BETH- remora/ mini-refugium

[lillylegs]

hi beth,
i was just reading your post on another thread about putting caulerpa into the output chamber of your remora pro skimmer. i too have a remora about 6 months or so and it is a tedious task to clean out the sponge. it sounds like you don't take out the pre-filter box to clean it, so how do you clean the power-head and the skimmer itself? do you find the PH getting alot of crud in it? let me know how the caulerpa is coming along. that's a great idea!
thanks, lillylegs

 

[beth]

Well, I just put the caulerpa in there, so I can't say if it will grow, or die off yet. I ditched that sponge. I was cleaning it 2x wk. I rather have the skimmer take up the dirt than have to clean a sponge, so just let it cycle back around to the skimmer in the water column.
No, I don't take that skimmer down unless absolutely necessay. When you need to chean PH, then I lift the whole skimmer out of the prefilter, and leave the prefilter in the tank. I don't really clean the pump that frequently. I have a reef tank, so the skimmer always has pods and snails crawling/swimming in and out of it...thus, I try not to disturb it too much. Right now, I'm trying to grow some anthelia as well as caulerpa on the prefilter [on the outside] to cover it up. That is coming along nicely.

 

[lillylegs]

that's an excllent idea for a reef tank. let me know if the caulerpa will grow. the box is black and blocks out alot of light but perhaps it will get enough from the top. it has been a pain to clean. every month i take it all apart and scrub and clean every piece. the worst part is screwing back on the black box to keep it level. thanks for the advice!

 

[beth]

Don't clean it. You're kill off beneficial bacteria every time you do that. Just clean the pump once every 6 mos or so.