Good info Steelo , Really like you refuge setup ,I do have a question I've heard that cheato or other algea in the fuge can get into the display tank ,is that a concern or is there a way to prevent this ?
@Beetlesgonefishin Not a concern at all and has yet to happen on my reef. Even if it does, Marro Alga is considered desirable alga to grow even in the main display, whereas nuisance algae is not. Good luck and thanks for the feedback.
7 months into my system with skimmer an refugium, How can i get pass or deal with green algae after diatoms on sand bed and rocks, I have heard this is the good algae, but when do it go away, or what can i do to get rid of it! water levels are good, i have a 9watt uv sterilizer to help...
@MrBigregg572 The UV wont do much here since it can only work on free floating algae, not algae that is attached to something. Try adding a tang, or other animals that would prey on green algae such as a clean up crew consisting of hermit crabs and some snails. Good luck.
Hi. I have a 75 gallon tank with a 20 gallon 30x12x12 sump tank. I am thinking about putting a wet dry trickle filter, then refugium and then the return with a bubble trap! What do you think? If you suggest something else I will definitely go your way! Thanks bro!
What algae do you recommend putting in a refugium for a 100g reef tank? So far, this is my list, 20 lbs live sand, as much live rock I can fit in there, a filter sponge (do I have to rinse the sponge? how often?), algae, and i am going to put copepods in the refugium for a future Mandarin Goby. What algae did you say eats up nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, and ammonia? chaetomorpha?
@calbileo Cheatomorpha (Spaghetti Algae) is by far the best to use for refugiums. Keep on watching my videos to get the answer on weekly rinsing the sponge, and you should only have 1 pound per gallon of live rock on the main display (no need to have more rock in the regugium, only enough to seed the sand bed). Good luck and do not forget to give my videos a thumbs up :)
@calbileo Yes, and for this reason, I added another 4o pounds to the sump below but on the first stage of the sump, leaving the refugium for sand and chaeto only. Had I added the whole 90 pounds to the main display, I would not have added the rock below.
@newyorksteelo well, I have 100lbs of live rock in my tank altogether. I left all 100lbs of live rock in the aquarium while it was cycling. Now, I am thinking about starting a refugium! :) So can I move about 30-40 lbs of live rock from the aquarium to my refugium? and buy more live sand from my LFS for the refugium?
@calbileo The more rock you add on top of the deep sand bed below, the more the dead spots. Therefore, I only recommend you seed the deep sand bed below with 1 rock and a few small pieced of live rock rubble. This again is to prevent dead spots. Too much rock in such a small refugium will lead to detritus build up and dead spots.
@newyorksteelo How many lbs of live rock do you have in your refugium? Do I put less rock in the refugium because of the amount of space? My refugium is pretty big. 16" L x 16" W x 7" H.
I say 7" because the wall pouring into the next chamber, the return pump, is 7" tall
@calbileo I have a total of 90 pound of live rock in my system. I added 50 pounds to the main display because i wanted more space and another 40 pounds below, but keep in mind that the live rock below is located in the first stage, where it is being blasted by the drains and skimmer output to prevent detritus buildup. You cannot blast your refugium this way, so I recommend a DSB or "shallow mud bed" with very little live rock and chaeto. It comes down to common sense. Look at my system closely.
@calbileo I think you have yet to understand the setup because you have not yet watched all my videos. Visit my video titled "How To Aquascape A Reef Aquarium" to understand where I am coming from and why I set it up this way. But make sure you look at my new Trigger Sump Refugium Setup. Its all in my videos buddy. It will make a lot more sense once you watch them all. BTW, I no longer use the sump in this video, nor do I have it setup like this, and here I had all 90 pounds in the main display.
@alanharvey15 8+ g's more or less with everything included, from the RO/DI system to the tube used to mix the salt in, all the way up to the lighting and equipment. I have a excel spread sheet I created when I first started and its around that price range. Good luck.
@davido523 Yes, please visit my website (the link can be found on my main channel profile) and under Educational Information, chose Articles, and then click on Aquarium Chillers. There you will find my article on this subject containing the answers you seek :)
@davido523 Be very careful because if you are unsure that it is in fact an EV240, you may end up wasting money on a pump too strong for it. If I were you, I would measure the dimensions of the skimmer and compare it to the EV240 on AquaC's website to ensure this is the one you have. Good luck.
hi i went to my lfs today looking for a protein skimmer for my 210 and by chance some one brought one in on consignment and it look Identical to yours but it looks to be a little taller so they gave it to me for a deal but it has no pump. what size pump do u recomend for it
hi i have a 45 gallon tank that i have set up with a canister filter ment for 80 gals, a protien skimmer ment for 100 gals and 30 lbs of live rock i was wondering if u think i would have a algee problem in the long term i do water changes ever 3 weeks
@ramibadreddine It depends on so many factors, but if you do not have algae issues now, and your water parameters are stable and where they should be, my advice to you is keep up the good work :)
This refugium setup is simply the best!! So precise and detailed on the information and knowledge you're providing. Newyorksteelo keep up with these educational videos. You are the best!
Dude you have so much knowledge its awesome. Thanks for doing these videos for us who dont have the experience that you do. one question what kind of price tag would you be looking at with a filtration system like this?
@trustbloodshed It will depend on the size of your system. My nano tank had about 1,200 in it, and my 90g system has over 5 g's. Good luck and thanks for watching and commenting. Do not forget to give my videos a thumbs up :)
What's up bro quick question I have a ten gallon fish only tank just two clown fish do u think its good to put just one enemany. Oh and I have a 20k light system.
@kekamaehu It can be Power Compact Fluorescents, T5, Metal Halides, they all work. I use PC's and they work well for my refugium lighted 24 hours. Thanks for the feedback :)
hey, i love your videos, my sump is designed really badly so i'm redesigning it to basically look the same as yours(protein skimmer then deep sand bed,live rock and macro algae and then return to viewing tank). the one question is does the deep sand bed, live rock or macro algae also remove phosphates and other waste? because ive heard a lot that phosphates are actually a lot worse than nitrates and such.
@MrAxelcampbell Absolutely. Macro Algae will battle against nuisance algae and when the water parameters are up to par, nuisance algae wont even have a change against Macro Algae. Dee sand bed will handle mostly nitrates, while the macro algae will focus more on phosphates and nitrates at the same time. Good luck.
@newyorksteelo one last question about sand beds, the sand for the viewing tank i collected was from the ocean which had worms and obviously bacteria growing in it already although the grain size is a little bit larger than the silicon grade sand, would it be wise for me to get the beach sand for the sump because of the life that's already in it or the dead silicon sand because its the finest i can get? the sand bed will be 15cm by 30cm by 60cm if that helps with anything (6 inch deep sand bed).
@MrAxelcampbell I do not recommend sand and or ocean water to be collected and used from a public beach. Such sand/water contains high concentrations of "phosphates" and "silicates" bound in immense concentrations. This will encourage a never ending battle with nuisance algae in your marine aquarium throughout it's life. Instead, buy packaged live sand, processed from a company that ensures you get a phosphate free product. I have a video that reviews the live sand i use. Good luck.
