crystal clear? How do you do it?

hey speaking of running some carbon, can I put it in a sock outta the sock drawer? really rinse it good??

 

I dunno how well cotton would hold up in salt water, duck.

 

I see. Maybe a large square of nylon mesh tied with a ball of carbon in it.

 

Yeah, that would probably work. Inwall mentioned at one point that you don't want certain types of carbon if you're running in a bag/sock, since it'll break up into a powder. I think that's the lit-something type that are more high end carbons.

 

would there be a problem using an old DE filter to do the same? I have an old Vortech D-1 that I used to "polish" and clean my freshwater tanks. What, if any problems would occur if I used the same process to "polish" my saltwater tank?

 

the clarity of my water became "crystal clear" after I replaced my Remora HOB skimmer with a Deltec MCE600. Within a few hours, the surface film (protein buildup) had dissapeared & the "haze" I use to see in my tank also was gone. Those two things I always had with my Remora, for the past year. Was really impressed how quickly this skimmer cleared both issues up & I'm a happy camper.

FYI I also run a phosban reactor with chemi pure elite in it that most likely aids in the water clarity, but the Deltec, hands down, is amazing. It is all I use for filtration as I'm sump-less.

 

Sure Duck, use your wifes socks, she won't mind. Lot's of good info. I will have to try the piece of paper. I bought the 200 micron socks from Fosters. I change them when they get dirty, usually 3 days, run carbon and skim. I have a refugium with Chaeto. I took the black back paint off. The black really absorbs the light. And yes I have to scrape the back glass too, but it is lots brighter.

 

Why didn't you just buy the surface skimmer option for the Remora? It's around $30 and would have removed that surface film. Removing the surface film would have also gotten rid of the "haze" as it was most likely the result of the protein buildup breaking down and dissolving into the water column. Seems cheaper than buying an almost $600 skimmer.

 

I initially read nothing but negative reviews on the pre-skimmer box, constantly burning out pumps when the water level dropped below the intake slots. I didn't want to deal with the worry of that happening since it was my first skimmer and I was a bit of a newbie at SW keeping, not fully understanding "top-offs" or using RO water. But the performance of the Remora vs the Deltec is just light years different. Not downing the Remora, but I understand why the Deltecs are so expensive now and I would pay the $ again seeing how much skimmate this thing pulls out and how it improved my water quality overnight was amazing.

 

Yeah, I read those negative reviews too. Never bought it either (for that same reason), but since I now have a sump/fuge, the overflow box does the same thing. Wish I could afford stuff like that. I had to build my own sump/fuge as, again, I couldn't afford to buy one. Works really well though as the Caulerpa and Mangroves do a nice job. And it was fun to build.