Two problems maybe you can help out.

[tosiek]

Problem 1:

So I recently added biopellets to my tank over the weekend. The reactor is running about 300ml of biopellets right now and im going to slowly add up to 1000ml in there on my 180. Im using a reef octopus reactor and on the top part where the mesh is I'm getting these long white translucent hairs growing in the direction of flow. I noticed the same thing happen on the undersides of my rockwork too as I partially re-aquascaped last week before I added the biopellets. Looks like freshwater fuzz algae all over the undersides.

Problem 2:

My skimmer pump is oscillating. Actually its not the pump as the pump is running fine but the air flow sounds like its not being sucked in properly (I think i just answered my own question with that). I recently cleaned out the whole skimmer as the pump head had alot of calcium deposits on the magnet so I gave it a vinegar bath. I'll take it apart and give it another run through and then reassemble it. The skimmer is a bubble king mini 180 and its their first batch of skimmers they produced.

The only thing I can think of is there is an extension from the pump to the intake manifold piece with the air tube hook up and its not sitting correctly. The same thing happened when I first installed it but it went away after a few weeks.

Any thoughts or ideas on any would be appreciated.

 

[qy7400]

Problem 1 sounds like a bacterial bloom, there are a bunch of posts on RC with people having the same issue with vodka dosing.

Problem 2, look at the volute primarily where the vinyl tube attaches. I get the same problem with the SICCE pumps clogging and usually need to drill it clean.

 

[Josh]

Dude, my pellet reactor is almost completely clogged with solid bacteria colonies. I think as long as you have a lot of flow through the reactor and the pellets are tumbling it shouldn't form that bad. I need to take mine apart to clean and restart it.

 

[tosiek]

I have to open up the reactor anyways and add more pellets so i'll clean it out. Been adding slowly to avoid a full on bloom. I've been looking through the biopellet threads everywhere for a few weeks and haven't heard of anything really on a bloom inside the reactor or the white hair algae growing which is why I posted.

Anyways, it looks pretty freakin cool/weird inside the top of the reactor. I'll get a good shot of it today before I clean it out.

As far as the skimmer goes, the air volute is clean. The only thing I can think of is the pump isn't really strong enough to pull the air and water in properly or there is a reassembly problem with the little tube that links the intake to the pump intake. There is a 3/16 gap to the skimmer body when I put the shaft flush with the pump intake. The intake nozzle doesn't close that opening tightly enough to provide the suction for the air. Sigh. I dunno.

Another reason not to be an early adopter or 1st version skimmers on the market. Apparently V2 of the bubble king fixed all the problems.

 

[NL146]

Remember to aim your reactor output at the skimmer pump intake. That should take care of some of the excess bacteria.

 

[NYreefNoob]

how many fish do you have ? i ask this because i have my own opinion on amount of pellets to be used, it isn't off the total water volume but more on the amount of stock. tony if you would like i can explain on the phone, makes it a little easier to explain, also what brand are you using