High water temperature!

Hi David
I like to try and get the full water surface moving for this very reason , dont like the while oil slick that would form if it wasnt

I would angle it so it pushes the surface rather than breaks the surface

you dont need a surface skimmer as such - if you can keep the protiens moving and in the water, a regular skimmer will remove them for you

I would run your skimmer also as you have live stock in there and the extra movement and oxygentation will be beneficial

Steve

 

Hey, davidkaleko. Your first sentence is not a possibility. Either you're finished cycling (all levels are zero), or you're still cycling, in which case your levels have not yet all become zero.

Lots of good input on this thread.

I think Da Gopherboy was trying to say "partial" cycle. He may have a point. Steve too, makes some good points. From my experience, I've found it's always a good thing (albeit expensive) to have one powerhead devoted to only agitating the surface. In this fashion, surface scum (bound proteins that form a skin, as Steve talks about) is broken up and makes it to the skimmer where it can be removed.
It's almost a certainty that the temp "spike" is not the source of your dying crabs. Invertebrates are notoriously sensitive to conditions that otherwise are harmless to fish. Ammonia and nitrites can take out crabs, snails, anemones in a heartbeat.
As Steve also says, the higher the water temperature, the lower its capacity to carry oxygen, and that's never good.
Your problem might be a combination of a few factors. To address your original question though, if a chiller is not an option, consider some fans blowing air on the surface water (as already stated)--but be prepared to top off more than twice your current demands, as this surface air movement will foster evaporation in a big way.

 

Thanks for the input. I just measured my nitrites and ammonia levels to both be 0.0. I bet it's the low oxygen or something... I'm now vigorously agitating the surface and running my skimmer, while (when I can) cycling in frozen water bottles to try to lower the temp a little. Looks like I won't get my AC fixed until tuesday

Thanks for your input!

 

Good luck. What you're doing is a decent plan of attack, but if you feel like you need another set of arms, and lack an octopus; the priority should be breaking up surface scum so the skimmer can get to it. If the skimmer is functional and properly sized, it will help greatly in the oxygenation of the tank's water.

If, as your signature line indicates, you have no corals, and no fish, the temperature is probably not as critical as nitrate levels and oxygen. The latter of which your skimmer should greatly assist. In my opinion, you might consider putting your energy into getting your chemistry right (nitrates, pH swings, etc.), and focussing less on the temperature piece.

Maybe some other experienced folks can chime in too.

Again, good luck!!

 

My protein skimmer works well but it doesn't have nearly as high of a flow (in gph) as my carbon pad filter does... It collects gunk but it itself doesn't break up the surface of the water. Is this normal for a skimmer? I'd say my 20gallon carbon pad HOB filter cycles 2-3x as much water as the skimmer

 

I've never owned one, but I think there are protein skimmers which are specifically designed to skim from the water's surface. These are HOB (hang on back) skimmers only, if I'm not mistaken.

If your skimmer is not of this type, then it's not the skimmer's job to "skim the surface" water of your tank. It's the skimmer's job only to process whatever water makes it into the unit.

Again, if your display tank's surface water has a film on it, you should point a power head at that surface to allow the scum to break up, so it can eventually make it into the protein skimmer where it will be processed, and hopefully removed from your system.

Hope that helps.

 

The reason all your readings are zero, is because you probably haven't even started to cycle yet. Or your test kits are reading false. It is very unlikely to cycle a reef tank in 2 weeks....JMO.