3twenty5 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Since I am running a CPR refuge on my tank, and just one minijet with a spraybar attached...it appears my tank has a good flow, except the fact there is no surface movement. This is creating a slight surface scum on top. So without adding another PH...is there a way to get rid of surface scum..I was wondering if there was some fish or something that can perform this task. I am happy with the interior plumbing and such in my tank..and do not want to change or add to the mechanics inside the tank. Link to comment
leslr Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I do like Dave Espi suggested. Just take a sheet of news paper and fold it up a bit and lay or dip in the top of the tank. It acts like a sponge and soaks up the scum, very quickly. When the paper is soaked take it out and throw it out. Your done. I find I have to this sometimes after feeding my tank, the oil and stuff from my fish food mixture seems to want to hang around for a bit. you can try doing it on your water change days. Its cheap and why add extra acces to your tank. leslr. Link to comment
Toyfreek Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 A much easier and cleaner way of ridding yourself of surface scum, is to buy a Lee's surface skimmer, I have heard that Kent makes one as well but I have never seen one. They cost about $15 and they hook up to any drawing water source (like a HOB or a Powerhead) they work great. GL, Toy Link to comment
tinyreef Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 another option is a small hob with the return placed higher than the surface. this doesn't get rid of the scum per se but it reintroduces it into the water column where either the new hob filters it or the rio pulls it into the refugium/algae scrubber. the new tiny AZOO hob's may fit in whatever space you have left. if you don't have the room you could pipe another small PH and its return to dump slightly above the surface. this agitates the surface the same way as the hob method but without the filter benefits. hth Link to comment
sjpresley Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I would figure out a way to increase surface agitation, which is probably a good idea anyway considering I don't see any O2 source in your system. Link to comment
3twenty5 Posted March 13, 2003 Author Share Posted March 13, 2003 I agree with all suggestions...I may end up putting a aquaglobe mini-phup top out of site if possible. There is no room for any sort of HOB due to the size of the refuge(12 inches). I could put a small ph in the refuge on the inlet side, and have a tube connected to the PH, flow thru a tube which will rest on back of the tank and overhang the top Link to comment
deacon hemp Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 i suggest putting a hole in or two in your spray bar pointed almost straight up.if youve already done that try moving your ph up a bit.just my 2 Link to comment
spoondigity Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 It can be a fine line between breaking surface tension and creating a lot of salt creep. Whatever you do, keep in mind that the larger your waves/splash the more salt creep may be possible. Link to comment
reefist Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 I use a small cup and push it down into the water so that the water overflows into the cup. Repeat once or twice and the slime is gone. You just have to keep a couple of gallons of salt water on hand which is a good practice anyway. Link to comment
brad65 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 spoondigity, you are so correct about the salt creep. I hace a 54 corner bow that didn't have any over flow design when it was built and I alwayed had the flim on the top of the water. So I decided to add another power head and aim it on a 45. I now have no more flim (also a cool glimer effect with the m/h's) but I have salt creep around the power head? I've heard that the creep can be very toxic and harmful if reintroduced back in the tank? My guess would be to have a top water over flow but if the tanks not built that way it makes it tough. Best of luck! Link to comment
kevin brocato Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Toyfreek, any idead where to get a Lee's suface skimmer? Iwould go this route instead of newspaper. Be careful of the ink off newspaper. Let me know some info on Lee's product. Link to comment
Toyfreek Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 here's some links: http://shop.store.yahoo.com/worldpets/fluvsurskim.html http://www.oscarent.com/productspages/surf...aceskimmer.html http://www.geocities.com/myfishtank2001/skimmer.htm HTH, Toy Link to comment
brad65 Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 Ok those make sense but what do you use for a pump an ehiem canister? Link to comment
Toyfreek Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 like I said before they use any drawing water source...ie. a powerhead, canister, HOB etc. HTH, Toy Link to comment
sjpresley Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 Salt creep SHOULD be added back to the tank. Don't just knock it back it, where it wil on corals. Re-dissolve it in your top off. Why put it back? There are many salts in the water, and believe it or not, they do not all contribute equally (relative to proportional content) to salt creep. Over time, if you do few water changes this can lead to salt imbalances even though your SG is fine overall. This has been implicated as a contributing factor to the death of animals sensitive to salt changes (many stars, arthropods). Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 I say nay to readding creep. Once out of solution, it changes ionicly. I wipe it clean and just do waterchanges as normal. a LOT of tanks I service can get some really bad creep around a few areas (cause the cheep fuks got cheep ass tanks and didn't seal the top lip on them) and it is a constant battle. In the time it takes for any major accumulation of salt to be noticeable, its time fer a W/C anyway. ps I'm a Salt CREEP also Link to comment
Satchmo Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 Dave- I had read the same thing and stop readding my creep after that. If you keep up on w/c's, whatever elements you're loosing to salt creep shouldn't be much of an issue. Link to comment
tinyreef Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 i also stopped adding in my creep as my tanks' salinity slowly increased over time. (b-ionic side effect) i've found since i stopped actively knocking the salt creep back in that my salinity has stabilized (roughly). just keep an eye on the sg. i see sj's point but if you wc or dose i've found it all tends to balance out. Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 LOL Skimmer LOL Skimmer LOL Skimmer Link to comment
ibehexed Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 If you are willing to spend $20, CPR makes a pre skimmer that was originally intended to work with their bakpak skimmers. I took one, attached some suction cups to one side, stuck it in the back corner of my 10gal. and the rio which comes witht the CPR fuge fits nicely inside. It's also made of black acrylic so it will match your tank background. Link to comment
3twenty5 Posted March 17, 2003 Author Share Posted March 17, 2003 Originally posted by ibehexed If you are willing to spend $20, CPR makes a pre skimmer that was originally intended to work with their bakpak skimmers. I took one, attached some suction cups to one side, stuck it in the back corner of my 10gal. and the rio which comes witht the CPR fuge fits nicely inside. It's also made of black acrylic so it will match your tank background. would love to see some pics or more details Link to comment
ibehexed Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 3twenty5, I'll try and post some pics tonight, In the meantime, you can check out CPR's site. If you look closely at the picture of the BPPS (what they call the pre-skimmer) you can see 2 small holes which are just big enough to accept a couple of suction cups from a small aquaglobe power head. Otherwise you could cement it into the back corner of your tank. http://www.cpraquatic.com/products/bakpak.html Link to comment
kevin brocato Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 Toyfreek: You said this skimmer was made by Lees. I didn't see that in the link. Also how can you hook this up to a PH? Only thing I see is using a cannister filter. Please help. Ibehexed: Need more info on that pre-skimmer. Where does the scum and water go from the skimmer? Do you have to empty out that box? Link to comment
Toyfreek Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 I couldn't find the Lees version online, but these are all the same. The flexible tube runs to the draw on your PH, there is an adjustable flow regulater on the riser portion of the overflow, turn this counterclockwise to increase draw, counter to decrease flow from the overflow. it then draws some water from the overflow and some from the bottom of the riser tube. I have never used a cannister always used a HOB or PH. they work great and they are easy. Toy Link to comment
kevin brocato Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 Ok I think I have it now. You hook that tube up to the intake of the PH and adjust the flow for skimming etc. Now doesn't that just suck the scum form surface into the PH to get blowed out into tank? Seems best to have a HOB so that trash water gets filtered, correct? Link to comment
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