Blog Comments

I've seen similar, but eventually it will begin to rise. It comes down to bioload and feeding habits, usually.

I just thought my nitrate would we wicked high after 3.5 months of no water changes. did the test again last night with the same results

You didn't post the rest of the parameters, but those numbers are good. Did you test after the water change as well? How's your tank look?

Thanks I might give the screen a try. but since my sump is open maybe Ill just keep the glass lid if it has no effect on lighting or anything else but the Oxygen

A big benefit of removing your glass lids is that more oxygen is introduced to your system, a good thing. Most systems get their oxygen from their protein skimmers; removing your glass lids is another way to increase oxygen. Some list a negative aspect (of removing glass lids) to be the increase of the evaporation rate, resulting in the use of more RO/DI top off water, but on your system of only 60 gallons the change in top off water being used should be negligible. I would suggest a screen lid/topwhich allows for the protective factor for fish (from jumping out of the aquarium), while still allowing the benefit of greater gas exchange/addition of oxygen. You can build the screen lid/top yourself (the parts will be available at your local home improvement store like Lowes, Home Depot, Menards, Ace, etc..) OR you could buy a kit online like this one from Bulk Reef Supply: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/diy-aq...4-netting.html.

If you want a high quality screen lid that is built like a tank, you can buy one online from company ArtfullyAcrylic: http://artfullyacrylic.3dcartstores....Lids_c_52.html

What brand of skimmer?Don't block the air, as the less air it gets, the more water injects into the body. Full open air, and open the outlet as far as possible to lower the water level in the body of the skimmer.

This situation can also result after using products like Chemi-Clean.

skimmers can take up to 3 weeks to "break in" so that they can be dialed in correctly and not overflow. I had a very similar issue with a hang on back skimmer that if it over flowed it would cause a big issue with salt water on my hard wood floors. What I did to resolve the issue is I took some electrical tape and covered all the holes on top of the skimmer's collection cup which causes bubbles to not build up into skimmate in most skimmers. Take a thumb tack and poke holes one by one into the electrical tape (you may find that you only have to put tape over some holes instead of all of them) right over the covered holes and slowly over the next few weeks you will have to make the holes bigger or remove some of the tape so that the water rises more until eventually after the skimmer is broken in a little more you can remove the tape all together.

Typically lower water would not cause overflow, just the opposite. Could be a lot of stuff in the water column? Something die?

they dont sell rods in canada unfortunatly

frozen mysis, cylop-eeze and blue zoo mix. Occasionally Omega One flakes if I'm in a hurry. And Nori when I've got a tang.

I'm also using Rod's Food, but that is part of the food I offer. I like to use Mini-mysis and cylop-eeze plus some Rod's Food each night. During the day time, my auto feeder drops in Marineland dry food, like their pellet or flakes... I have a lot of dry food amassed and just refill the feeder about once a week. I also offer up 1/2 a sheet of nori every couple of days.

I'm a recent convert to Rod's fish food...I think it's a large part of why I have no more hair algae in my tank

Brine shrimp almost has no nutritional value, so I've been told. I like to feed Rods Fish food and mysis. I also use sheets of Nori seaweed from the grocery store.

i agree with cyano, its funny though my budys swc 160 will do the same thing that yours does but my asm mini g doesn't flench when i do water changes. im guessing it just depends on how the skimmer is designed and some are just more sensitive to changes than others. he also had a hard time getting it to run without over flowing when he first got it, could have been some surfactants at play then though too.

I turn my skimmer off until the water change is complete and then redial it in due to minor changes of water level causing you to have to re adjust it. Also, if you are not allowing your salt to mix long enough for everything to stabilize (most people mix their salt the day before a water change) it could cause your skimmer to go crazy as well as causing ph swings.

ok i think ill buy that one so i can double check my hanna results and see how that goes

I now use red sea and I have had no problems with it

mccoy took my words, make sure you are zeroing with RODI

watch the end of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v5-FPMQRYY

ya ill give that a try if i can find it never see water like that befor at the store.

Can i ask what test kit you use for calcium?

I have the calcium Hanna checker also an have had the same problem. It is a pretty common problem and Hanna solution is that you need to get distiller water with no calcium in it otherwise it throws off the reading. I do not use it anymore because I can't be sure that it is accurate. It can try the distilled water and see what you get.