@newyorksteelo lets say the water where i want to get the sand has no to low levels of nitrates and phosphates would that mean the sand isnt leaching out nitrates and phosphates and would be safe to use? i have Redsea test kits which are very expensive and very high quality so i can test the ocean very accurately to see what i am actually putting in my tank.
@MrAxelcampbell Here is how you can tell. If you look around you and there are corals everywhere, then it is safe to say this sand or water is safe to collect. However, if when you look around, you see no corals anywhere, and lots of people who frequent the area, this sand and water is most likely polluted with phosphates and silicates. I would only add natural water from reefs, not public beaches or ports. Good luck.
another good video i just got a protein skimmer how can i add a refugium in my 28 gal nano cube?can i add something inside the tank?i never had problems with dirty water i do a 5gal water change once a week.but anything that helps keep water quality good is worth trying.three years doing this and now i know what refugium is.gotta love youtube other than the pet stores that try to sell you everything.i have know one else to ask about this shit so thanks.
@saliva911 When you have a nano system, you sacrifice so much because of the small systems size. It is hard enough to add decent filtration to such a small system, let alone a refugium. Nonetheless, it is possible to add a refugium, only you will have to do some research here. Try looking at how I build my 30g nano system to get some ideas. Good luck.
@batty1955 Plenums are a thing of the past, just like wet dry trickle filters. Refugiums are whats new and hot now. Too many benefits to having a refugium. Good luck.
i was going to build a refugium a big one inside 50x27x21. with aqua euro 400 protein skimmer. i was told it would crash my system,after 2 years. i was told to ues a plenum filterion system would be better. i have 180gal now. want to add 75gal and a 30 gal with overflow boxs. to this new system. your advise please.
@batty1955 Lies about the crashing. If you follow my videos to a T, there will be no future problems. The bigger the refugium sump the better. Good luck.
I know it depends on the amount of sand you have in your tank but how much live rock do you need. I have a 40 gallon with 30 lbs of sand. I am planning to add another 4-8 lbs for my sump. How much live rock would I need.
@kekamaehu My friend, as you already know this is the third or fourth questions you asked me and I have alnswered them all. This question is found on my video where I talk about this in detail during the 90g build process. Please understand that I am only one person and cannot go back and fourth with one guy, when the info is already in my videos, and I get in excess of 150+ questions a day. So please, start out with by watching the 90g build so you can help me help you.
I love every one of your videos. I have a wet dry. I am planning to make some tweaks to it and add a refugium and a skimmer. I live in Hawaii so I can get ulva just like that, can I just plant some ulva in my refugium.
@mindciller Have you watched my DIY sump refugium videos. The info you seek is there. Come on buddy, I cover everything on my videos or at least try to. If you are looking for how to set up a refugium and what to add to it, you are on the wrong video. This one is about refugiums vs protein skimmers and how they work.
I am glad you explained a the percentage of what is roughly being exported and how the refugium works. I had just bought a reactor for zeovit but you have given me something to reconsider.
well until im able to get a protein skimmer and a sump should i just run my tank with my two powers heads? because i have more than enough live rock in there.? and also with my canister could i just run it with a bag of carbon and some macro algae or will the macro algae die due to a lack of light?
@dominic4108 I would not do a trickle filter as this is the same as a wet dry. I would however do a refugium. I have several videos on sump refugiums you may want to check out that may lead you in the right direction.
DUDE YOU ARE THE MAN! YOUR VIDEOS ARE SO HELPFUL.IM RUNING A 55 Gallon fowlr with an eheim 2215 canister. I know canisters arent the best filter for salwater but how can i make the best of what i have. CAN I HAVE A HEALTHY TANK WITH A CANISTER RUNNING? MY NITRATES BY THE WAY ARE 20 PPM
@dominic4108 If you have at least 1 pound of live rock per gallon, I would use the canister filter to run carbon only and remove all other biological media. If you want to use the sponge inside the filter, make sure you open up the canister filter every week and clean and rinse this out in order to prevent a nitrate factory. Also, try not to overfeed the system if possible, and lastly, work on getting yourself a refugium and sump which is the best and most natural filtration available
Oh but seriously. There's got to be something wrong because I don't use RO/di water. Although I don't use RO water, I dint use tap. I buy my water at the liquor. The Asian lady doesnt know how their water is filtered. They just say it's good, pluse I use to drink their water before.
Oh. I see. I thought not growing cheat ment something is wrong for sure. I have a small clip of my tank, but some corals are healing from summer abuse. No water changes or dosing. :(
@newyorksteelo. Thants the thing also. I have trouble even growing undesirable algea such as long hair etc. I do have corals and a rose anemone that split and things look happy though.
@WSSJ25 Keeping the lights on 24 hours a day will put your refugium to work on overdrive and is recommended for maximum nutrient export and algae growth, as well as to compete with micro algae growing on the main display.
@haydenater76 Hands down, the best macro algae to use is chaetomorpha, There are some other species of caulerpa that consume these nutrients but can be problematic to use due to them going asexual to reproduce. When this happens, they release all the toxins they absorbed back into the system. With chaetomorpha, this does not happen hence it is the best to use for this application.
@newyorksteelo i just built a refugium and added chaetomorpha to fight off green slime algae that has dominated my tank, so far it only seems to be thriving :/ i have good water flow but high nitrates.
if you have any suggestions or any information that could help against my battle please let me know,
@haydenater76 Light the refugium 24 hours a day and let the chaeto compete with the algae above. Increase your clean up crew and try to manually siphon as much of the green slime algae as possible. Also consider cutting down on feeding and your fish stock. Keep up with your maintenance routines and lastly, do not use tap water and run some sort of carbon and phosphate media at all times. good luck.
Hey I can't get my cheat to grow at all. I am currently running a skimmer also. I dose a small amount of Mn. And Fe to encourage growth. I have no success, although my nitrates are near 0. But I know the cheato needs to grow because I heavily feed my tank now and so.
dose this apply to fresh water fish ? what about Turtle tanks shold i or can i do a refugum insted of byo balls wet dry filters thanks for the videos. i just bought a wet dry byo balls system for the turtle tank thanks to bob bauery do you need to byu spcial lights for the refugiums? curantly I am useing Ehime canister fillters that i think are great just trying to make things better for the animals
@tdr240sx Not very common for freshwater systems but this is not to say that it is impossible. Freshwater is much more tolerant of nitrates and phosphates and so using a refugium is not as popular but i have seen systems where 2 tanks are attached to each other, one being a planted tank, and the other being a fish dominated tank. Good luck and thanks for watching.
Hey newyyorksteelo do u think its a good idea to add more than one type of macro algae to my large cpr hang on fuge? What is the best in your oppinion?
@atotad Chaetomorpha (Spaghetti Algae) is the best and the only algae you need. Let it grow till it cannot fit no more and then prune it a bit so as to leave more room for it to grow. This is when it serves as a filter for you. Thanks for watching and the sub. be sure to rate my videos and if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.
