RockStacker
Reefing newb
Of course not, but here is what is happening to my current 100gallon build:
1. I have 100 pounds of Marco Rocks Key Largo dry rocks that I have hosed down a couple of times with tap water, then let it soak in RODI water for a few days.
2. I have a brand new in-sump skimmer, Reef Octopus Diablo XS160.
I let it run in a plastic bin with 9" of warm tap water for a day just to make sure there are no debris in the mechanism and that the pump is working ok.
I then let it run in the same bin, except this time with new mixed saltwater (1.025) to make sure it functions properly in salt water. I let it run this way for a couple of days.
I expected no skimmate at this time, and there were none produced.
It appeared to work fine this way, and I can raise/lower the reaction height by adjusting the gate valve.
3. I put the dry rocks into my tank, then filled the tank with RODI water. I then slowly added salt mix into the tank, letting the water movement from the powerhead and overflow/return to mix the salt until I have reached the desired salinity.
I left the system running like this for day.
4. I put the skimmer in the sump and turned it on to make sure it works properly and the thing churns out so much froth that it overflows even at the lowest settings.
I have switched the skimmer back and forth between the sump and the plastic bin with just saltwater and I get consistent results.
The skimmer behaves properly in plain saltwater.
But when I put the skimmer back in the sump, it froths like Cujo's mouth.
There are no other rocks in the tank other than the Marco Rocks. And I can't think of anything else that would be in the tank that would impact the water chemistry.
I have tried this again after a few days and still got the same results.
Has anyone run into this when using Marco Rocks on a new tank?
1. I have 100 pounds of Marco Rocks Key Largo dry rocks that I have hosed down a couple of times with tap water, then let it soak in RODI water for a few days.
2. I have a brand new in-sump skimmer, Reef Octopus Diablo XS160.
I let it run in a plastic bin with 9" of warm tap water for a day just to make sure there are no debris in the mechanism and that the pump is working ok.
I then let it run in the same bin, except this time with new mixed saltwater (1.025) to make sure it functions properly in salt water. I let it run this way for a couple of days.
I expected no skimmate at this time, and there were none produced.
It appeared to work fine this way, and I can raise/lower the reaction height by adjusting the gate valve.
3. I put the dry rocks into my tank, then filled the tank with RODI water. I then slowly added salt mix into the tank, letting the water movement from the powerhead and overflow/return to mix the salt until I have reached the desired salinity.
I left the system running like this for day.
4. I put the skimmer in the sump and turned it on to make sure it works properly and the thing churns out so much froth that it overflows even at the lowest settings.
I have switched the skimmer back and forth between the sump and the plastic bin with just saltwater and I get consistent results.
The skimmer behaves properly in plain saltwater.
But when I put the skimmer back in the sump, it froths like Cujo's mouth.
There are no other rocks in the tank other than the Marco Rocks. And I can't think of anything else that would be in the tank that would impact the water chemistry.
I have tried this again after a few days and still got the same results.
Has anyone run into this when using Marco Rocks on a new tank?
