Ask Nano Questions and Find Information (Nano Expert Albert Thiel)

[alberthiel]

On another thread someone asked about skimming and what type of skimmate is best and rather than writing a long response I posted the following 5 Links to Articles on Protein Skimming :

1. Feature Article: Further Studies on Protein Skimmer Performance — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog



2. Feature Article: The Development of a Method for the Quantitative Evaluation of Protein Skimmer Performance — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog



3. Feature Article: Elemental Analysis of Skimmate: What Does a Protein Skimmer Actually Remove from Aquarium Water? — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog



4. What’s in Skimmate ? | Ken Feldman Analyzes in Advanced Aquarist



5. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Protein Skimming... by Jason Kim

 

[alberthiel]

The Oceanic Phosphorus Cycle or PO4 in the Ocean and how it cycles • A Technical Article

http://pmc.ucsc.edu/~apaytan/public...hlin_ChemRev_2007_107_563TheOceanicPCycle.pdf

 

[alberthiel]

A better Picture of Neuwave's Fighting Conch : Strombus alatus • One of the best shots of a Conch I have seen !

 

[alberthiel]

Is it possible to "overskim" asks a member on R2R ....

The answer that comes to mind first would be 'no' it is not, but in hindsight one has to give it some more thought, and the answer would then be "it depends".

Well what does it depend on? It depends on what kind of corals you have in your tank. In the case of SPS corals the answer again is 'no', but in the case of corals that need to feed on the many planktonic organisms that float around in the tank's water the answer is 'yes' as you do not want to skim the water in such a manner that all of them are removed by the skimmer (and remember that your mechanical filters will remove some as well). Some have to be left in the water for those corals.

Does that mean that SPS corals do not need any of that food? No it does not, they too need it but in all likelihood hobbyists who maintain SPS corals feed the kind of foods that their SPS corals need, and often in large quantity and frequently, and so even with strong skimming those foods are replenished and the SPS corals will be able to trap enough of them (and so will of course any LPS corals in the tank).

So what is the final answer : well it is no as long as you know what kind of of foods your corals need and provide those on a regular basis so that even with strong and very strong skimming there never is a shortage of such foods.

Hopefully this helps but if you have more questions do not hesitate to post them here on this thread

 

[alberthiel]

Chuck's Addiction Part I -- The Natural Reef ( I )

The Natural Reef Aquarium

 

[alberthiel]

Chuck's Addiction Part 2 : The Grass is Always Greener ( II )

The Natural Reef Aquarium - Part Two

 

[alberthiel]

Chuck's Addiction Part 3 : Seethe Weeds ( III )

The Natural Reef Aquarium - Part Three

 

[alberthiel]

Chuck's Addiction Part 4 : The Tropical Kelp and More ( IV )

The Natural Reef Aquarium - Part Four

 

[alberthiel]

Chuck's Addiction Part 5 : Reef Tour ( V )

A Philippine Reef Tour

 

[alberthiel]

The Clean Up Crew - What is it AND what should be part of it? And is yours up to par ?

The Clean Up Crew

 

[alberthiel]

Reefkeeping on a GRAND Scale .... Charles Delbeek - Now at The Steinhart Aquarium

An article from CORAL Magazine

Coral - January/February 2010

 

[alberthiel]

Information worth knowing about Sea Snails

From Coral Magazine by Daniel Knop

Coral - January/February 2010

 

[T.W.]

Albert, do you think that 1 Aqueon 500 (500gph) Powerhead will be enough in my 20g high? I am reading more and more about dead spots and am now wondering if I should have gotten 2 smaller powerheads instead 1 bigger one?
Also my house is well insullated, 6" exterior walls + central heat. We do not have a big flux in the air temp inside unless we open up window/doors. Do you think that 1 50w Top Fin heater will be enough for my 20g high + 10g sump?

Thanks.

 

[alberthiel]

Albert, do you think that 1 Aqueon 500 (500gph) Powerhead will be enough in my 20g high? I am reading more and more about dead spots and am now wondering if I should have gotten 2 smaller powerheads instead 1 bigger one?
Also my house is well insullated, 6" exterior walls + central heat. We do not have a big flux in the air temp inside unless we open up window/doors. Do you think that 1 50w Top Fin heater will be enough for my 20g high + 10g sump?
Thanks.

I would add a second one that is not as powerful e.g. a Koralia 240 rated at 425 GPH but that in my opinion does not really move that much water but is fine and can be positioned so that you create a more turbulent water flow effect.

And on the heater, it depends on what the temperature control is set for during the night. I am sure that during the day it will be fine but if the night temp is set for a low amount then you may need a 100 watt to keep the tank temp. up. I run a 20 G high but without a sump and because the night temp is set for 63º I need a 100 watt unit. So it depends on what that night temp is in your case especially since you have 30 gallons of water versus my 20 minus rock and sand displacement.

On the power heads position the second one so that the flow from one runs into the flow of the other one and breaks up any laminar type flow that may otherwise exist. That is what I have done using a 750 GPH and that Koralia.

Hopefully this helps but if you have more questions do not hesitate to post them here on this thread

 

[alberthiel]

Margarita Snails - Tegula funebralis :

These are great algae eaters and are offered for sale in the trade. Unfortunately they come from cooler waters and even when acclimated to the higher temp of our Nano Reefs they usually do not survive for very long as apparently they do not adapt to the continuously higher temp of our Nano Reefs. They can however be kept in temperate water aquariums. Nice looking snail but I would not place them in a Nano Reef as they will not make it for very long, a couple of months at most, if that long.