@dm002a8686 As I stated before on my previous answer to you. Doing minor water changes here and there or weekly, or doing a large water change once a month, will replenish the system of major and minor trace elements. If you do 10% water changes weekly, or do 40% water change monthly, it is the same amount of water change my friend. Only I do it monthly because I do not have a nitrate problem.
Thank you for that , but when I do water change I use red sea salt and I have noticed my calcium levels drops down about 50 ppm and I have to add more calcium
@dm002a8686 Even though I do not need to do water changes to control nitrates, that is not to say that I don't do them. Minor water changes here and there or one large one monthly is beneficial because it replaces minor and major trace elements back into the water which are found in the right levels in the salt mix.
@newyorksteelo can you check out my video on my refugium and give me ur 2 cents on what i can do to help my system thanks again for helping right now i havent been running any type of filtration and my nitrates are at 0 this goes to show that you can keep a system with out filtration if you have a low fish load and a good clean up crew but i want my copepod population up so i am putting in a refugium and taking of my skimmer most likely please tell me what u think by commenting on my video
@finger11yo I am confused here. You say you haven't been running any filtration yet you have a protein skimmer? lol. I will check out your videos later on tonight and leave a comment if need be.
@newyorksteelo i have a skimmer i am just not running it and my nitrate levels have stayed at 0 you should read the book the german system which is a reef tank and the only tek they use is lights the and they do water changes every i want to say 5 days i thing they might have used a power head i have to read the book again but i deffinetly recomend it that is what im trying to do with my tank but note if i have a spike i will start running the skimmer
Could I not get a small marine tank an run it as Refugium get 2 pumps , 1 from my sump and return to tank, what do you think, can not fined enought space in sump, only problem I think is if the return pump fails I'll have I flood??
@dm002a8686 Why add a separate tank when you can add a better/bigger sump/refugium to your system under the stand and hide it? You can also look into hang on the back refugiums. Please refer to my videos on the Hang on the back CPR Aquafuge Refugium system to get more info on it, although I believe that for your systems size, you may need a slightly larger refugium.
I have a regular wave maker pump 800gph on my 90g tank. I been saving up for a vortech mp40 but I can only afford one. Figure I can keep my pump opposite of the mp40. Or I can go with the system u gave rj. What u think?
@javier91782 I would go with one MP40 which will give you more than enough flow. The only reason why I got 2 MP40's in my 90 gallon system is because the other side of the tank lacked some minor flow. One MP40 would be enough flow for your system for a long time until you buy the other one.
Dont forget all the expensive minerals and supplements that the skimmer will remove. I prefer to turn off the skimmer for 2 or 3 days after adding them so everything can be absorbed.
@huzzygam I run the skimmer 24/7 and simply supplement with B-ionic calcium and alkalinity on a daily basis which contains much of the major and minor trace elements found in nature.
@huzzygam As stated in the video, no matter how good or powerful a skimmer is, skimmers only remove about 30% of all organics and nutrients, so turning it off would only make it remove 5% or 10% at the same time letting all these undissolved organics get processed by the bacteria and turned into nitrates. Not a good idea to turn off skimmers at all in my opinion.
Great video. You've got it all covered when looking at your videos as a whole. Now you just need a single complete filtration video for those that haven't followed you. I've seen the complete set of videos and you've got it all covered between them. You're a great resource. The time you've taken for these without pay is amazing. THANKS!!!
@rsyver Awesome compliment man. Definitely good to hear that my efforts are appreciated. Worth more than any pay in my opinion. A million thanks to you my friend.
@trackwalker Thanks. I believe this video will help me some cause if they ask about nitrate problems, I will immediately tell them to come check this video out lol. Thanks again for the comment.
@PapoBoom Yes, absolutely. Even for fish only systems with live rock, this is by far the best filtration to use because it will keep nitrates at bay and minimize water changes and nuisance algae growth.
Nice video Steel... Sometimes my EV-120 stalls and bubbles won't go all the way up to the neck of the skimmer, it could stay like that for a day or two! Can't figure it out!
@sputnik790 Check the injector to see if a small baby snail is stuck in there hindering the performance of the skimmer. Also be sure to inspect the air valve intake for salt creep which also can hinder its performance. Let me ask you this. Are you using a mag drive 7 for this EV 120 skimmer. If you'r not, you should be using this pump as opposed to the mag 5. Also, feeding the system and or adding chemicals such as dechlorinator or stress coat can effect all and every skimmers performance.
@newyorksteelo I always check all injectors when it happens and they seem to be fine. I do use magdrive7 with it! I never use and never will use any chemicals in my tank no matter what :))) The only additive i use is the B-ionic two part and in future planning on getting Strontium and Magnesium of the same brand!
@sputnik790 Hmmm, interesting to say the least cause my skimmer is running 24/7 pulling out gunk. How fast is the water entering your sump/refugium. The faster you process the water through your sump, the faster the skimmer will pull out undissolved organic matter. Forgive me for not remembering your system to a T because of all the peoples systems I have to see when they ask questions, but what size is your system again, and what return pump are you using?
@newyorksteelo I think you just found the cause for my skimmer behaving like that! Couple of days ago i have removed my flexible drain hose and plumed the drain with PVC, i also installed Ball Valve on the drain to control the waterfall. The reason for that change was the Durso pipe i have installed in my overflowbox! I have magdrive12 for my return, traveling through UV sterilizer and the chiller! My system 50gal main, 20gal fuge!
@sputnik790 A mag 12 going through a UV unit, plus chiller and then god only knows how many turns until it goes back to the main display? Woah man, with such head pressure on the mag 12, the mag 12 is going to be running more like a mag 3 lol. Do consider upgrading the return pump because these skimmers are monsters at processing water and if it continuously processes the same water due to slow water flow through the sump, it will stop producing foam until more dirty water is available.
@newyorksteelo Actually i did upgraded my return pump to a magdrive12 when i bought UV unit and honestly it still have so much flow that my 600gph overflow box was on it's limit and i had to install a ball valve on the return to throttle it down a bit :)
@sputnik790 It can also very well be the change into PVC that needs to break in more and rid itself of the oils so the skimmer kicks in more. Or your systems organic levels are low and the skimmer is stalling. Many reasons why this is happening but troubleshooting the skimmer and overall system is the only way to go. As long as you are not having a cyano or hair algae problem and your parameters are good I wouldn't worry too much about it.
@newyorksteelo Thanks Steel, i think it is the oils in the new PVC especially the ball valve as i touched it inside with my finger and it was oily! So i'll give it some time! The watter params are good: Nitrate=0, Phos=0, PH=8.2, Ca=430, dKH=9.0! I will be getting ESV Strontium and Magnesium! Thanks again Steel :)
My scarlet reef hermit crab ate my green spotted mandarin yesterday =(
Do you ever take apart and fully clean your protein skimmer? Like the main bubble chamber.
