michaelmanni
Non-member
Hello,
I am about three months in. I have a biocube 29 with a SR3 (by CPR) protein skimmer, Which nobody seems to know anything about (the protein skimmer that is). I have been having micro bubbles problems since I got it. I have tried everything (i think). I replaced the pump that came with to a Rio which i read has helped others. Worked for a while but the bubbles are back. My water, all RODI 1.025 tests great. 0 nitrates, calcium 420, kh 8-9 drops 150ppm, phosphate 0. I have all live rock and a couple inches of live sand. I currently have only 2 small clowns, 4 pepermint shirmp, 1 pistol shrimp, one conch, six snails, one piece of frog sporn a small zoo, and one red bubbly looking mushroom ( i am sorry I don't know the exact name). I also do weekly 5 gal water changes. As of three weeks ago when i added my first corals, i started adding eight.four by aquavitro to buffer by pH. that's a little of the background of my tank.
About one week ago I added a 1/2 dose of E.M Erythromycin per the advice of my friends at something fishy. This was to clear up a red algee problem on my sand that wouldn't go away with the usually treatments. ie. No lights for four days, no food for fish, siphon it out and a lot of water changes but it keep coming back. The treatment seemed to have worked.
Back to my original problem Bubbles. I stuffed a sponge in the skimmer where the water comes out to absorb SOME of the bubbles. Not a solution. I have shut the air off completly to the skimmer for three days ( it was so nice to just enjoy my tank and not look at bubbles and get upset) but i know I have to turn it back on or do something. Today I ran the skimmer it in a bucket of water hoping there was a leak, nope!. Ran fine. No bubbles leaked. I spoke to the people from CRP they told me it could be my Silicates when i told this to the local reef guy he sort of laughed and said it wasn't possible. Hey they are a lot more experienced than me.
I have both filter sponges still in my tank because I have no other filtration. Almost Everyone has told me to get rid of the sponges because they will build up nitrates and cause all sorts of problems. So I have been rinsing them out every other day. Ideally I would like to have the skimmer working alone with no other sponges or filters in use (i will keep a oceanic filter pad around for when the water get cloudy from water changes or an excited pistol, but that would be only temporary.
My new mushroom has closed up like a clam (it is no where near the frog spawn or zoo) might be do to the medicine i put in, but it has been a week and every day the mushroom closes up more and more. The frog sporn looks great and might have even grown a little. the Zoo polups just started to open fully today. But the mushroom???
When I started out, I really took my time, didn't add anything for a month, after I was told I could, and even now I haven't added a lot of things.
Does keeping a reef tank really have to be this difficult?????? Any help on any of the above issues would be great. Maybe I am doing something wrong that you guys see right away, Please tell me. I refuse to buy anthing else until I am sure all problems are solved.
Thank you
Mike
I am about three months in. I have a biocube 29 with a SR3 (by CPR) protein skimmer, Which nobody seems to know anything about (the protein skimmer that is). I have been having micro bubbles problems since I got it. I have tried everything (i think). I replaced the pump that came with to a Rio which i read has helped others. Worked for a while but the bubbles are back. My water, all RODI 1.025 tests great. 0 nitrates, calcium 420, kh 8-9 drops 150ppm, phosphate 0. I have all live rock and a couple inches of live sand. I currently have only 2 small clowns, 4 pepermint shirmp, 1 pistol shrimp, one conch, six snails, one piece of frog sporn a small zoo, and one red bubbly looking mushroom ( i am sorry I don't know the exact name). I also do weekly 5 gal water changes. As of three weeks ago when i added my first corals, i started adding eight.four by aquavitro to buffer by pH. that's a little of the background of my tank.
About one week ago I added a 1/2 dose of E.M Erythromycin per the advice of my friends at something fishy. This was to clear up a red algee problem on my sand that wouldn't go away with the usually treatments. ie. No lights for four days, no food for fish, siphon it out and a lot of water changes but it keep coming back. The treatment seemed to have worked.
Back to my original problem Bubbles. I stuffed a sponge in the skimmer where the water comes out to absorb SOME of the bubbles. Not a solution. I have shut the air off completly to the skimmer for three days ( it was so nice to just enjoy my tank and not look at bubbles and get upset) but i know I have to turn it back on or do something. Today I ran the skimmer it in a bucket of water hoping there was a leak, nope!. Ran fine. No bubbles leaked. I spoke to the people from CRP they told me it could be my Silicates when i told this to the local reef guy he sort of laughed and said it wasn't possible. Hey they are a lot more experienced than me.
I have both filter sponges still in my tank because I have no other filtration. Almost Everyone has told me to get rid of the sponges because they will build up nitrates and cause all sorts of problems. So I have been rinsing them out every other day. Ideally I would like to have the skimmer working alone with no other sponges or filters in use (i will keep a oceanic filter pad around for when the water get cloudy from water changes or an excited pistol, but that would be only temporary.
My new mushroom has closed up like a clam (it is no where near the frog spawn or zoo) might be do to the medicine i put in, but it has been a week and every day the mushroom closes up more and more. The frog sporn looks great and might have even grown a little. the Zoo polups just started to open fully today. But the mushroom???
When I started out, I really took my time, didn't add anything for a month, after I was told I could, and even now I haven't added a lot of things.
Does keeping a reef tank really have to be this difficult?????? Any help on any of the above issues would be great. Maybe I am doing something wrong that you guys see right away, Please tell me. I refuse to buy anthing else until I am sure all problems are solved.
Thank you
Mike
