Help with skimmer issues due to Marco mortar and epoxy (new build)

[SixtyFeetUnder]

I’ve just started cycling a new waterbox 220 6 weeks ago. Beautiful tank, built some nice arches and caves using marco rocks and their mortar and acryl 60 mixture. To cover the large mortar columns I had to add rubble rock and adhere with a large amount of instant ocean 2 part epoxy. Like a half a dozen sticks. I NEVER use this stuff in my current 15 year old tank (mixed reef but a lot of sps) because I know it throws the skimmer wild for days. But I figured no harm in a build I was planning to cycle for several months before putting anything living in besides for bacteria; using the BRS WWC 4 months plan.

6 weeks in water parameters are:
-SG 1.025, kH 10.5, Ca 400, ph 8.0
-ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate - all 0. That was surprising after watching a full shrimp dissolve over 5.5 weeks.

The issue is the skimmer still overflows vigorously When turned on. I assume this is from Whatever is leaching from the mortar/acryl 60 combo and the two part epoxy used. I have read phosphate leached from that mortar but not a hint. The epoxy I know messes up skimmers but 6 weeks later? I’m torn between adding another shrimp and bacteria for another month or buying some chromis to get some more organize material in the tank but have the nagging feeling those bonding agents have left something I should address in the water. No lights on yet and zero algae. Anyone who has experienced this I would really appreciate your thoughts or suggestions.

 

[Saltyreef]

Keep the skimmer going and overflowing back into the sump. Add lots of carbon and water changes. It will subside eventually.

 

[Saltyreef]

Nice tank btw

 

[Duncan Tse]

That seems off that you are not getting any nitrate/phosphate. What kind of test kit are you using? Have you checked the expiry date.

 

[SixtyFeetUnder]

Keep the skimmer going and overflowing back into the sump. Add lots of carbon and water changes. It will subside eventually.

I haven’t really let the skimmer overflow for along period yet; thanks that makes sense. I started running my carbon reactor a week ago and it did clear the haze out of the water quick so I assume it will help. I’ve been doing 10% weekly during the cycle but think I’ll bump it up. Thanks for the thoughts!

 

[SixtyFeetUnder]

That seems off that you are not getting any nitrate/phosphate. What kind of test kit are you using? Have you checked the expiry date.

It seems off to me too. P04 is salifert, nitrate is a new cheap API kit. I never use one past cycling so I was reluctant to buy until this week I thought I should actually check ammonia nitrite nitrate. I will check the P04 expiration.

 

[Duncan Tse]

It seems off to me too. P04 is salifert, nitrate is a new cheap API kit. I never use one past cycling so I was reluctant to buy until this week I thought I should actually check ammonia nitrite nitrate. I will check the P04 expiration.

May want to invest in a hanna ulr checker as reading between the 0 and 0.25 on the salifert is difficult

 

[Saltyreef]

I have good luck with the red sea phosphate pro kit. Very easy to distinguish the colors between .02 .04 .06 and so on.

 

[SixtyFeetUnder]

@Duncan Tse @Saltyreef Even though this was an old thread I wanted to give you guys an update since you lended me some helpful thoughts. All parameters were double checked and have remained good. I continued the 10-15% water changes, added some chromis at 8 weeks (the skimmer had still been overflowing), and at 9 weeks in the skimmer finally stopped overflowing and seemingly dialed itself in within 3 days of stopping overflowing. The lesson learned - large quantities of either reef safe mortar or epoxy can have leeching implications for far longer than expected; more than 2 months. But lights are on and a fox face added and doing well for the inevitable algae bloom and the skimmer is cranking! Thanks again for your help.

 

[lilgrounchuck]

A lot of those epoxies will cause skimmers to go crazy, and some even post it on the label. If you’re still cycling just let it go and dump whatever it’s pulling out until it calms down.

 

[SixtyFeetUnder]

A lot of those epoxies will cause skimmers to go crazy, and some even post it on the label. If you’re still cycling just let it go and dump whatever it’s pulling out until it calms down.

Thats what I did. It’s through it’s initial cycle and doing well Now.

 

[BifrostReefer]

Do you have any pictures of the sump area, I'm trying to plan a 220 and would like to see how you have it all set up with the UV.

 

[SixtyFeetUnder]

Do you have any pictures of the sump area, I'm trying to plan a 220 and would like to see how you have it all set up with the UV.

Yes sir; although forgive the mess of cords. I could never get that perfect. The tank is running strong now and growing sps well at less than 6 months old.
Pic 1: whole tank cabinet closed
Pic 2: cabinets open
Pic 3: main compartment. I removed the baffle and run a large deltec skimmer and avast marine spyglass reactor for carbon.
Pic 4: left compartment has the UV. It’s plumbed with the pump sitting behind the skimmer with soft pvc and the return rigid pvc pointed toward the return pump chamber. I will mount the power source with the same fittings I used for the UV body; I can send you the link in a message.
Pic 5: closer look at the UV lines run behind the skimmer.
Pic 6: right cabinet with the ecotech controllers. Creating a shelf for my GHL doser in here next week; been dosing manually since this tank was born but that won’t last much longer as the sps are taking off.

Its taken longer than I thought it would to get equipment all settled down here. If you want closer pics or videos text me and I can give you more detailed help on how I laid it out.

 

[BifrostReefer]

Looks great, the tank is really coming along. Looks like you can control the UV flow with its own pump, do you have any sort of gate valve and/or flow meter? These pictures are good for now, but once my equipment starts showing up, I may ask for some more. Thank you!

 

[SixtyFeetUnder]

Looks great, the tank is really coming along. Looks like you can control the UV flow with its own pump, do you have any sort of gate valve and/or flow meter? These pictures are good for now, but once my equipment starts showing up, I may ask for some more. Thank you!

I’m using a seachem impulse 800 pump which has a dial on it to adjust the flow. Interestingly Aqua UV recommends higher flow rates than many other UV. The Aqua UV 57 I’m using recommend over 1000 gph; I have that pump dialed up max to 800. Being rated for over 300g that UV is doing plenty at that flow rate. Water clarity was day and night within a day.