casperhito Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Sorry I haven't been posting but life has took a tern for the worse. Aside from personal issues I had noticed my zoanthids had been shrinking. Many of you awesome people suggested I lower them away from the halide and dirty my water. No prob, made a frag rack away from the light. They started reaching so I inched them closer. All was going well. The next morning they looked bad. Stretched and just not happy. Lately I have had many tank equipment failures and due to recent job loss and other mitigating circumstances I redid the system to run on as little equipment as possible. I found success with every other coral besides the ZOA's with simply a light, heater, skimmer and pump a few power heads for flow. I looked in the sump to do my weekly clean. The skimmer motor burnt out and blew out in the tank. And somehow broke my back up heater. I removed the faulty equipment. Cleaned and did a large water change, threw in some carbon and hoped. A couple days later one of the power heads went. When it rains it pours... Which brings me to today. The flow is horrible in the tank, really only one side is moving. Creating a huge dead zone that is picking up a protein layer due to lack of flow and skimmer. Sadly I am having a reconstructive surgery Wed and on my unemployment single father income that leaves me with no disposable income. With that said is there anything I can build to help solve these issues before Wednesday and I become one armed for a few months? Is there any day solution to skim out the protein? I have some PVC laying around I am sonsidering building another overflow at the other end. That should help the flow problem. I am stumped as what to do about a skimmer. I simply don't have the cash to replace it. And ideas are welcome, thank you in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 What's the system size, skimmer model, and powerhead that went out? Maybe we can all dig for some extra equipment and find a solution. As far as helping with nutrient export, cheapest way is to get a chaeto fuge going in your sump. All you need is light and your good, most basic cfl bulbs work. Regaining flow to the dead spot and a fuge should help a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casperhito Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 Here is an album of the skimmer body. And ideas to get it up and running? Like what pump it needs, ect... http://imgur.com/a/eoP1F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVPaquatics Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Another overflow might help, it would at least lessen any dead spots. . A spraybar might also help distribute flow to where you need it. Feed as little as possible. I would only be feeding the fish, and lightly at that, making sure the eat everything is added. Maybe someone with macro algae can donate some too you. This will help remove some of the pollutants. Also, if you are running a filter sock, keep it clean, this will minimize dissolved organic matter. Prevention is going to be your main goal. Prevent too much food and waste. Keep flow maximized and even, and export nutrients as efficiently as possible (macroalgaes, small water changes, keeping your sock clean if you use them, run carbon. Etc). If I had any equipment left I would donate to your cause but I don't, so advise is all I can give. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casperhito Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 It was an off brand one I got from the classifieds here. The display is 30g and the sump is 25g. Would I need flow for the chaeto? The water in the sump is pretty still. Really only the pump intake is the only flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackice Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I have a couple 750gph power heads you could browed if you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casperhito Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 The power head literally blew out the side. I don't have it anymore, sorry. I did find the needle wheel. It was a little worse for wear but might be salvageable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack-the-reefer Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I have a few powerhead a you can borrow. That'll at least get the water moving again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casperhito Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 Pics of the needle wheel. http://imgur.com/a/jyJWW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casperhito Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 Thanks jack! I think I got the flow sorted. I'm building a 1 1/4 PVC overflow for the far side. If that doesn't help I'll take you up on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casperhito Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 I'm hoping that the power head for the skimmer is a common one. Buy one and replace it. I did find that the impeller shaft had broken off the inside of the powehead. The impeller went over it. It was just a regular steel pin and sheared off. I found it at the bottom of the sump. I think that was the point of failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 That's a pretty small little skimmer, I bet a maxijet could run it pretty easily. Sadly I think most of mine are toast, given away, or used. I would consider ditching the skimmer for a fuge for now though. Flow can be slow, most just have the flow of the sump and no extra powerheads in a fuge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casperhito Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 That's a pretty small little skimmer' date=' I bet a maxijet could run it pretty easily. Sadly I think most of mine are toast, given away, or used. I would consider ditching the skimmer for a fuge for now though. Flow can be slow, most just have the flow of the sump and no extra powerheads in a fuge.[/quote'] What size maxi would you suggest? The power head it had was super tiny. Low flow, check. I have an LED strip light. Its not very bright but its attached to the sump. My sump is an open sump. No baffles or anything. Just flows through thick filter pad and that's it for mechanical. I have some jerk crabs in there. Will that be a problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriz2fer Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 You can run your tank without a skimmer. just do some water changes weekly and you should be just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriz2fer Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 You can run the tank without a skimmer. just do weekly water changes and you'll be just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontus Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 You can run the tank without a skimmer. just do weekly water changes and you'll be just fine. You can run a tank without water. How about being specific about size and frequency? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casperhito Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 My current list of solutions. I moved the remaining power head to the far side of the tank. The return from the pump in the other. Also researching day eductors... There is cross flow again. Not turbulent but I'll take what u can get. I am gonna just do extra water changes and keep an eye out for people throwing away macros. My total system volume is only 55 gallons so I figure weekly 10g water changes should be good. Thanks for the advice everyone. I am not so panicked about sudden tank failure. I was looking at the in tank freshwater filters. If my memory serves they have small power heads in them of a similar size as the original. Just an idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriz2fer Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 You can run a tank without water. How about being specific about size and frequency? a 10 to 15 percent water change weekly should be fine in his system without a skimmer. there are a ton of people running full blown sps tanks without skimmers so I think in your case it should be sufficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I'm What size maxi would you suggest? The power head it had was super tiny. Low flow, check. I have an LED strip light. Its not very bright but its attached to the sump. My sump is an open sump. No baffles or anything. Just flows through thick filter pad and that's it for mechanical. I have some jerk crabs in there. Will that be a problem? It depends on the powerhead it had on it. Maybe just a 400, not sure though. For the fuge, I'd set up something to corral the chaeto and prevent it from being sucked into return pump. Maybe some gutter guard or a Tupperware. I would use at least a cfl bulb in a lamp, more light the better to get the macro growing. More growth = more removal. Crabs shouldn't be an issue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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