Water Flow

[clowningaround]

Okay I'm truely frustrated. I have a 120 Gal oceanic. 2 drains and 2 returns. I'm using a wet/dry filter with a iwaki wmd-40rlt pump, with a euroreef protein skimmer. Now the problem is I just got over a huge red slime algae outbreak. treated the tank with a low dose erythromyacin. Algae cleared up within 2 days everything survived. during this problem I got 4,000 different opinions on the cause, before you ask the water quality was perfect, and I am using RO/DI water. I guess my question is what should I do for water flow and movement, I've heard that I should have a bigger pump and add some power heads. I think my tank is getting 600 gal per hour. I've heard that it should be 8 to 10 times per hour for turn over rate. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

[R1Bill]

increased water flow alone will not get rid of slime

i still have slime problems in my 180 with an iwaki 70 for flow, a iwaki 55 for my beckett head skimmer and two maxijet 1200s for additional flow. check your lights, feeding and make sure your skimmer is cleaned often. my red slime goes away as soon as the lights come on but my green slime even lives in the highest flow areas. syphon.......



bill

[maphew]

as far as those 2 returns go, check this out.

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/sh...threadid=14949

[tdwyatt]

Originally posted by clowningaround
Okay I'm truely frustrated. I have a 120 Gal oceanic. 2 drains and ... ...I think my tank is getting 600 gal per hour. I've heard that it should be 8 to 10 times per hour for turn over rate. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Definitely need more flow throughout the tank (like 1200gph min. at the tank level), use a closed loop to increase circulation at the lower levels of the tank as well (this can be a powerhead with the outlet stuck in a capped piece of pvc pipe with holes drilled in the places you want output), and keep in mind that it may take 3 to 12 months for everything to truely mature from this point.

HTH

[mandarinfish]

hi everybody;

like much people, i to have a slime-algea problem, the only thing i have to do is reduce my lightning time and they disapear, my lights are burning almost 15 hrs a day, and i have red slime algea, now i'm gonna reduce the lightening time to 12hrs a day and whitin a few days ( 6 or 7 ) i hope they are gone.
i had them before, and i know that is the only way for me to get rid of the problem, because my nitrate level is to high.
it all hangs together with each other.

[mikeMersot]

You definately need more flow in there, but the cyano has to be feeding on nutrients form somewhere, you also need to try to eliminate the source and you will knock the bottom out of the problem.