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green stuff?

3K views 10 replies 3 participants last post by  thinhthan 
#1 ·
i unplug my penguin 200 yesterday so i can put in my powerheads and when i plug the filter back in like it poured out a bunch of green stuff? what is that? do you think that affected my water?
 
#2 ·
When you unplugged it, all the mulm and other junk that it had filtered out got a chance to settle and then when you turned it back on the filter media couldn't catch it all. It happens a lot when I remove the sponges from my AC. Should filter out.

Now if you left the filter off for an extended period of time, more than 2 hours, I would make sure to check the water for ammonia and nitrites just in case you lost some of the beneficial bacteria.
 
#6 ·
Given that you just set up your aquarium a week ago, have you considered the addition of a protein skimmer?

As your aquarium is currently filtered, you will be changing very large volumes of water on a weekly basis. 20 gallons or more in most cases. This will be necessary to keep the Nitrate under 20ppm, which is needed for a marine system. Your biowheel directly processes organic waste into Nitrate. Ammonia>>> Nitrite >>> Nitrate. Nitrate is undesirable in a marine system, which requires you to change a lot of water.

The preferred method is a protein skimmer, which directly removes organic waste prior to the biological filter having the opportunity to break the waste down into harmful Nitrates.

What sort of livestock do you intend to keep?
 
#7 ·
yes i was looking at protein skimmers and like it seems like most of them are for tanks like 150 gallons and up. is there any small skimmers any one think is good? for begainner i was planning on having some clowns and some other ones but not sure yet. im planning on getting some lr and ls
 
#8 ·
There are many good skimmers for an aquarium your size. I suggest looking online at a web site such as www.thatpetplace.com. They have a nice selection. Keep in mind, the ratings are way overstated on most skimmers. If it says it is good for a 75 gallon aquarium, then you are probably in good shape.

Again, it all comes back to what you intend to keep. There is no reason to waste $150 on a skimmer today if the skimmer you purchase is not adequate for a future upgrade in livestock. You may want to invest $300 and buy a unit which is much more efficient. What are your long term intentions with the aquarium?
 
#10 ·
When the marine hobby first evolved, using biological filtration was extremely common. However, if you look at the old literature, you will find significant differences from today.

Success at the time was short term. Massive deaths would occur for what appeared to be no reason at all. It was a total plague to the hobby. After the introduction of the protein skimmer and the evolution of berlin systems, the hobby really took off and success has become widespread.

If you simply can not utilize a protein skimmer at this time, then I would suggest keeping only very small fish and in small numbers. The old rule of thumb was one fish per 20 gallons for a marine tank, which means 2 or 3 fish for you. Your selections should be no larger than a Centropyge angelfish, and you should stick to the very easiest of fish to keep.

Also, do not even consider fish which grow large in size. Pufferfish, Triggers, Large Angelfish, Lionfish, Groupers, etc. These fish are a demand on your filtration system and you will find yourself changing a ton of water to keep Nitrates down.

You need a skimmer. Period. The hobby tried the method you are trying. We tried it for a decade. It failed in the large majority of cases.
 
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