My 2ft Cube!

[mw1611]

Hmm.. Then you know the pricing for the generic taps?

[MadScientist]

Can call them too, don't know as I never asked

[mw1611]

Okay... Made an executive decision.. I've decided to get a 1250 instead of hooking up the 1260.. Now with my Eshines, there's lots of wires already.. the extra tubings ain't gonna help one bit But gotta curb spending for the next one month or so.. Been spending wayyy too much! Now considering the Hanna checkers some more.. Oh my.... the never ending spending!

Speaking of eshines! I've finally hooked them up! Here's a picture of the tank with 2x Eshines + 1 Beamswork Double Power 1300 LED! Would this set up be an overkill? Or is it just nice?

Okayy.. the snail has expanded its trail now.. so yeahhh IMO, the picture doesn't do justice to the Eshines! Extremely pleased with the Eshines! Thank you so much kaykay for organizing the BO!

[mw1611]

Sigh.. Should I get a few snails to help clear my tank walls..? These pods are all over now.. On the IOS wall, from just white 'dust' , they've now become significant white spots feel like getting snails to clear them off so I can get a clear view of the tank..

[kaykay]

With great pleasure

I love the lights too!

Btw are those pods or dust?

Pods do move around.

Kinda looks like dust to me bro..

[MadScientist]

maybe bacterial film with debris?

[mw1611]

Hmm.. Might be a mix of both.. So I should just get a scaper and get it off? I feel turning on all 3 sets of lights makes it look kinda balanced.. But I'm just worried if it difference in color temperature will be a problem..? And whether having so many lights will pose as a problem..?

[MadScientist]

what are you keeping? LPS and SPS don't really care about colour temperature, they care about PAR/PUR. Too much suddenly may burn them, slowly increase intensity. If you want clear glass, scrap, but make sure skimmer is active before and after scrapping and if your skimmer has no overskim protection, check collection cup level.

[mw1611]

Hmm.. I intend to start with LPS and softies for now.. Problem with the lights I'm using is that they don't have a dimmer.. So it's on or off only.. Heh..

Okie! Shall go get a scraper then!

[MadScientist]

if you are using multiple light units, you can control them individually to change intensity. if not, can always add eggcrates (black) to shield the light. another way is to increase the height of the light set. Since you are not having any livestock at the moment, strong light may improve algae growth, especially in nutrient rich systems

[mw1611]

Hmm.. Yeah.. I am starting to notice a little bit of brown algae growth on some LRs now.. Thats partly why I wanna get some snails too.. Maybe I'll be patient and wait till next week.. Hopefully the parameters stabilizes by then..

[MadScientist]

time to reduce phosphate and nitrate. snails only repackage algae into more compact forms. their feces will eventually be decomposed by micro-organisms and some of the phosphate and nitrate will be released back to the water. basically a smaller version of algae eating fish. snails do contribute to the bio-load. the better way is to export the nutrients, you can do this by wc with nutrient free water, skimming the water with a protein skimmer or use ion-exchange or adsorptive media such as phosphate remover to "lock" the nutrient until removal of the media after exhaustion.

[mw1611]

Yup! Working on it! Been dosing GBPO4. Haven been able to test the water since the last test. Been really busy. Hopefully can get down to changing the water and testing the parameters tomorrow.

And yup! I have a BM NAC3.5 hooked up!

[MadScientist]

great, you are on the right track,

[mw1611]

I did a 20-30% Water change last night and tested my parameters this morning

Salinity - 1.025

NO3 - 2

NO2 - 0.05

pH - 8.05

KH - 4

Ca - 380

PO4 - 0.04

Mg - 1200

[mw1611]

I also changed my return pump to an Eheim 1250.. Will try to hook up the ATO with my Compact 1000 this week! I got one problem though, the 1250 is pumping alot of microbubbles in to the main tank, any solutions? I think I have a mussel in the crevice of one of the LRs, saw it open up for awhile last night! And I spotted more hitchhikers.. Came back to see an injured star on my tank wall, its surviving pretty well IMO, constantly moving around the tank. Doesn't seem like it has stopped to rest.. Haha..

I also changed the temporary power head to a Tunze 6025. Here's a shot of the tank!

I'm not sure if I've positioned the Tunze correctly, can someone advise me please!

[MadScientist]

On and off a few times rapidly and also shake body a little. Make sure inlet is fully submerged

[mw1611]

The inlet is fully submerged.. Tried the on-off thing, but doesn't help I didn't have this problem with the Compact 1000, think cause the Compact 1000 wasn't pumping fast enough, so the microbubbles could still escape to the surface at the return pump compartment..

[MadScientist]

Have you tried securing the inlet properly? The inlet hose must be attached tightly

Do attach photos of the pump setup and the bubbles

[mw1611]

Hmm.. Here's a picture of the IOS.. Taken before I switched to the Eheim 1250.. Other than that, the only difference now is that there is a pump underneath the skimmer for the chiller, and the chiller outlet hose is at the return pump compartment, and a bigger filter wool is used at the filter media compartment..

The inlet has no hose cause its submerged in the last compartment.. Currently, the skimmer is already elevated, Outlet is already facing away from the "entrance" to next compartment.. Tonight I will try placing a filter wool near the outlet to see if it helps absorb some microbubbles.. Would placing a filter wool near the inlet help too? I can't place it directly at the inlet right?

[mw1611]

Would placing the filter wool at the Inlet of the 1250 help I mean.. Oops..

[kaykay]

Placing a filter wool before the inlet will not help. Microbubbles are creating in the skimmer body.

Could the chiller inlet pump have drawn the micro-bubbled water at the skimmer outlet compartment and passed it on to the return pump.

Could the chiller pump be located at the last compartment of the iOS and outlet directly back to display tank instead?

[mw1611]

Oops.. Paiseh.. I actually meant at the return pump inlet Hmm.. A bit hard.. Actually before I installed the 1250, the chiller outlet tube was at the little compartment just before the water enters the filter media compartment.. It was only when I installed the 1250 that I shifted the outlet tube to the return pump compartment, so you might be right about the chiller pump drawing the microbubbles over.. I will try shifting the tube back to its original spot and see if it improves the situation

[mw1611]

Problem solved! I moved the chiller outlet back to where it was originally no microbubbles now!

[MadScientist]

Congratulations