The chaetomorpha does not consume the undissolved organics, it absorbs the DISSOLVED organics =P, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate and phosphates are dissolved organics
The skimmer i bought for my 120g is a Reef Octo rated for 180 gallons
@gprime22 The hermit crab ate the mandarin cause it was dead for sure. Tough to keep those animals alive for more than a year in my opinion. Chetomorpha and all macro alga's consume both dissolved and undissolved organics/nutrients. If you doubt this go to Bob fenner's article at aquarticles . com. I wish I can post the link so you can read it. You got a lot to learn my friend lol, but we all are not born knowing and so we seek knowledge to know. Good luck with the new 120g system.
@newyorksteelo that's weird because he was swimming around and seemed perfectly fine the day before that.... yeah i've had him since like..... may? he was eating frozen brine/mysis shrimp too.
And my mistake, it was my understanding that they could only consume dissolved organics.
@gprime22 Tough to lose such a beautiful and interesting fish. May he rest in peace, or in the tummy of the hermit crab lol. No worries on the mistake bro, that is why I make these videos which no one else seems to do on YouTube, to pass on the knowledge.
@newyorksteelo yeah ill probably wait at least 6 months before i get another one when i set up the 120g. sp the refugium has time to get established with lots of pods.
What should i use for cycling the 120g? i was going to go with dead rock and seed it with the live rock that's in my nano. Was thinking of using 3 yellow tailed damsels.
@gprime22 Using live rock is the best and fastest way to cycle a marine aquarium. If you are not going to use new live rock then add a piece of raw shrimp and let it decompose, but under no circumstances, do I recommend using fish to cycle a aquarium. Using this practice is plane torture to the fish. While the cycle process is going on they are constantly being burned alive with ammonia and nitrite. No need to be cruel to the fish my friend.
@newyorksteelo Going with dead rock because its a lot cheaper then buying live rock, and I'm getting the actual weight in rock because there's no water weight.
I didn't think the ammonia would be that bad with only 3 damsels cycling in a 120g tank :S.
@gprime22 You can achieve the same results by just adding food and letting it decay. Any small sign of ammonia or nitrite will continuously burn the fish due to the toxic levels in ammonia and nitrite. As hardy as damsels are I would completely rule this practice out of the question. It's just inhumane in my opinion.
@gprime22 mhm true, only thing is i'd have to go out of my way to find a fish market cus the grocery store only sells frozen/cooker shrimp/prawns etc... but it shouldn't too hard. I just didn't think it would be that bad for the fish because people always talk about using damsels and clownfish for cycling tanks.
Good info Steelo , Really like you refuge setup ,I do have a question I've heard that cheato or other algea in the fuge can get into the display tank ,is that a concern or is there a way to prevent this ?
Beetlesgonefishin 3 weeks ago
@Beetlesgonefishin Not a concern at all and has yet to happen on my reef. Even if it does, Marro Alga is considered desirable alga to grow even in the main display, whereas nuisance algae is not. Good luck and thanks for the feedback.
newyorksteelo 3 weeks ago
7 months into my system with skimmer an refugium, How can i get pass or deal with green algae after diatoms on sand bed and rocks, I have heard this is the good algae, but when do it go away, or what can i do to get rid of it! water levels are good, i have a 9watt uv sterilizer to help...
MrBigregg572 3 weeks ago
@MrBigregg572 The UV wont do much here since it can only work on free floating algae, not algae that is attached to something. Try adding a tang, or other animals that would prey on green algae such as a clean up crew consisting of hermit crabs and some snails. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 3 weeks ago
Hi. I have a 75 gallon tank with a 20 gallon 30x12x12 sump tank. I am thinking about putting a wet dry trickle filter, then refugium and then the return with a bubble trap! What do you think? If you suggest something else I will definitely go your way! Thanks bro!
Sisco296 1 month ago
@Sisco296 A protein skimmer should be the heart of your filtration system. I would skip on the wet dry area and instead add a skimmer. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 1 month ago
it is realy good. i have bio balls, and protein skimer. now im going to build a refiuge
pitus26 2 months ago
@pitus26 A refugium is the way to go now and days Offers a lot more benefits than having just bio balls creating nitrates. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 2 months ago
Thanks again NY. Well made.
carlocmendoza 2 months ago
@carlocmendoza Your welcome :)
newyorksteelo 2 months ago
Thank you
Odulami101 3 months ago
@Odulami101 Your welcome!
newyorksteelo 3 months ago
Another great vid NY very informative thanks 4 the info. U the man New York
4thGloryMonday 3 months ago
@4thGloryMonday Thank you. Glad to be subbed to one of my subs lol.
newyorksteelo 3 months ago
What algae do you recommend putting in a refugium for a 100g reef tank? So far, this is my list, 20 lbs live sand, as much live rock I can fit in there, a filter sponge (do I have to rinse the sponge? how often?), algae, and i am going to put copepods in the refugium for a future Mandarin Goby. What algae did you say eats up nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, and ammonia? chaetomorpha?
calbileo 4 months ago in playlist More videos from newyorksteelo
@calbileo Cheatomorpha (Spaghetti Algae) is by far the best to use for refugiums. Keep on watching my videos to get the answer on weekly rinsing the sponge, and you should only have 1 pound per gallon of live rock on the main display (no need to have more rock in the regugium, only enough to seed the sand bed). Good luck and do not forget to give my videos a thumbs up :)
newyorksteelo 4 months ago
@newyorksteelo You only had about 50-60 lbs of live rock in your 90g tank right? i think thats what one of your videos said.
calbileo 4 months ago
@calbileo Yes, and for this reason, I added another 4o pounds to the sump below but on the first stage of the sump, leaving the refugium for sand and chaeto only. Had I added the whole 90 pounds to the main display, I would not have added the rock below.
newyorksteelo 4 months ago
@newyorksteelo well, I have 100lbs of live rock in my tank altogether. I left all 100lbs of live rock in the aquarium while it was cycling. Now, I am thinking about starting a refugium! :) So can I move about 30-40 lbs of live rock from the aquarium to my refugium? and buy more live sand from my LFS for the refugium?
calbileo 4 months ago
@calbileo The more rock you add on top of the deep sand bed below, the more the dead spots. Therefore, I only recommend you seed the deep sand bed below with 1 rock and a few small pieced of live rock rubble. This again is to prevent dead spots. Too much rock in such a small refugium will lead to detritus build up and dead spots.
newyorksteelo 4 months ago
@newyorksteelo How many lbs of live rock do you have in your refugium? Do I put less rock in the refugium because of the amount of space? My refugium is pretty big. 16" L x 16" W x 7" H.
