protein layer harmful ?

[big_ben102000]

hi. i dont have an overflow built into my tank and currently using 2 pumps to pump water in and out of the tank. turn over rate is around 2000L/hr. i am running a weipro 2013 with a dymax 2000L/hr pump. juz wanna know if that layer of protein is harmful ... if so wat should i do ? change to a more powerful pump for my skimmer ? plz advice

thanks in advance

[madmac]

most definitely not good. You dont' want any visible layer forming on ur water surface as it impedes the vital exchange of gasses... resulting in low pH and a lack of O2 in the nites.

Hv u tried experimenting with a surface skimmer, pipe in line to ur skimmer.?

[big_ben102000]

my skimmer is in the sump... nah haven tried a surface skimmer ... but if i do have a surface skimmer.. wont that layer juz disslove back into the water causing harm to the LS ?

[Sapp]

my skimmer is in the sump... nah haven tried a surface skimmer ... but if i do have a surface skimmer.. wont that layer juz disslove back into the water causing harm to the LS ?

With a surface skimmer, that layer of protein will flow into the sump and gets skimmed out by the skimmer after some time, depending on how powerful your skimmer is. Dun think you have to worry about it dissolving back into the water as it should get skimmed out if your skimmer is working properly.

[big_ben102000]

ooo ok but i cant add a surface skimmer ... as the pump i am using to pump out water is a power head, can i juz add an air stone so that the bubbles can break up that layer ?

[Sinn]

bro, are u using 2 pump as a turnover?

coz if u are,

its just a disaster waiting to happen.

could u imagine if one of the pump fails? or maybe something got stuck and the outflow is reduced by half?

you would end up with one empty tank and one flooded room.

[big_ben102000]

oh i have that covered, dont worry haha if either pumps fail no flood will occur... i have tested it already both main tank and sump tank is able to handle the extra volume of water

[johntanjm]

its just unsightly lor. with a skimmer pumping so much air bubbles into the water. why would u need to worry about exchange of gases? so much oxygen will enter the water already.

[jasment]

Put your both pumps in the sump, attach a surface skimmer thingy in your tank and attach a flexible hose a of the pump that draws water into the sump. thats how i did it. cheers

[big_ben102000]

johntanjm

yea bro its quite unsightly with that layer of stuff there thats y i am thinking of adding a small airstone to break up the layer. i just want to make sure that the layer protein will not cause harm ( besides the air exchange part) or any means of indicating that my water parameters are off. if is does please please englighten me. thanks !

jasment

hey bro thanks for the input but i cant use your idea without redoing the pipings and part of my filtration part. most of my stuff are DIYed. if i used your idea i will have to redo my pipings and part of my filtration system haha.. thanks for the input though i think its a great idea. btw based on my limited exprience, unless u are using a pump that can be used internally and externally whereby the fittings are done, its quite difficult to connect a pipe to the inlet of a usual powerhead isnt it ?

[Zappy Kiwi]

Hi big_ben102000,

Just wondering, why do u need a pump IN the tank to pump the water out?? I suppose that your tank is higher than your sump (usually, like mine), all u need is to DIY an overflow pipe that will suck the water from the main tank to the sump tank. A good thing about the overflow pipe is u can easily mod it into a surface skimmer as well. (as for the DIY overflow pipe, do a search in the forums here, there are some quite good designs).

Note: changing the pump of ur skimmer will not help. Reason is bcos the "dirt" (protein layer) at the surface is not sucked into ur sump tank.

Oh, be careful of ur current filter system (2pump thingy). If there is a power surge or something, and the return pump stops, then u need to mop the floor... .

Cheers.

