Does anyone elses skimmer gate get clogged up?

[screemer]

My gate is constantly getting firred up with a kind of red algae. I have to get a knife and literally push it through each slot to clear it out so the water flows, bit of a bummer when i go away.

 

[BigAl07]

Any chance you can get a pic of it? Actually of the skimmer gate "Clogged" and maybe some close up of the algae itself.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Red algae - sounds like cyano, cutting back on feeding may help & more snails. Do you run any chemical filtration? If it's not cyano, might be cotton candy or red turf - pics would help - mexican turbos will eat it. Cyano, though you should be able to blow off with a turkey baster.

Check out this link... Patience by Sandra Shoup - Reefkeeping.com

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Melevsreef.com - Pink Cotton Candy Algae

 

[Reefmack]

I used to get a red fuzzy type growth on the powerheads - not cyano, not coralline, not like anything I'd ever seen, and very hard to remove the stuff without a long vinegar soak to loosen it. A picture would help.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/58134-any-idea-what-type-algae.html

 

[Reefmack]

That's not what I had - mine wasn't close to being that fuzzy. Wish I had taken a picture of it.

 

[BigAl07]

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/58134-any-idea-what-type-algae.html

I wish he would have posted back with updated pictures and stuff to that thread. It helps people a lot to see the advice "come true".

 

[Bathtub]

I get red turf algea clogging mine all the time... I have a fish tank only wire scour I use to clean it off about 1x a month

 

[screemer]

Ive just put up some updates and pics of the skimmer cup in my thread

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/58660-screemers-new-130d-37.html

 

[David Shaw]

I scrub my skimmer gate with a toothbrush, just part of the cleaning regime i have.

 

[Hongkonger]

I scrub my skimmer gate with a toothbrush, just part of the cleaning regime i have.

That's a good idea better than my wire brush

 

[David Shaw]

I am King of cleaning

 

[Reefmack]

David - King of Cleaning!

 

[David Shaw]

OMG that IS me !!!!!

I have a cleaner that comes once a week and i spend the evening before scrubbing, washing and polishing so everything is sparking before she arrives !

 

[Reefmack]

LOL@David! I guess I picked the right cartoon!

 

[GregT]

ha ha
I use a toothbrush too. David i was looking at your pics a while ago thinking I need to tidy up my cabinet; and I still haven't. I open the doors and stuff falls out.

I had the cute candy floss algae - until it went beserk, took over the tank and the only thing that got rid of it was Chemiclean. never came back!

 

[Bathtub]

I have red turf algea- toothbrush just will not cut it- so dedicated fish tank wire scrubber for me, though sometimes my sea hare gets in there and helps (though he's so big now he blocks the gate off himself)