trying to get back to those pristine conditions

[lazarus]

guys you have never let me down so here is a potentially tough one.....my tank is 115 g FOWLR with a 20 g refugium. Its been up about 9 mos and alls well, but i have had trouble getting rid of suspended particles and want to return to the pristine conditions when i started. I do 20% water changes every three weeks b/c i have a low bioload. i have no mechanical filtration and rely completely on the refugium and whatever i pick up when I vacuum during water changes.
i am considering a couple options....weekly water changes (i get saltwater for free so this is easy but temporary as i would not keep it up longterm), or putting a micron filter bag on the end of the hose running into the fuge from the DT. my only concern with the bag is would it starve the microfauna in the fuge.
not sure this matters but i recently moved my protein skimmer from the last chamber (with the return pump) to the first chamber (before water enters the fuge). i have a slight concern this also robs the microfauna of something beneficial.
What do you think of these options? Oh yeah, I gotta stop overfeeding them as well.
thanks in advance!

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by LAZARUS
guys you have never let me down so here is a potentially tough one.....my tank is 115 g FOWLR with a 20 g refugium. Its been up about 9 mos and alls well, but i have had trouble getting rid of suspended particles and want to return to the pristine conditions when i started. I do 20% water changes every three weeks b/c i have a low bioload. i have no mechanical filtration and rely completely on the refugium and whatever i pick up when I vacuum during water changes.
i am considering a couple options....weekly water changes (i get saltwater for free so this is easy but temporary as i would not keep it up longterm), or putting a micron filter bag on the end of the hose running into the fuge from the DT. my only concern with the bag is would it starve the microfauna in the fuge.
not sure this matters but i recently moved my protein skimmer from the last chamber (with the return pump) to the first chamber (before water enters the fuge). i have a slight concern this also robs the microfauna of something beneficial.
What do you think of these options? Oh yeah, I gotta stop overfeeding them as well.
thanks in advance!
I think both of the options are pretty good!!! You won't be starving them as some passes through and they're there in the fuge to take up anything that passes what your skimmer and sock misses. Just remember to clean that sock quite often as it will get plugged up with gunk. A good powerhead will rid your suspended particals, I just bought myself a Vortex, it's money well spent, it's absolutely amazing!!! :happyfish

 

[lazarus]

How does a good powerhead get rid of suspended particles? i would think it just pushes them around!

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by LAZARUS
How does a good powerhead get rid of suspended particles? i would think it just pushes them around!
You do have a fuge right? I have a sponge on the intake part of the overflow and that catches a lot of debries. My skimmer removes some as well....Then my canister filter removes some too.... Then in my other tank with Oceanic Sump Model #2 have a sponge at the intake area that catches all the debries and I take it out to clean it every so often. Sure it blows them around, but that's what you want to do to circulate your water which it goes through the fuge, etc etc..... :happyfish