stupid impulse buy

[lcstorc]

I use the heavy dishwashing gloves. I think they are called the living gloves. They are a lot thicket than the disposable laytex ones but still allow you reasonable movement. They actually do sell coral gloves that go up to your armpit but everybody says they are a royal pain and the real benefit there is to keep the water out of the gloves. To me it is easier to reach in and grab whatever and hold my hands upside down a couple of secs while the water drains out but that is just me. A truly smart person would wear eye protection as well in case the toxin squirts out into your eyes. It is one of the most fatal on the planet if you are allergic and you just don't want to take that chance.

 

[MatthewJ]

You may also wish to set the overflow gate a bit higher to get better surface skimming: On the FTS picture, it can be seen that some cr*p is present at the water surface.

I have solved the bubble issue by adding two rotating Hydor Flo diverters on both pump outputs. This reduce the flow in the filtration chambers and much less bubbles are are captured from the skimmer bottom. If you do so, you will need an extra powerhead in the tank: Koralia #1 or Vortech MP20: Your choice between the Pinto and the Lamborghini...

Can you provide a link to the Hydor Flo diverters? Is that what I keep seeing in everyones tank (reefmack, etc) I plan on getting the pinto eventually....before I add too much more. The MP20 looks so cool, but I think I'll have to earn it by keeping what I buy alive for at least 6 months.

 

[MatthewJ]

They are good as a part of the CUC though since enough of them eat a lot of excess food etc,

noob question...what is CUC?

 

[seafansar]

CUC=clean up crew

 

[LaurentSeattle]

Matt, here is a random link for the Hydor Flo: Hydor Flo Rotating Water Deflector and Bioflo (with Aerobic Filter)

Some other sites might have better prices. Research...

To make sure bubbles come from the skimmer, remove the "electrical center" and the splash cover. Then use a flashlight to check what's going on under the bottom of the skimmer. If you see a steady flow of bubbles escaping from the bottom, reducing the flow might help. If not, I dont know...

HTH

 

[Reefmack]

Matt - When I do work that involves lifting and moving live rock around, or scraping coralline algae, I usually wear the bulky full-arm-length gloves. I'm more afraid of getting stuck by bristleworms, or stung by a frogspawn type coral than I am toxins from zoas/palys. For "small jobs" in the tank, such as placing corals or some other quick job, I use the disposable gloves you can get from Walmart or a drug store (something like 50 in a box & pretty cheap). They can tear pretty easily but if you're careful they won't rip. I put a heavy rubberband around my wrist - this keep the gloves tight and the water out (if you don't tear the glove). This works great for me. When done the glove gets trashed. At times, I'll just put a bare arm in. There are supposedly only a couple species of paly/zoa that are highly toxic, and IMO the zoa toxicity issue is not as bad as it's portrayed. BUT, err on the side of safety, especially if you have any cuts on your hands. And when working with corals out of the tank do wear safety glasses - some will squirt at times when expelling water on being disturbed, and you definitely don't want it in your eyes (or mouth).

On the microbubbles, I just created a new post on possible causes & solutions that I had saved a while back.

RSM microbubble Issues

I hope that helps all RSM owners with the bubbles.