 

[Paul B]

Is it possible to "overskim" asks a member on R2R ....

The answer that comes to mind first would be 'no' it is not, but in hindsight one has to give it some more thought, and the answer would then be "it depends".

Albert is correct and I would like to add one more thing. Well two more things, it may be more if I get on a roll.
A skimmer may by accident remove some pods and other things that happen to be in the water column but remember only the pollution in the water should be removed if you have the thing adjusted correctly. Clean ocean water does not produce any foam, so a proper functioning skimmer should stop producing foam after the water is clean.
Ocean beaches where the surf is up generaly do not make any foam and when those 10' waves crash on the sand, there is plenty of turbulence. But in bays and inlets where it is generally more polluted, plenty of foam can and will be created. I live on Long Island and can tell immediately if I want to go swimming on a certain beach by how the water acts as it hits the shore. Sometimes there is so much foam that it stays in drifts almost like snow. That usually happens if there is a red tide which causes a large fish kill.
So to add to Albert's answer. If the skimmer is adjusted correctly, it should not produce anything if the water is clean.
So called "wet Skimming" is just removing sea water, not necessarily any dirtier than the rest of the water in the tank, it is just not adjusted right and you are removing water. If you add air to a column of water it will have more volume so some of it will over flow into the skimmer.
No foam is produced on this Atlantic Ocean beach where I collect water.

 

[alberthiel]

Albert is correct and I would like to add one more thing. Well two more things, it may be more if I get on a roll.
A skimmer may by accident remove some pods and other things that happen to be in the water column but remember only the pollution in the water should be removed if you have the thing adjusted correctly. Clean ocean water does not produce any foam, so a proper functioning skimmer should stop producing foam after the water is clean.
Ocean beaches where the surf is up generaly do not make any foam and when those 10' waves crash on the sand, there is plenty of turbulence. But in bays and inlets where it is generally more polluted, plenty of foam can and will be created. I live on Long Island and can tell immediately if I want to go swimming on a certain beach by how the water acts as it hits the shore. Sometimes there is so much foam that it stays in drifts almost like snow. That usually happens if there is a red tide which causes a large fish kill.
So to add to Albert's answer. If the skimmer is adjusted correctly, it should not produce anything if the water is clean.
So called "wet Skimming" is just removing sea water, not necessarily any dirtier than the rest of the water in the tank, it is just not adjusted right and you are removing water. If you add air to a column of water it will have more volume so some of it will over flow into the skimmer.
No foam is produced on this Atlantic Ocean beach where I collect water.

Thanks Paul for the additional clarification. And to add one more fact : it what is being removed that ends up in the skimmer cup is greenish, then you are removing free floating small algae spores, if it is brown you are removing some of the organics, and if it is real dark you are removing both and depending on the color more of one that of the other. And so if the skimmate is real green your nutrients levels are probably too high and those minuscule algae that float around in the water grow far more rapidly and some are removed by the skimmer. If that happens it is probably a good idea to check your NO3 and PO4 levels and change the chemical compounds you use as that may be needed to limit those algae's growth.

 

[T.W.]

Albert, thanks for the info regarding my heater and flow.

Another question I have is this: I am going to have a 2" overflow weir tube in which a 3/4" line will pull water to my sump, and from the return section of my sump a 1/2" line will bring the return back to the DT. My question is this, what kind of flow is optimal and do utility pumps inaccurately show their volume? If volume is inaccurate should I figure on double what the manufacturer says? This is on my 20g tall with a 3'-4' head depending on how I place my equipment in the sump. I will have an inline ball valve so I can adjust the overflow some what. My concern is to get the correct size return pump for the job.

 

[alberthiel]

Albert, thanks for the info regarding my heater and flow.
Another question I have is this: I am going to have a 2" overflow weir tube in which a 3/4" line will pull water to my sump, and from the return section of my sump a 1/2" line will bring the return back to the DT. My question is this, what kind of flow is optimal and do utility pumps inaccurately show their volume? If volume is inaccurate should I figure on double what the manufacturer says? This is on my 20g tall with a 3'-4' head depending on how I place my equipment in the sump. I will have an inline ball valve so I can adjust the overflow some what. My concern is to get the correct size return pump for the job.

The downflow setup appears to be fine and yes the downflow diameter should be larger than the upflow pipe, or tubing if you use flexible acrylic type tubing for instance. I would suggest that you have at least 300 gallon going up to the tank, which means that the same amount will come down per hour and go through the media and compartments you have in the sump.

Now are the ratings you find on the pump documentation erroneous? I don't think so but they are based on using the same connections as the pump has and not reduce them, as that will alter the flow. So if the size of the outflow opening is 3/4 and you reduce it to 1/2 you will not get what the manufacturer rates the pump at. You need to use the same size pipe or tubing as the outflow end has, to get the results that the manufacturer states.

So if your return is 1/2 inch and the pump as a 3/4 inch opening at the outflow/upflow end then the ratings from the manufacturer will not apply, or better said will not be what you really get as flow from the pump. If that is what you are doing you need to get a pump which a higher output rating to get the flow you are looking for.

Hopefully this explains it but if not just post your further questions here.

 

[T.W.]

Crystal clear Sir. Wow is it nice having an in house expert! Thanks for the speedy responses too by the way.

I am not changing the return size off the pump so I will be able to use what the pump says.

Thanks again Albert!