Neil's Red Sea Max C-250 Journey
- Thread starter neildradford
- Start date
Mark9
Has been struck by the ban stick
Very interesting.
Has Red Sea changed something with the C model or is your water level too high?
This phenomenon does not happen with my older model.
The only time I turn off my return pumps is when I do a water change.
newo11
Well-Known Member
I have an older model 250 as well.
When the pumps are off, it changes the water level in the back sump area. That increased water level causes the bubble column to rise, quickly creating a wet skim.
Mark9
Has been struck by the ban stick
Well, it all depends on water level, gate height and skimmer air setting.
I guess you're skimming more "wet" than i am.
This problem occurs with all setups when the water level in the sump area rises. I have a separate sump with a skimmer in it and when I turn off my return pump, because of the water level rise my skimmer will over flow if I don't turn it off. This is one reason ATOs are so highly recommended. With an ATO you set the sump water level, set the skimmer for proper operation and then you don't have to mess with either again. Without an ATO, the water level will slowly drop in the sump causing the skimmer bubble column to go lower and lower thus lowering the effectiveness of the skimmer.
newo11
Well-Known Member
Hate to disagree with you here bud, but I think that's sort-of correct. Goma's reply is dead on.
Remember what we are doing in an all-in-one tank such as the RSM250: we are creating a sump area in a portion of the actual tank itself. For a sump to work ideally, you need varying water levels to create waterfalls, encouraging gas exchange and allowing various equipment to work as effectively as possible (heater and skimmer, as well as mechanical filtration). How the RSM does that it with the different sections in the sump area designed to provide different water heights. (The heater for example needs a higher height than the skimmer).
So - we have several known variables and several adjustable variables. Pump flow is a constant; if you change from the stock RSM pumps or you add a chiller you are actually changing a known variable as the flow through the sump area is now different. The gate level is variable, allowing you to adjust both the water level in the main display as well as the water level in the sump to adjust for changes in flow from the pumps or changes in equipment. (Remember the skimmer height is fixed so that cannot be changed in the setup). The skimmer impeller speed is fixed so the air valve is the only variable on the skimmer to adjust the size of size and action of the bubbles. That and the water level in the sump.
When you shut the pumps off, the water level will continue through the overflow, increasing the water level in the sump area and under the skimmer. If the skimmer pump is still on, the bubble column now is shorter, but the pump impeller speed had not changed, so you are forcing the bubble column to be higher, resulting in bubbles/foam quickly filling up your cup. Air valve adjustment for the size and action of the bubbles will not be enough to compensate for this change in water level.
In normal operation, with our pumps on and constant, and the gate set at a preferred height, the water level is constant (ignoring evaporation for a moment). The air valve is the only adjustment we have on the skimmer. It's adjusting the airflow into the skimmer body, that adjusts the size and action of the bubbles themselves. This allows you to do a "dry" or "wet" skim.
Now - this is all based on the older 250. I can't speak on the c model, not having one.
Sorry if this post was long, and maybe a bit simple. Not meaning to insult anyone. This took me a while to come to understand myself and thought I would throw it out there for anyone else that reads this thread. If my understanding is wrong - please let me know as well!
Thanks for the comprehensive replies guys. At least you have made me feel better, I thought maybe I was alone and had been doing something wrong.
I guess I gotta keep switching the skimmer off, which will be daily.
Cheers
I guess I gotta keep switching the skimmer off, which will be daily.
Cheers
Only a small update. Seeing new growth on most of my corals, namely the hammer is getting 'fuller', the torch too, the Acan has new heads, as does the zoas and goniopora. The Favia and Rhodactis are about the same, but my toadstool retracts a few times a day.
Have started today, dosing reef foundation A and coral colors ABCD to raise my calcium levels. This is with guidance from RedSeaKev.
Also removed my Purigen. Trying to raise my NO3 to 1-2, never seems to go beyond 0.25.
Here are my readings for today, 3 days since the last tests:
SG:1.026
Temp:26
pH:8.2
No3:0.25
Po4:0.08
dKH:8.4
Ca:370
Mg:1460
Finally all my fish are eating flake and pellets. I feed frozen every 4 days, they all love that too.
Have some aips to zap this weekend. I may, not decided yet, scrape the back wall of the tank.
Thats all for now.
Have started today, dosing reef foundation A and coral colors ABCD to raise my calcium levels. This is with guidance from RedSeaKev.
