-sump skimmer I have ever used has an optimum operating depth. If you don't get this right, you will constantly be complaining about inadequate skimmate production or the skimmer overflowing all the time.

Ability to control the flow is also important, many people fine tune this with gate valve mods, upgrading/changing pumps, etc. Pretty much your preference here.

For instance, I run a Euro-Reef RS-100. I found the KSP-3500 to be a bit underpowered, so I upgraded it to a KSP-5000. This required me to do some plumbing since there is a significant difference in the size of the pumps, but it wasn't difficult. PVC and tubing are easy to work with.

 

Best thing to do is set it up per the manufacturer's specifications and usually tune it in so the water level is at the base of the collection cup. Leave it that way for several days and let it settle in. Don't be surprised if you don't get much of anything but bubbles for a few days, sometimes they take time to break in. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

 

IMO, Tom is dead on (as usual) with his comments about making sure what you purchase is going to do the job you need it to do. In my experience in this hobby (nowhere near as long as many of the other members - 4 years), if you try to save money, you will end up having to buy another one _soon_, and it will end up costing you more than it would have if you just made the investment up front. By no means am I trying to imply that you need to buy every new high-end gadget that appears on the market, that will quickly turn this hobby into a rich man's game, and it may ruin the experience for you.

 

I would offer to come out and help you with the plumbing and setup (as would several other members I suspect), but you will be SO much better off by going through all the steps and storing the knowledge. AND, if you get stuck, I'm sure many of us would be more than willing to help (myself included).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Origami Neptune Reefer

Origami

Gilbert, Del Rey - isn't that out by Potomac Yards in Alexandria? If so, you're quite a hike from me, so coming out for a look-see is unlikely. However, if you can't find somebody to help with a quick inspection, perhaps you can take some pictures and post them up so we can see what you're up against. If you choose to do that, please start another thread, though since the subject will have changed.

 

The skimmer setup should be straightforward. Dialing it in (tuning it) will probably be a bit of trial and error, initially, but you'll get the hang of it once you have it set up basically correctly.

 

A few pictures of the RO/DI unit might help. You may also find that you can get some help from the people that you got each from.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...