[big_ben102000]

bro Zappy Kiwi,

i have tried to DIY a overflow pipe previous but failed terribly thats why i resorted to the " 2 pump system". for my previous DIY, the flow of the water is very very very slow, juz a small stream of water, i am still a student so i cant afford DIYing until it works.

for those who are worried about my tank overflowing i have drawn the layout of how my pumps are placed. i have already tested and its full proof. i cant afford either tanks to overflow as my CPU and sound system is on the floor next to the tank. below is the layout.

if the return pump fails the sump tank will be 4/5 filled, i have drill a hole in the return pipe 2 cm below the water sruface to break the siphon if the return pump fails *touch wood*. if the pump in the main tank fails, there is no holes drilled to break the siphon in the pipe bringing water down to the sump, so water wil continue to flow at a slower rate and the MAX water level at the main tank will be 1 - 2 cm from the edge of the tank.. with lots of mirco bubbles. *touch wood* will be diying a hood to reduce the salt spray.

the worst case senerio will be my 2 pumps burning out thats all ... not floods. juz to need to get a small wave maker incase those 2 pumps does burn out. *touch wood*

btw both my main and sump tanks are 3 X 1.5 X 1.5

cheers

thanks for all the concern

[big_ben102000]

sorry forgot t post pic in the previous reply

as u can see below, the pump in the main tank is elevated

[johntanjm]

no lar.. its not harmful. protein layer should break up into dissolved organic compounds and be skimmed off eventually

[big_ben102000]

ar swee swee ... back to the pencils and papers. make some device then wont cause any salt spray when i introduce an air stone !

[Zappy Kiwi]

bro Zappy Kiwi,

i have tried to DIY a overflow pipe previous but failed terribly thats why i resorted to the " 2 pump system". for my previous DIY, the flow of the water is very very very slow, juz a small stream of water, i am still a student so i cant afford DIYing until it works. 

No worries, bro. I am also a student mah. Just my suggestions: for the DIY overflow pipe, u can use a pipe with a bigger diameter. That will give you a faster and bigger stream of water.

Oh, I have an ideal for you, it might work but requires a bit of DIYing. Currently, I suppose you a using PVC pipe to drain water from your tank into the sump right? (cos u mention drilling a hole). Assuming your water level in your main tank is approximately fixed at a certain level, you can cut a few vertical slits (1~1.5cm by 2~3mm) on the pipe just below (about 0.5-1cm below) the water level. Cut abt 3~5 slits around the circumference of the pipe. U may need a soldering kit tool that has a cutter blade to cut plastic. These are available at affordable prices at DIY-home fix.

This DIY pipe will have the venturi effect to suck in the surface water. This will solve your problem on the protein layer forming up on the water surface.

IMO, the slits will have neligible effect when ur pump is on. However, in the event of pump failure, the maximum water that will be drained will be capped to the bottom of the slit as air would have set in and break the siphon, (which is a good thing.)

Hope it helps.

[darkness]

Hi,

use bigger pipe. I used 25mm on 50mm PvC.

[big_ben102000]

Zappy Kiwi

thats a great idea. will consider using your idea. thanks bro

darkness

hey bro the pipe diameter i am usng is 25mm. other refers here use this diameter and it works for them. haha

[Cardinal Tetra]

I may have the answer why your overflow pipe is not working at full efficiency. I also experienced this problem before. The reason is because the U-shaped part of the pipe is not fully primed with water. Using your mouth to suck at it alone is not enough to prime the U-tube.

What I did was to get an end cap, cap one end of the pipe, fill the pipe with water, and then tilt the overflow pipe left, right, up and down to get all the air bubbles in the U-shaped part to escape. Once the pipe is fully primed, it will work like a charm.

The other reason I can think of is that the distance of one end of the U-shaped part (the end that is placed in the tank) and the other end (outside the tank, the T-joint that part) is not high enough to get a good gravitational pull, thats why the flow is slow, even though the U-shaped part is fully primed.

Hope you understand what I'm talking about.

[mansiz]

But I think that will create noise. You can try search from one of the post by a bro, he DIYed a very sweet and small overflow, and it works.

Bro ben, you have to get an overflow, if not your layer of protein will always be there. Did you feed a lot? Not only gas exchange part you have to worry about, you have to worry about your fish health as well, high level of protein will cause fishes health decline, may develop cloudy eyes symtoms.