Also removed my Purigen. Trying to raise my NO3 to 1-2, never seems to go beyond 0.25.
Here are my readings for today, 3 days since the last tests:
SG:1.026
Temp:26
pH:8.2
No3:0.25
Po4:0.08
dKH:8.4
Ca:370
Mg:1460
Finally all my fish are eating flake and pellets. I feed frozen every 4 days, they all love that too.
Have some aips to zap this weekend. I may, not decided yet, scrape the back wall of the tank.
Thats all for now.
So I zapped some more aiptasia this weekend (3 of em), and removed lots of different algaes, mostly bubble. Also scraped the back wall, still have some more to scrape on the hard to reach places, going to have to make myself a gadget for that.
My parameters are slowly getting to where I want them:
SG:1.026
Temp:26
pH:8.3
No3:0.25
Po4:0
dKH:8.7
Ca:440
Mg:1480
Added 4 more corals today, two of them are my first SPS additions. One of them I don't know the name of, wonder if someone could help? It's the one titled 'unknown'.
Toadstool Leather by Neil Radford, on Flickr
Frogspawn by Neil Radford, on Flickr
Plating Montipora by Neil Radford, on Flickr
Unknown by Neil Radford, on Flickr
Thanks for reading.
My parameters are slowly getting to where I want them:
SG:1.026
Temp:26
pH:8.3
No3:0.25
Po4:0
dKH:8.7
Ca:440
Mg:1480
Added 4 more corals today, two of them are my first SPS additions. One of them I don't know the name of, wonder if someone could help? It's the one titled 'unknown'.
Toadstool Leather by Neil Radford, on Flickr
Frogspawn by Neil Radford, on Flickr
Plating Montipora by Neil Radford, on Flickr
Unknown by Neil Radford, on Flickr
Thanks for reading.
Roy Page
Active Member
Neil,
Yes you are correct, under normal operation you will need to switch off the skimmer when the main pumps are off on the C-250.
As Newo said, as soon as you switch off the main 2 return pumps the level in the back Left & Right sump areas gets higher and equalizes with the main tank level.
That increases the height of the sump water which immediately affects the skimmer almost regardless of the height of the water level gate.
This is all assuming that you have by now removes the air throttle valve!
What I do is leave the skimmer pump on but take off the skimmer cup before switching off the main 2 pumps [And the Tunze ATO]
Now with no cup, the skimmer just bubbles away until you restart the main pumps and when they are running, put the skimmer cup back in place having cleaned it.
Doing it that way does not disturb your skimmer setting and it will return to skimming the same amount as before.
The key to constant good skimmer operation is, of course, having the water level very constant in the rear sump with a good ATO.
Now, if only I could fix my problem with keeping SPS corals as easily as fixing any C-250 skimmer issues
Roy
Now why didn't I think of that, simples. Cheers Roy, great idea. I'll just pop the cup off from now on (and give it a quick clean now and then)
Oxy, the LFS where I purchased the plating monti told me its actual colour is more purple and I should expect to see it change.
Thanks for your help with the ID, i think it's safe to say it's Acropora yongei (Bali green slimer).
Cheers.
Thanks for your help with the ID, i think it's safe to say it's Acropora yongei (Bali green slimer).
Cheers.
Joeys Tank
Well-Known Member
Nice additions, Neil.
I like the "tree like" look of the frogspawn.
I like the "tree like" look of the frogspawn.
Cheers guys, you're too kind.
I'm having a hard time figuring out where to place corals, which can only get worse as I get more. I only have 12 so far.
Also note, I haven't fixed any of the corals down yet, every single one is on a piece of rock, which is always the wrong size/shape to fit somewhere nicely. I'm scared to mess with their bases.
It amazes me when I see tanks full of corals, makes me wonder how on earth you get them in. I feel like I'm running out of places already! Maybe I'm just being too fussy?
Cheers guys.
I'm having a hard time figuring out where to place corals, which can only get worse as I get more. I only have 12 so far.
Also note, I haven't fixed any of the corals down yet, every single one is on a piece of rock, which is always the wrong size/shape to fit somewhere nicely. I'm scared to mess with their bases.
It amazes me when I see tanks full of corals, makes me wonder how on earth you get them in. I feel like I'm running out of places already! Maybe I'm just being too fussy?
Cheers guys.