SURF2 - My Progress

[Chaz D]

Posting this so as to get some help getting this going. My SURF2 was installed on 2 March and has been running for a full month now. The box is still pretty white but I am starting to see a little growth. From what I've read in other posts it does take some time for this unit to get going. My tank runs with no skimmer and only a small bag of carbon. Nitrates have risen considerably and phosphates haven't been tested for in a while. I've added some iron in the form of Kent's similar to what I used in a previously installed refugium (not running one now). I have some cyano in my main display but no significant hair algae growth there.

I've thought about adding some white or clear plastic canvas to shield the lights in an effort to spur growth (right now on 18hr cycle). I tried cloth but found the lid popped off and thus removed it. I do run the whisper 300 with this unit as I found the fusion pump way too noisy for my liking. Do you think I should go with the white or clear canvas if I decide to go this route?

Here's my progress so far....In the last picture you will see some yellow/green growth. I did notice some trace darker green algae in the outlet holes (hard to see in last photo).

Day 1 (3 Mar)
5260
10 Mar
5261
17 Mar
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24 Mar
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31 Mar
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5 Apr
5265

[SantaMonica]

If darker green is in the holes, then yes the light needs shading. Not sure why just putting a cloth would pop off, but do put something over it until the white surfaces are covered; after that the light reflections will be gone and you can go full power.

[Chaz D]

I couldn't find cloth thin enough that wouldn't plug the SURF2 at the light/foam interface....it needs to vent there. If it doesn't vent then the top is pushed off. Today, I put white sewing canvas and two layers of 300 mesh nylon (from a filter sock). I'll let you know if I see any changes to growth based upon this change.

With white sewing canvas
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With sewing canvas and 2 layers of nylon mesh
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[SantaMonica]

I don't thing you can plug up the lid. Just try a cloth.

[Chaz D]

Any tips to on reducing the "sputtering" this thing puts out? Seems to cause a lot of salt spray/creep within my sump. Thanks!

[SantaMonica]

If you mean bubbles coming up the sides, that is caused by strong water flow underneath it. Just reduce the water flow under it and it will stop.

[Chaz D]

Ok...used an old white pillowcase. Was thin enough to allow the lid to stay in place and reduce the lighting intensity. Also, keeps the sputtering down from the Whisper 300 I'm using (I have no way to reduce the flow). Will give it a few days and see what happens.

5278

[SantaMonica]

Not reduce the air flow; reduce the water flow from powerheads beneath it... they blow the bubbles sideways.

The SURF2 does not have the air-bubble rings that the SURF4 has; these rings block the sideways water flow from powerheads.

[Chaz D]

7 days covered, 45 days total. Starting to notice some changes.

5297

[Chaz D]

2 weeks covered. Growth has been very slow. Appears a bit more brown in color. Let it go covered for another week or should I give it some light now?

5308

[SantaMonica]

When the lid is on, how high is the water level inside?

[Chaz D]

When the lid is on, I can't see the water level within the scrubber. Viewed from the outside, about half the foam is submersed and the other half above the water line.

[SantaMonica]

Set the lid sideways on the foam and look.

[Chaz D]

yes, it sits lower by 1/4 inch or so with the lid on sideways. I then put the lid on normally (without cloth) and it sat high. Are you suggesting that I'm providing it too much air or is the scrubber unable to "vent" what air I'm providing? Thanks!

[Chaz D]

Also, I tried this with both the Fusion 700 and Whisper 300 pumps....both created additional buoyancy that wasn't there when the lid was placed sideways on the foam block. Perhaps this was the way it was designe....I'm not sure.

Reference my previous posts concerning "sputtering" from the lid (I still have this problem). Here's a video to show what I'm experiencing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7Ihbzk30yI&feature=youtu.be

[SantaMonica]

Well the height and bubbles seem to be good. So since it is filling in, just let it continue with the cloth on it.

The sputtering won't hurt anything... it's in a sump, right? you can turn down the bubbles a bit if you want.

I think the reason for more growth on one side is that the unit is tilted. Which is fine; should all fill in anyway. Or, the strong flow in the sump was pushing the bubbles sideways at one hole, cause less bubbles inside the unit at that hole. So make sure no bubbles are going sideways anymore.

Not sure why a few units like yours takes longer to fill in, but I'm sure that starting with a reduced light at the beginning will help.

[Chaz D]

Sunday update. Seeing some big changes this week. A lot of brownish green slimy growth....hopefully moving in a positive direction now.

5332

[SantaMonica]

Now we're talking. No need to clean yet (would just show the white again)... let it go another 2 weeks and it will fill up.

Remove the cloth in 7 days.

[Chaz D]

Starting to see some green growth now. I did clean the brown slime out at a week when I should have just left it alone. Still covered (18hrs).

5379

[SantaMonica]

Ok not quite filled up, but let it go another 7 days...

[Chaz D]

1 more week.
5419

[SantaMonica]

Is this tank new? This slow filling-in process is common on new tanks. It does look the most filled-in so far however.

Check for pods, and let it keep growing.

Did you fix the sputtering?

[Chaz D]

Tank is 2 years old. Plenty of nitrates/phosphates for growth and has been skimmerless & without GFO for 3 months now.

No pods.

Sputtering was solved with 2 strips of cloth along the edge of the lid.

[Chaz D]

Almost one week later...looks exactly the same as last week. About to throw in the towel at the 3 month mark, this has been a very frustrating and unproductive adventure.
5430

[SantaMonica]

Remove your carbon.

[Chaz D]

Will give that a try. Can you explain how that would be impacting my growth. Thanks!

[SantaMonica]

Slow growth has always occurred on new tanks even though they may have N and P and ammonia. So something else is contributing, and the carbon might be removing it.

[Chaz D]

Carbon has been gone one week. No other filtration on the tank. Very subtle change in some of the brown to green especially around the bottom outside edges, however looks slimy and not like hair algae.

5449

[SantaMonica]

Best and most green so far. Might be the longest-time but still-improving one I've seen yet. I have seen this type of green before and I don't recall it being a problem; it always grew out from there.

You did already remove the shade cloth, right? It is certainly ready for full light for 18 hours now.

This is not a fish-only is it?

[Chaz D]

The latest pic. Tank is a established reef. Shade cloth has been removed for 2 weeks now. Light is running at 18hrs.


5455

[SantaMonica]

Ok I'd say do a good cleaning to get the white strings back.

And if you can, put the GFO back; there is a chance that you have diatoms dominating, which would let go and not get thick.

[Chaz D]

Cleaned...funny thing is that I couldn't get the slimy bright green off the strings. The grabber texture came off pretty easy. Here's a pic post cleaning.

5456

[SantaMonica]

Ok well it's much less thick on the strings, so it should be good for 10 days. If they were diatoms they would have come right off.