Help me fine tune my setup. I need a cleaner water.

[Tom Toro]

I need some ideas on some additional equipment I can use to get a cleaner water. I do two week water changes and by the middle of the second week, it's very dirty with algae starting again.
Besides doing more water changes, how would you tweak this system to become a cleaner system?

Here's the setup:
1 ETSS 1400 skimmer w/Panworld 250
1ETSS 800 run on extra flow from Hammerhead
2x100 Rubbermaid Tubs
240 gallon DT
Approx 300lbs of LR
120lbs of LS
4x Tunze 6100's
Hammerhead return pump
2x1800gph overflows (4x1.5"downs dumping into a 3"sewer pipe.
55g water changes every two weeks
1000ml of BioPellets in a Vortex reactor
2gallon refugium with assorted algaes

Inhabitants:
5"Powder Blue
4"Sailfin
5"Sailfin
2x3"Clarki's
3"Coral Beauty
2.5"Six Line
1"damsel
4"Hippo
5.5"Hippo
Assorted anemones/softies

In addition to this, I have access to another etss 800 and two 57w aqua UV units. I don't run carbon because of the lateral line theory.

[purerebel]

Not sure on the lateral line theory, haven't heard of it until now, but will have to look it up. I noticed a vast improvement in my water clarity since I started running carbon in a filter sock in the fuge.

[dentdominator]

Hey Tom, I have a bio pellet reactor with pellets and all of the hardware is included. "Turn Key" your more than welcome to use. Come over and grab it!

[Tom Toro]

Hey Tom, I have a bio pellet reactor with pellets and all of the hardware is included. "Turn Key" your more than welcome to use. Come over and grab it!

Hey thanks Pal! I'll take you up on it next time you're around.

[Poseidon]

Hook up the UV! Both of them, inline, then run about 1000GPH through it. Your water will be CRYSTAL clear, and the water that passes through the UV will have all algae spores/cysts killed, meaning fewer spores to grow on your glass or rocks.

I can't comment on the Bio Pellets as I have no experience or research to go on.

I am HUGE fan of UV, and will be adding it to the next system that is in process now. (Probably 57W again.)

[Tom Toro]

Hey Mike,
I guess they're doing no good on the shelf. I just never could get a good number on how much flow they need. I have a lot of extra flow from the Hammerhead that just dumps into the sump that looks like about 700gph (just a guess after seeing a Mag 7 running). Will it still help if I can't get 1000 into them?
Thanks,
Tom

'


Hook up the UV! Both of them, inline, then run about 1000GPH through it. Your water will be CRYSTAL clear, and the water that passes through the UV will have all algae spores/cysts killed, meaning fewer spores to grow on your glass or rocks.

I can't comment on the Bio Pellets as I have no experience or research to go on.

I am HUGE fan of UV, and will be adding it to the next system that is in process now. (Probably 57W again.)

[CalmSeasQuest]

Tom, What are your PO4 and NO3 readings and do you track them just after and before water changes? One answer is obviously to limit the food (nutrients) going into the tank, but with all those tangs, that might not be possible.

If you accept Feldman's skimmer performance study (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/1/aafeature), the best skimmer will remove less that ~30% of DOCs. In addition to your Bio Pellets, Carbon, Phosphate removal media (GFO, Phosban, Po4X04...) Organic scavengers (i.e. Purigen) are additional methods to remove DOCs.

A few thoughts...

Filter socks - Are you using them? If not - add them and change them frequently to try and intercept and remove detritus before it breaks down into nutrients.
Depending on your Phosphate and Nitrate numbers, I probably would add a GFO and GAC reactor. To limit concerns of LLD, use a good quality GAC such as ROX 0.8 which requires very little rinsing and produces very few fines.

And lastly, remember the Reefers Creed - "Only bad things happen fast" As you know it will take time to lower nutrient levels and see the positive results, especially is higher phosphate levels have been present for a while as you may have to deal with PO4 leaching from your live rock extending treatment length.

[Poseidon]

I am sure it would help Tom, I found I had the best results when ALL the water coming from my sump first passed through the UV. Can you hook them up inline that way, between sump and tank? I now that for the 57W units, you can do a max of 1066GPH and still have enough exposure time to kill C. Irritans. (Marine Ick) Less flow would not hurt anything, as long as you are still moving enough to keep the bulb cool. If you go with 2 inline, 114W you could go as high as 1300GPH and still kill ick. Less exposure, a lot less is required to kill Algae spores, you could be moving nearly 4K GPH and kill them!

http://www.aquaultraviolet.com/sites/default/files/charts/Chart%20Ultima%20Sizing.pdf