I say 7" because the wall pouring into the next chamber, the return pump, is 7" tall
calbileo 4 months ago
@calbileo I have a total of 90 pound of live rock in my system. I added 50 pounds to the main display because i wanted more space and another 40 pounds below, but keep in mind that the live rock below is located in the first stage, where it is being blasted by the drains and skimmer output to prevent detritus buildup. You cannot blast your refugium this way, so I recommend a DSB or "shallow mud bed" with very little live rock and chaeto. It comes down to common sense. Look at my system closely.
newyorksteelo 4 months ago
@calbileo I think you have yet to understand the setup because you have not yet watched all my videos. Visit my video titled "How To Aquascape A Reef Aquarium" to understand where I am coming from and why I set it up this way. But make sure you look at my new Trigger Sump Refugium Setup. Its all in my videos buddy. It will make a lot more sense once you watch them all. BTW, I no longer use the sump in this video, nor do I have it setup like this, and here I had all 90 pounds in the main display.
newyorksteelo 4 months ago
how much dose you hole systeam and tank coast
alanharvey15 4 months ago
@alanharvey15 8+ g's more or less with everything included, from the RO/DI system to the tube used to mix the salt in, all the way up to the lighting and equipment. I have a excel spread sheet I created when I first started and its around that price range. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 4 months ago
it measures 26 inches tall
davido523 6 months ago
@davido523 That's the EV240 :)
newyorksteelo 6 months ago
thanks for sll your information its come in real handy now i have to look for a good chiller do u have any sugestions
davido523 6 months ago
@davido523 Yes, please visit my website (the link can be found on my main channel profile) and under Educational Information, chose Articles, and then click on Aquarium Chillers. There you will find my article on this subject containing the answers you seek :)
newyorksteelo 6 months ago
i touch base with my local lfs and he asured me the skimmer is the ev 240 and hed going to get me a mag 18 pump
davido523 6 months ago
@davido523 Be very careful because if you are unsure that it is in fact an EV240, you may end up wasting money on a pump too strong for it. If I were you, I would measure the dimensions of the skimmer and compare it to the EV240 on AquaC's website to ensure this is the one you have. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 6 months ago
the protein skimmer is a aqua cev skimmer
davido523 6 months ago
@davido523 Mines is the EV240 and I run it with the mag drive 18. If it were an EV180, I would run this one with a mag drive 9.5. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 6 months ago
the skimmer is the same one u have in the refugium that you are showing in this video the aquac ev
davido523 6 months ago
hi i went to my lfs today looking for a protein skimmer for my 210 and by chance some one brought one in on consignment and it look Identical to yours but it looks to be a little taller so they gave it to me for a deal but it has no pump. what size pump do u recomend for it
davido523 6 months ago
@davido523 I have no idea what skimmer you have and so I cannot offer a recommendation on pump size buddy.
newyorksteelo 6 months ago
hi i have a 45 gallon tank that i have set up with a canister filter ment for 80 gals, a protien skimmer ment for 100 gals and 30 lbs of live rock i was wondering if u think i would have a algee problem in the long term i do water changes ever 3 weeks
ramibadreddine 6 months ago
@ramibadreddine It depends on so many factors, but if you do not have algae issues now, and your water parameters are stable and where they should be, my advice to you is keep up the good work :)
newyorksteelo 6 months ago
@newyorksteelo thats for your help!
ramibadreddine 6 months ago
@ramibadreddine Your welcome!
newyorksteelo 6 months ago
This refugium setup is simply the best!! So precise and detailed on the information and knowledge you're providing. Newyorksteelo keep up with these educational videos. You are the best!
hypeembeats 6 months ago
@hypeembeats Greatly appreciate the feedback. Thank you!
newyorksteelo 6 months ago
Thanks for the knowledge!
i8avet 7 months ago
@i8avet Your welcome!
newyorksteelo 7 months ago
Dude you have so much knowledge its awesome. Thanks for doing these videos for us who dont have the experience that you do. one question what kind of price tag would you be looking at with a filtration system like this?
trustbloodshed 7 months ago
@trustbloodshed It will depend on the size of your system. My nano tank had about 1,200 in it, and my 90g system has over 5 g's. Good luck and thanks for watching and commenting. Do not forget to give my videos a thumbs up :)
newyorksteelo 7 months ago
awesome vid thx for the explanations and not just do this
MrTurtle7760 7 months ago
@MrTurtle7760 :)
newyorksteelo 7 months ago
What's up bro quick question I have a ten gallon fish only tank just two clown fish do u think its good to put just one enemany. Oh and I have a 20k light system.
CrazyFishFreak 9 months ago
@CrazyFishFreak One anemone is all you need for the 2 clowns. Just make sure it is big enough for the both of the :) Good luck.
newyorksteelo 9 months ago
What kind of lighting do you need for refuge, watts and light itself(t5, bulb)?????? Love the vids too.
kekamaehu 9 months ago
@kekamaehu It can be Power Compact Fluorescents, T5, Metal Halides, they all work. I use PC's and they work well for my refugium lighted 24 hours. Thanks for the feedback :)
newyorksteelo 9 months ago
hey, i love your videos, my sump is designed really badly so i'm redesigning it to basically look the same as yours(protein skimmer then deep sand bed,live rock and macro algae and then return to viewing tank). the one question is does the deep sand bed, live rock or macro algae also remove phosphates and other waste? because ive heard a lot that phosphates are actually a lot worse than nitrates and such.
MrAxelcampbell 10 months ago
@MrAxelcampbell Absolutely. Macro Algae will battle against nuisance algae and when the water parameters are up to par, nuisance algae wont even have a change against Macro Algae. Dee sand bed will handle mostly nitrates, while the macro algae will focus more on phosphates and nitrates at the same time. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 10 months ago
@newyorksteelo one last question about sand beds, the sand for the viewing tank i collected was from the ocean which had worms and obviously bacteria growing in it already although the grain size is a little bit larger than the silicon grade sand, would it be wise for me to get the beach sand for the sump because of the life that's already in it or the dead silicon sand because its the finest i can get? the sand bed will be 15cm by 30cm by 60cm if that helps with anything (6 inch deep sand bed).
MrAxelcampbell 10 months ago
@MrAxelcampbell I do not recommend sand and or ocean water to be collected and used from a public beach. Such sand/water contains high concentrations of "phosphates" and "silicates" bound in immense concentrations. This will encourage a never ending battle with nuisance algae in your marine aquarium throughout it's life. Instead, buy packaged live sand, processed from a company that ensures you get a phosphate free product. I have a video that reviews the live sand i use. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 10 months ago
@newyorksteelo lets say the water where i want to get the sand has no to low levels of nitrates and phosphates would that mean the sand isnt leaching out nitrates and phosphates and would be safe to use? i have Redsea test kits which are very expensive and very high quality so i can test the ocean very accurately to see what i am actually putting in my tank.
