saltman1120

I Just Got A Protien Skimer And Filter In One And Was Wondering If All The Air Bubbles Flowing Out Of The Filter Are Ok. I Was Told That Air Was Not Needed In A Saltwater Tank. I Also Have About 1/2 Ince Of Crushed Coral In The Bottom, Should I Have More Than That? If So Can I Add More Of That Or Should I Use Something Else? I Appreciate The Advice!!! It Just Dont Seem Like Things Are Growing That Fast. I No It Takes Time But I Have Had It Up For 5 Monthes, I Guess Thats Not A Long Time Huh!!

sgould

It is pretty common for a new protein skimmer to put out a lot of micro bubbles for the first few days it is running. It should clear up, though.

agsansoo

Is there a way to control or adjust the water level in the protein skimmer ? Also crushed coral is 70's technology, use sand. 1/2" of crushed coral is OK, but needs to be vacuumed weekly.

pistorta

Actually crushed coral is still a good medium to use as it is a strong water buffer and helps prevent "dead zones" typically caused by compacted sand. In my opinion, sand requires more maintenance than coral (which really depends on the tank setup). A plenum type under gravel/sand system is ideal if you want a clean and balanced tank but this requires a lot more substrate, ~ 4". In any event, I believe 1/2" of crused coral alone is a little on the shy side. This can be mixed with dolomite or aragonite to increase the thickness to 1" - 2".