Remora stopped skimming...

Discussion in 'Protein Skimmers' started by Pisces23, Nov 1, 2007.

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  1. Pisces23

    Pisces23 Sea Dragon

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    Hi all...
    I apologize if this could have easily been added to another thread...but here's my thing...
    I've had my tank set up for over a year and a half now and this past February I added a sump/fuge to the whole deal. I moved this past July but but haven't added any livestock in almost a year. My soft corals (frilly shrooms and kenya tree corals) and bubble-tipped anemone are happily reproducing themselves all over my 20 gallon tank (the BTA started as 1 and is now 2...my maroon clown doesn't know what to do with all of his real estate).
    About a month ago my Remora (which had been doing just fine) stopped producing much of anything. I cleaned the collection cup. I cleaned the pump. I dragged the whole bloody thing out of my cabinet and cleaned out the skimmer. Nothing. I know that all of that cleaning does set things back a bit, as well as increasing flow and other good things. But I'm not getting anything here, folks. So best I can tell my tank is either super clean (don't tell that to the green hair algae that's growing on my substrate) or the skimmer is having some sort of issue.
    Thoughts? :Halloween44:
     
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  3. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

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    Did you clean the venturi?
    Salt creep can clog those up pretty good.
     
  4. Pisces23

    Pisces23 Sea Dragon

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    you mean the grey plastic spout? i haven't cleaned it since July, but it looks like i've got some good bubble action in the chamber...
     
  5. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

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    hmmm. What is your pH?
    Low pH will inhibit skimming.
     
  6. Pisces23

    Pisces23 Sea Dragon

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    I have to admit, I've been a bit lax with my water testing lately. I'll have to check it tonight...and then cross my fingers as I'm heading out of town for the rest of the week. Does anyone else verge on near terror everytime they leave their tank for more than 10 hours at a stretch? No? Just me? Guess I'll add it to my list of neuroses.
     
  7. Tangster

    Tangster 3reef Sponsor

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    You added a rerfugium ?? then there is far less to be skimmed.and it won't pull as much as it did with out a fuge
     
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  9. Pisces23

    Pisces23 Sea Dragon

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    What I can't sort out is why I'm not skimming anything, but I'm having a green hair algae problem on my substrate.
    Time to dive in and pull some more out...but I'd really like a solution. Any inverts or fish that'd do the job? I've got a LFS gift cert that's been burning a hole in my pocket since June....
     
  10. MILLERTIME

    MILLERTIME Feather Duster

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    buy a sea hare and when you run out of hair algae return to LFS before it dies of starvation. also lawn mower blennies are good mowers!
     
  11. omard

    omard Gnarly Old Codfish

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    Does not take much obstruction to really reduce efficiency.

    I pull mine and clean monthy...usually needs it.
     
  12. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

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    On the Remora it is the plastic flathead screw on the pipe.