MrAxelcampbell 10 months ago
@MrAxelcampbell Here is how you can tell. If you look around you and there are corals everywhere, then it is safe to say this sand or water is safe to collect. However, if when you look around, you see no corals anywhere, and lots of people who frequent the area, this sand and water is most likely polluted with phosphates and silicates. I would only add natural water from reefs, not public beaches or ports. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 10 months ago
another good video i just got a protein skimmer how can i add a refugium in my 28 gal nano cube?can i add something inside the tank?i never had problems with dirty water i do a 5gal water change once a week.but anything that helps keep water quality good is worth trying.three years doing this and now i know what refugium is.gotta love youtube other than the pet stores that try to sell you everything.i have know one else to ask about this shit so thanks.
saliva911 11 months ago
@saliva911 When you have a nano system, you sacrifice so much because of the small systems size. It is hard enough to add decent filtration to such a small system, let alone a refugium. Nonetheless, it is possible to add a refugium, only you will have to do some research here. Try looking at how I build my 30g nano system to get some ideas. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 11 months ago
what do think of plenum filterion system vs a refugium
batty1955 11 months ago
@batty1955 Plenums are a thing of the past, just like wet dry trickle filters. Refugiums are whats new and hot now. Too many benefits to having a refugium. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 11 months ago
i was going to build a refugium a big one inside 50x27x21. with aqua euro 400 protein skimmer. i was told it would crash my system,after 2 years. i was told to ues a plenum filterion system would be better. i have 180gal now. want to add 75gal and a 30 gal with overflow boxs. to this new system. your advise please.
batty1955 11 months ago
@batty1955 Lies about the crashing. If you follow my videos to a T, there will be no future problems. The bigger the refugium sump the better. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 11 months ago
Sorry I have been a douche. Please except that I am your biggest fan.
kekamaehu 11 months ago
@kekamaehu No problem. I am here to help lead you in the right direction but I expect you to do research as well. Thanks.
newyorksteelo 11 months ago
I know it depends on the amount of sand you have in your tank but how much live rock do you need. I have a 40 gallon with 30 lbs of sand. I am planning to add another 4-8 lbs for my sump. How much live rock would I need.
kekamaehu 11 months ago
@kekamaehu My friend, as you already know this is the third or fourth questions you asked me and I have alnswered them all. This question is found on my video where I talk about this in detail during the 90g build process. Please understand that I am only one person and cannot go back and fourth with one guy, when the info is already in my videos, and I get in excess of 150+ questions a day. So please, start out with by watching the 90g build so you can help me help you.
newyorksteelo 11 months ago
Sorry but do you need live rock for a refuge or corals. Is there any alternitive
kekamaehu 11 months ago
@kekamaehu Please watch my videos because all the info you need on reef aquariums in found there. I have many videos where I talk about live rock.
newyorksteelo 11 months ago
I am also trying to get some coraline boosters(plates) should I get it to make my tank look and be more healthy.
kekamaehu 11 months ago
@kekamaehu Yes if your live rock lacks coraline algae, these can be useful.
newyorksteelo 11 months ago
I love every one of your videos. I have a wet dry. I am planning to make some tweaks to it and add a refugium and a skimmer. I live in Hawaii so I can get ulva just like that, can I just plant some ulva in my refugium.
kekamaehu 11 months ago
@kekamaehu Yes, but do consider adding more chaeto than ulva. The chaeto will work miracles for you. Thanks for the comment.
newyorksteelo 11 months ago
why are protein skimmers not used in freshwater tanks? or are they?
draward 11 months ago
@draward It's possible to use a skimmer on a freshwater tank but it can never be as effective because the water is not as dense as is saltwater.
newyorksteelo 11 months ago
very helpfull cheers man
finnoil 1 year ago
@finnoil Thanks.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
you didn't mention if you put carbon in too-do you? in your old diy setup
mindciller 1 year ago
@mindciller Have you watched my DIY sump refugium videos. The info you seek is there. Come on buddy, I cover everything on my videos or at least try to. If you are looking for how to set up a refugium and what to add to it, you are on the wrong video. This one is about refugiums vs protein skimmers and how they work.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
I am glad you explained a the percentage of what is roughly being exported and how the refugium works. I had just bought a reactor for zeovit but you have given me something to reconsider.
TheMinisterC 1 year ago
@TheMinisterC Thanks :)
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
newyorksteelo , i realy have a question! man , what kind of light i need to put on my refugium system............... ?
Robertsclub 1 year ago
@Robertsclub Strong intense lighting. Typically Power Compacts and in the 67K spectrum. Best if refugiums are lighted 24 hours a day. Good luck.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@Robertsclub thanks ! newyorksteelo , im going to buy pc .
Robertsclub 1 year ago
this is a very ,very good video man A +++++
Robertsclub 1 year ago
@Robertsclub Thanks, and thanks for the sub :)
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
well until im able to get a protein skimmer and a sump should i just run my tank with my two powers heads? because i have more than enough live rock in there.? and also with my canister could i just run it with a bag of carbon and some macro algae or will the macro algae die due to a lack of light?
dominic4108 1 year ago
@dominic4108 Yes, absolutely. The macro algae needs light or it will die so this is the only thing you cannot do.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DIY TRICKLE FILTERS? i THINK I WANNA GIVE IT A SHOT MY SELF ANY ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE ME?
dominic4108 1 year ago
@dominic4108 I would not do a trickle filter as this is the same as a wet dry. I would however do a refugium. I have several videos on sump refugiums you may want to check out that may lead you in the right direction.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
DUDE YOU ARE THE MAN! YOUR VIDEOS ARE SO HELPFUL.IM RUNING A 55 Gallon fowlr with an eheim 2215 canister. I know canisters arent the best filter for salwater but how can i make the best of what i have. CAN I HAVE A HEALTHY TANK WITH A CANISTER RUNNING? MY NITRATES BY THE WAY ARE 20 PPM
dominic4108 1 year ago
@dominic4108 If you have at least 1 pound of live rock per gallon, I would use the canister filter to run carbon only and remove all other biological media. If you want to use the sponge inside the filter, make sure you open up the canister filter every week and clean and rinse this out in order to prevent a nitrate factory. Also, try not to overfeed the system if possible, and lastly, work on getting yourself a refugium and sump which is the best and most natural filtration available
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
Oh but seriously. There's got to be something wrong because I don't use RO/di water. Although I don't use RO water, I dint use tap. I buy my water at the liquor. The Asian lady doesnt know how their water is filtered. They just say it's good, pluse I use to drink their water before.
WSSJ25 1 year ago
Oh. I see. I thought not growing cheat ment something is wrong for sure. I have a small clip of my tank, but some corals are healing from summer abuse. No water changes or dosing. :(
WSSJ25 1 year ago
Also my tank has been running for more thank 2 years I don't know if that makes a difference to you.
WSSJ25 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo. Thants the thing also. I have trouble even growing undesirable algea such as long hair etc. I do have corals and a rose anemone that split and things look happy though.
WSSJ25 1 year ago
@WSSJ25 If all is working as it should, no need to fix it :)
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
yea i have seen both videos, but i do not have my lights on all day. only at night.
