A fellow reefer on RC just had a tragedy, losing fish due to lack of surface agitation/oxygenation when the tank ran without a skimmer for several hours. The skimmer provided the only means of surface agitation during that time.
We have all read reports from other reefers where such losses occurred after a power failure or mistake. What this does illustrate to us all is how fragile our comparatively tiny reef ecosystems are.
My sumpless 55 recently avoided the same crash purely by happenstance. I do have one of my powerheads directed at the surface but sometimes the suction cups give way and the current is directed downward. I also have a Whisper powerfilter, empty except for a mesh bag of carbon that provides surface agitation. The Whisper wasn't put there with the idea of surface agitation but merely as a means of using carbon.
A few weeks ago, my Knop skimmer cracked badly and the tank was skimmerless for
almost 2 weeks until I got a Remora to take its place. The surface agitation provided by the powerhead and Whisper is the only thing that saved me from the same thing.
Our systems, some of which are very sophisticated mechanically, depend on continuation of very basic principles that include gas exchange via water circulation and temperature control. With cold weather here in most parts of the country, electric power is vital and backups are needed. I'm confident that my 55 could get along just fine for several days without feeding, skimming, kalk dripping and to some extent, top off water. In fact, it has done so on more than one occasion for up to 3 full days without ill effect. The same is obviously not true for temperature and circulation.
Its a good idea to have at least two separate means of surface agitation and also some means for back up power to provide circulation and heaters in case of power failure.
Dick
We have all read reports from other reefers where such losses occurred after a power failure or mistake. What this does illustrate to us all is how fragile our comparatively tiny reef ecosystems are.
My sumpless 55 recently avoided the same crash purely by happenstance. I do have one of my powerheads directed at the surface but sometimes the suction cups give way and the current is directed downward. I also have a Whisper powerfilter, empty except for a mesh bag of carbon that provides surface agitation. The Whisper wasn't put there with the idea of surface agitation but merely as a means of using carbon.
A few weeks ago, my Knop skimmer cracked badly and the tank was skimmerless for
almost 2 weeks until I got a Remora to take its place. The surface agitation provided by the powerhead and Whisper is the only thing that saved me from the same thing.
Our systems, some of which are very sophisticated mechanically, depend on continuation of very basic principles that include gas exchange via water circulation and temperature control. With cold weather here in most parts of the country, electric power is vital and backups are needed. I'm confident that my 55 could get along just fine for several days without feeding, skimming, kalk dripping and to some extent, top off water. In fact, it has done so on more than one occasion for up to 3 full days without ill effect. The same is obviously not true for temperature and circulation.
Its a good idea to have at least two separate means of surface agitation and also some means for back up power to provide circulation and heaters in case of power failure.
Dick