AlfaRomeo

True true. After all the lengthy discussions with Weileong, we decided on the Deltecs! Higher doesnt mean better. Try to go for wider bodies. It actually improves the bombardment rate too.

Its quite easy actually. Take the flow rate of the pump (5000 L/hr) and divide it by the volume of the skimmer body. This will give the skimmer turnover rate in number of times/hr (x). Take 3600 (number of seconds in an hour) and divide it by x. That will give you a dwell time.

Ok, lets assume u need to only put 2 mx-100 to get very effective skimming and thus you are pushing about 5000L/hr thru the skimmer in a body 8" x 48" (after weileong estimation of losses from injector). Can you help me calculate the dwell time of the water in the skimmer body? Bearing in mind, proteins need a considerable time to attach to the bubbles. Also with 5000L/hr of water being processed by the skimmer, do you really need 3x6500 pumps as return? More than 1/2 of the unprocessed water will just pass thru the sump and returned back to the main tank unprocessed. It might help to study how Danano and Scarab has their setup done since its a proven design time and again.

Ok, based on 2 mx-100 firing your beckett. How much turnover in L/hr is that? and also whats the turnover rate of your total water volume thru the skimmer?

Why do you need a high turnover rate to your sump?

Salifert is amoung the best How are your nutrients levels? The diatom might be beacause of other issues like top-up water laden with nutrients/Si etc etc. IF you want, you can create a troubleshooting thread and Im sure lots of ppl will help you sort it out.

That was my experience also with another brand of AA altho at that time my nutrients was also high and thus not much effect seen.

What product are you using? I would cut off the dosing for a few days and see if the diatoms dissapear then resume dosing at 50% of what you are currently doing and monitor again. Also, its best to dose AA after lights-out as it has shown to be more effective for the corals to absorb when compared to during photosynthesis.

Overdose and you will get an increase in hazing on your glass panels and darkening of the SPSes. That will be amoung the first signs of overdosing. Another sign is a brown diatom-like layer on your rocks (with or without air bubbles)

bummer... the spare parts cost a lot IF you can get any here in SG. I think most prob you got to buy it from overseas and it will cost a lot more with sipment taken into consideration?

I have a juv and it stays away from all the corals. Eats very well on pellets or frozen brine/mysis. Pls take note on how big it will grow when adult. Cheers

Saw lots of them at CF. Check it out.

LPS like prata/blastos/hammers/bubbles/frogspawn is not at risk rite? Only softies like mushies/xenia?

Total water volume? Anyway, my vote goes to a dual needlewheel skimmer if its a Deltec/HnS and a large single needlewheel model for a BK. Maybe a BK400 just to future proof in case u wanna go even bigger next time.

Keep a natural level of NSW parameters: KH 8, CA 400-450, MG 1250-1300 and keep the parameters stable. Temperature should be stable too below 30 degrees. Seed the rocks with coraline algae if you do not have any yet in your tank. Be patient and it will grow rapidly within a few weeks.

How much volume of water in total including sump? Stocking Levels? Reef or FOWLR?

Yup. Photos pls! Highly anticipating the photos. Our first ever locally produced needlewheel! Great Stuff!

Fired up already?

Under each post, you can see an icon "PM". Click on it and you can post a Private Message to the member. Or at the top of the window, you can see '0 new messages' click on it and you can create a nes pm to any member. All you need to know if the nickname' HTH

How much zeoliths can the reactor hold?

Some question for you to start thinking about: a) How much sand do you plan to use on top of the starboard and will you periodically replace a portion of the sandbed to remove the detritus trapped in the sand? Will the sand be placed everywhere or just at the places where its exposed so dat its easier for you to vacumm? How are you going to control where the sand gets shifted to?

Timeline of Events on Sep 14. 3.26pm : Thread was started 4.06pm : Thread starter challenges TOTMs. 4.22pm : Original pic was processed with Adobe Photshop CS2 (from ID tags) 4.24pm : Rav-65 asked Thread starter to start ball rolling 4.29pm : Modifed version of the original file was saved (from Date/Time stamp) 4.30pm : Thread starter post heavily modified/doctored pic Was it an honest mistake in file mix-ups or was it deliberate?

The secret behind the BK is the modifed RD with titanium wheel like What Weileong posted. There are theories that the titanium wheel creates an electrical charge of sorts when its spinning at high revs which increases the efficiency of the proteins attaching themsleves to the air bubbles. The holes in the platform in the skimmer is sufficient enuff for the bubbles not to converve and become larger bubbles. Main purpose is to reduce turbulence which will severely disrupt the foam head. Explore the external version of the BK. Its recirculating and the feed rate of tank water can be adjusted without impacting the air flow rate etc etc. Highly beneficial aspect of a skimmer IMHO.

IMHO, its the efficiency of the needlewheel in breaking up the bubbles into very very tiny ones and also the sheer amount of L/hr of air the pump injects. Another advantage over the beckett is the plate in the skimmer that minimizes turbulence in the skimmer body especially with the huge amount of air and water being injected into a limited body space. Its also much wider than a typical beckett which gives an improved bombardment rate. HTH

In zeovit.com, he posted this before : http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showpost.php?...96&postcount=27 and in SRC, he posted : http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?...ndpost&p=453283 What the?