Algae and Fish Food

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by Myka

Ya, the Chaeto should help too (you're welcome!). The quicker you can get it to grow (more light, more light!!), the more phosphate it will suck up.

See if you can adjust your skimmer to get darker liquid aka running it "dryer".

Since the refugium is on the back of the tank and not down below in the stand the light acts as a giant night light. So I took the 9W flourescent out and replaced it with a 5W. Now that I have something to actually "grow" in the fuge I will look at reinstalling the 9W and trying to minimize the light it throws into the rest of the room. Some sort of temporary "shade" should work, actually just focussing more of the 5W bulb into the fuge instead of letting it spill would be a help.

Unfortunately the skimmer has virtually no controls with which to vary the flow. But I think if I increase the outflow pipe that might do it.

[Myka]

I'd try to figure out a way to get the 9w light back on there. If all else fails, and your pH isn't swinging like crazy (not likely) you can light the fuge during the day instead of at night.

Is the skimmer in a sump? If so, try raising and lowering it. That might change the skimmate.

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by Myka

I'd try to figure out a way to get the 9w light back on there. If all else fails, and your pH isn't swinging like crazy (not likely) you can light the fuge during the day instead of at night.

Is the skimmer in a sump? If so, try raising and lowering it. That might change the skimmate.

I will have to track the pH to see if there is any swing through the day. Still trying to get the dKh up, so there might be a bit of a swing yet, but running the light during the day would be nice.

The skimmer is in a sump, chamber 2 in the back of the tank. Raising and lowering was my first trial, but I did not see a lot of difference. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the larger the flow through return, the drier the skimmate. I will have to look for that reference again.

Thanks for the input.

[Myka]

Alkalinity shouldn't be hard to get higher...? Ah yes, I believe that is right (re more flow) for a pinwheel...