WSSJ25 1 year ago
@WSSJ25 Keeping the lights on 24 hours a day will put your refugium to work on overdrive and is recommended for maximum nutrient export and algae growth, as well as to compete with micro algae growing on the main display.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
what microalage eats the bad nutriants like nitrate/nitrite/amonia?
haydenater76 1 year ago
@haydenater76 Hands down, the best macro algae to use is chaetomorpha, There are some other species of caulerpa that consume these nutrients but can be problematic to use due to them going asexual to reproduce. When this happens, they release all the toxins they absorbed back into the system. With chaetomorpha, this does not happen hence it is the best to use for this application.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo i just built a refugium and added chaetomorpha to fight off green slime algae that has dominated my tank, so far it only seems to be thriving :/ i have good water flow but high nitrates.
if you have any suggestions or any information that could help against my battle please let me know,
Thanks, Hayden.
haydenater76 1 year ago
@haydenater76 Light the refugium 24 hours a day and let the chaeto compete with the algae above. Increase your clean up crew and try to manually siphon as much of the green slime algae as possible. Also consider cutting down on feeding and your fish stock. Keep up with your maintenance routines and lastly, do not use tap water and run some sort of carbon and phosphate media at all times. good luck.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo alright ill give it a try and report back to you in a few weeks, thanks for the advice and keep up the videos :)
haydenater76 1 year ago
@haydenater76 WIll do. Thanks for the support and do not forget to rate my videos :)
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
Hey I can't get my cheat to grow at all. I am currently running a skimmer also. I dose a small amount of Mn. And Fe to encourage growth. I have no success, although my nitrates are near 0. But I know the cheato needs to grow because I heavily feed my tank now and so.
WSSJ25 1 year ago
@WSSJ25 Have you watched my video on calcium and alkalinity? Also, do you leave the lights on for 24 hours on the refugium as I do?
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo
yea i have seen both videos, but i do not have my lights on all day. only at night.
WSSJ25 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo
yea i have seen both videos, but i do not have my lights on all day. only at night.
WSSJ25 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo
yea i have seen both videos, but i do not have my lights on all day. only at night.
WSSJ25 1 year ago
dose this apply to fresh water fish ? what about Turtle tanks shold i or can i do a refugum insted of byo balls wet dry filters thanks for the videos. i just bought a wet dry byo balls system for the turtle tank thanks to bob bauery do you need to byu spcial lights for the refugiums? curantly I am useing Ehime canister fillters that i think are great just trying to make things better for the animals
tdr240sx 1 year ago
@tdr240sx Not very common for freshwater systems but this is not to say that it is impossible. Freshwater is much more tolerant of nitrates and phosphates and so using a refugium is not as popular but i have seen systems where 2 tanks are attached to each other, one being a planted tank, and the other being a fish dominated tank. Good luck and thanks for watching.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo thanks
tdr240sx 1 year ago
your videos are amazing man, why not open your own shop haha, your teaching me a lot
samuelwaynefoleyjr 1 year ago
@samuelwaynefoleyjr Thanks Samuel. Good to hear.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
how long should i leave my Refugium light on?
jjxmoto 1 year ago
@jjxmoto I run mines 24 hours a day and it works as a non stop filter sucking up and absorbing nutrients.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
Hey newyyorksteelo do u think its a good idea to add more than one type of macro algae to my large cpr hang on fuge? What is the best in your oppinion?
atotad 1 year ago
@atotad Chaetomorpha (Spaghetti Algae) is the best and the only algae you need. Let it grow till it cannot fit no more and then prune it a bit so as to leave more room for it to grow. This is when it serves as a filter for you. Thanks for watching and the sub. be sure to rate my videos and if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo will emperor angel fish eat this macro?
dudepros 1 year ago
@dudepros Yes. He will nip at it till it dies, especially if underfed.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
40 gallons ,But that not miner water change that's about 45 % water change in your size tank ??
dm002a8686 1 year ago
@dm002a8686 As I stated before on my previous answer to you. Doing minor water changes here and there or weekly, or doing a large water change once a month, will replenish the system of major and minor trace elements. If you do 10% water changes weekly, or do 40% water change monthly, it is the same amount of water change my friend. Only I do it monthly because I do not have a nitrate problem.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
Thank you for that , but when I do water change I use red sea salt and I have noticed my calcium levels drops down about 50 ppm and I have to add more calcium
Supplements ??
dm002a8686 1 year ago
@dm002a8686 Please refer to my video called "Calcium & Alkalinity Additives" to find the answer to your calcium question.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
On your video about water changes you said you do 40 gallon a month, now you you don't have to water change every 6 months ?? Explain please
dm002a8686 1 year ago
@dm002a8686 Even though I do not need to do water changes to control nitrates, that is not to say that I don't do them. Minor water changes here and there or one large one monthly is beneficial because it replaces minor and major trace elements back into the water which are found in the right levels in the salt mix.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo can you check out my video on my refugium and give me ur 2 cents on what i can do to help my system thanks again for helping right now i havent been running any type of filtration and my nitrates are at 0 this goes to show that you can keep a system with out filtration if you have a low fish load and a good clean up crew but i want my copepod population up so i am putting in a refugium and taking of my skimmer most likely please tell me what u think by commenting on my video
finger11yo 1 year ago
@finger11yo I am confused here. You say you haven't been running any filtration yet you have a protein skimmer? lol. I will check out your videos later on tonight and leave a comment if need be.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo i have a skimmer i am just not running it and my nitrate levels have stayed at 0 you should read the book the german system which is a reef tank and the only tek they use is lights the and they do water changes every i want to say 5 days i thing they might have used a power head i have to read the book again but i deffinetly recomend it that is what im trying to do with my tank but note if i have a spike i will start running the skimmer
finger11yo 1 year ago
Downloaded a video today check it out
javier91782 1 year ago
@javier91782 I'll check it out later and leave a comment when I get home.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
Could I not get a small marine tank an run it as Refugium get 2 pumps , 1 from my sump and return to tank, what do you think, can not fined enought space in sump, only problem I think is if the return pump fails I'll have I flood??
dm002a8686 1 year ago
@dm002a8686 Why add a separate tank when you can add a better/bigger sump/refugium to your system under the stand and hide it? You can also look into hang on the back refugiums. Please refer to my videos on the Hang on the back CPR Aquafuge Refugium system to get more info on it, although I believe that for your systems size, you may need a slightly larger refugium.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
I have a regular wave maker pump 800gph on my 90g tank. I been saving up for a vortech mp40 but I can only afford one. Figure I can keep my pump opposite of the mp40. Or I can go with the system u gave rj. What u think?
javier91782 1 year ago
@javier91782 I would go with one MP40 which will give you more than enough flow. The only reason why I got 2 MP40's in my 90 gallon system is because the other side of the tank lacked some minor flow. One MP40 would be enough flow for your system for a long time until you buy the other one.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
Thank you m8 , great video going to try and fit one in my sump, let you know how I get on ??
dm002a8686 1 year ago
@dm002a8686 Thanks. I am not sure what you meant by "Let you know how I get on??"
