Dissolved Nutrients...GRRRR!!!!

joejoe

joejoe

Member
Hey all I have been having a problem with disolved nutrients in my tank big time. I have a brown film on top of my water and a red hair algae growth on my sand bed. I have done a 30% water change last week which seemed to fix it, but it's back again. I tested my readings and everything was fine. Unfortunately it appears 60-70% of my clean up crew is MIA. Any ideas of what I should do? Nothing is looking stressed in the tank at all. Help!!
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
When I had that film stuff on the top of my water, I cut off the top of a plastic water bottle and put the bottom part around my pump to my skimmer. Now all the water from the surface falls down the cup along with all the dissolved organics and gets skimmed out. So the surface of my water is clean.
Is your tank in any direct sunlight?
How long is your photoperiod?
How many powerheads and what GPS's are they?
 
joejoe

joejoe

Member

Originally posted by ViPeR_930
When I had that film stuff on the top of my water, I cut off the top of a plastic water bottle and put the bottom part around my pump to my skimmer. Now all the water from the surface falls down the cup along with all the dissolved organics and gets skimmed out. So the surface of my water is clean.
Is your tank in any direct sunlight?
How long is your photoperiod?
How many powerheads and what GPS's are they?
Hmm I am having trouble understanding your plastic bottle trick. The tank is no where near direct sunlight and I'm running 2 powerheads. I just don't know what is goin on!! :notsure:
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
Here, I took a pic of it. The plastic bottle is fixed around the powerhead, and the water rushes in from over the top of the bottle, so the water and gunk on the surface gets skimmed out. What kind of skimmer do you have?
2 powerheads may be too little depending on the size of your tank. I'd recommend adding another aimed right above your sand bed to keep the algea spores in the current. Then remove as much of the algea as you can by hand.
 
joejoe

joejoe

Member
Ahh now I understand your trick!! Very genious I must say. The skimmer that I use is a CPR HOB protein skimmer and my tank is a 38 gallon. I also do use RO/DI water. I'm gonna definately try that plastic bottle trick. Thanks everyone!
 
birdy

birdy

Active Member
CPR does sell a pre-skimmer that fits over the rio powerhead if you want something a bit more asthetically pleasing, not that it is a bad idea, just looks a little better than a plastic bottle in your tank.
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member

Originally posted by Birdy
CPR does sell a pre-skimmer that fits over the rio powerhead if you want something a bit more asthetically pleasing, not that it is a bad idea, just looks a little better than a plastic bottle in your tank.
Yea, I heard about that, but I just figured I could save $20 and make my own, sort'a. The CPR one takes up a lot of room in the tank too.
 
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