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
Dont forget all the expensive minerals and supplements that the skimmer will remove. I prefer to turn off the skimmer for 2 or 3 days after adding them so everything can be absorbed.
huzzygam 1 year ago
@huzzygam I run the skimmer 24/7 and simply supplement with B-ionic calcium and alkalinity on a daily basis which contains much of the major and minor trace elements found in nature.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@huzzygam As stated in the video, no matter how good or powerful a skimmer is, skimmers only remove about 30% of all organics and nutrients, so turning it off would only make it remove 5% or 10% at the same time letting all these undissolved organics get processed by the bacteria and turned into nitrates. Not a good idea to turn off skimmers at all in my opinion.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
Great video. You've got it all covered when looking at your videos as a whole. Now you just need a single complete filtration video for those that haven't followed you. I've seen the complete set of videos and you've got it all covered between them. You're a great resource. The time you've taken for these without pay is amazing. THANKS!!!
rsyver 1 year ago
@rsyver Awesome compliment man. Definitely good to hear that my efforts are appreciated. Worth more than any pay in my opinion. A million thanks to you my friend.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
Great vid ! I'm pretty sure this will positively help alot of people and cut down on some of all the question your flooded with
trackwalker 1 year ago
@trackwalker Thanks. I believe this video will help me some cause if they ask about nitrate problems, I will immediately tell them to come check this video out lol. Thanks again for the comment.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
so the best way to go is with a protein skimmer and Refugiums for a fish and live rock systems no coral 4 now
PapoBoom 1 year ago
@PapoBoom Yes, absolutely. Even for fish only systems with live rock, this is by far the best filtration to use because it will keep nitrates at bay and minimize water changes and nuisance algae growth.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
Nice video Steel... Sometimes my EV-120 stalls and bubbles won't go all the way up to the neck of the skimmer, it could stay like that for a day or two! Can't figure it out!
sputnik790 1 year ago
@sputnik790 Check the injector to see if a small baby snail is stuck in there hindering the performance of the skimmer. Also be sure to inspect the air valve intake for salt creep which also can hinder its performance. Let me ask you this. Are you using a mag drive 7 for this EV 120 skimmer. If you'r not, you should be using this pump as opposed to the mag 5. Also, feeding the system and or adding chemicals such as dechlorinator or stress coat can effect all and every skimmers performance.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo I always check all injectors when it happens and they seem to be fine. I do use magdrive7 with it! I never use and never will use any chemicals in my tank no matter what :))) The only additive i use is the B-ionic two part and in future planning on getting Strontium and Magnesium of the same brand!
sputnik790 1 year ago
@sputnik790 Hmmm, interesting to say the least cause my skimmer is running 24/7 pulling out gunk. How fast is the water entering your sump/refugium. The faster you process the water through your sump, the faster the skimmer will pull out undissolved organic matter. Forgive me for not remembering your system to a T because of all the peoples systems I have to see when they ask questions, but what size is your system again, and what return pump are you using?
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo I think you just found the cause for my skimmer behaving like that! Couple of days ago i have removed my flexible drain hose and plumed the drain with PVC, i also installed Ball Valve on the drain to control the waterfall. The reason for that change was the Durso pipe i have installed in my overflowbox! I have magdrive12 for my return, traveling through UV sterilizer and the chiller! My system 50gal main, 20gal fuge!
sputnik790 1 year ago
@sputnik790 A mag 12 going through a UV unit, plus chiller and then god only knows how many turns until it goes back to the main display? Woah man, with such head pressure on the mag 12, the mag 12 is going to be running more like a mag 3 lol. Do consider upgrading the return pump because these skimmers are monsters at processing water and if it continuously processes the same water due to slow water flow through the sump, it will stop producing foam until more dirty water is available.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo Actually i did upgraded my return pump to a magdrive12 when i bought UV unit and honestly it still have so much flow that my 600gph overflow box was on it's limit and i had to install a ball valve on the return to throttle it down a bit :)
sputnik790 1 year ago
@sputnik790 It can also very well be the change into PVC that needs to break in more and rid itself of the oils so the skimmer kicks in more. Or your systems organic levels are low and the skimmer is stalling. Many reasons why this is happening but troubleshooting the skimmer and overall system is the only way to go. As long as you are not having a cyano or hair algae problem and your parameters are good I wouldn't worry too much about it.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo Thanks Steel, i think it is the oils in the new PVC especially the ball valve as i touched it inside with my finger and it was oily! So i'll give it some time! The watter params are good: Nitrate=0, Phos=0, PH=8.2, Ca=430, dKH=9.0! I will be getting ESV Strontium and Magnesium! Thanks again Steel :)
sputnik790 1 year ago
My scarlet reef hermit crab ate my green spotted mandarin yesterday =(
Do you ever take apart and fully clean your protein skimmer? Like the main bubble chamber.
The chaetomorpha does not consume the undissolved organics, it absorbs the DISSOLVED organics =P, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate and phosphates are dissolved organics
The skimmer i bought for my 120g is a Reef Octo rated for 180 gallons
gprime22 1 year ago
@gprime22 nvmd just looked at the specs on my skimmer again and its rated for 200gallons.... heh
gprime22 1 year ago
@gprime22 The hermit crab ate the mandarin cause it was dead for sure. Tough to keep those animals alive for more than a year in my opinion. Chetomorpha and all macro alga's consume both dissolved and undissolved organics/nutrients. If you doubt this go to Bob fenner's article at aquarticles . com. I wish I can post the link so you can read it. You got a lot to learn my friend lol, but we all are not born knowing and so we seek knowledge to know. Good luck with the new 120g system.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo that's weird because he was swimming around and seemed perfectly fine the day before that.... yeah i've had him since like..... may? he was eating frozen brine/mysis shrimp too.
And my mistake, it was my understanding that they could only consume dissolved organics.
gprime22 1 year ago
@gprime22 Tough to lose such a beautiful and interesting fish. May he rest in peace, or in the tummy of the hermit crab lol. No worries on the mistake bro, that is why I make these videos which no one else seems to do on YouTube, to pass on the knowledge.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo yeah ill probably wait at least 6 months before i get another one when i set up the 120g. sp the refugium has time to get established with lots of pods.
What should i use for cycling the 120g? i was going to go with dead rock and seed it with the live rock that's in my nano. Was thinking of using 3 yellow tailed damsels.
gprime22 1 year ago
@gprime22 Using live rock is the best and fastest way to cycle a marine aquarium. If you are not going to use new live rock then add a piece of raw shrimp and let it decompose, but under no circumstances, do I recommend using fish to cycle a aquarium. Using this practice is plane torture to the fish. While the cycle process is going on they are constantly being burned alive with ammonia and nitrite. No need to be cruel to the fish my friend.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo Going with dead rock because its a lot cheaper then buying live rock, and I'm getting the actual weight in rock because there's no water weight.
I didn't think the ammonia would be that bad with only 3 damsels cycling in a 120g tank :S.
gprime22 1 year ago
@newyorksteelo but you never know how high the ammonia will spike
gprime22 1 year ago
@gprime22 You can achieve the same results by just adding food and letting it decay. Any small sign of ammonia or nitrite will continuously burn the fish due to the toxic levels in ammonia and nitrite. As hardy as damsels are I would completely rule this practice out of the question. It's just inhumane in my opinion.
newyorksteelo 1 year ago
@gprime22 mhm true, only thing is i'd have to go out of my way to find a fish market cus the grocery store only sells frozen/cooker shrimp/prawns etc... but it shouldn't too hard. I just didn't think it would be that bad for the fish because people always talk about using damsels and clownfish for cycling tanks.
gprime22