Photomicrographs of Skimmate!

[MattM]

As requested, we checked out the skimmer gunk from two of our systems - a 75 gallon show tank and the main fish/coral sales system.

For the most part, there was nothing interesting. It pretty much looks like water with detritus in it.

We did see some interesting "clear spikes" like this:

I thought they might be spent nematocysts or bristleworm spines until I saw the one above. Now I'm thinking some sort of diatom or maybe the spicule from a soft coral.

The only thing alive was a couple protozoans:

We tried to capture an AVI movie of them, but it didn't come out that great.

[ February 12, 2002: Message edited by: MattM ]</p>

 

[Kalkbreath]

I hope you returned those Amoeba back into the system? Where is all that "LIFE" that skimmers are supposed to remove, and thus be harmfull to the plankton in the tank?
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[Rich-n-poor]

Posted by Rich-n-poor's wife:

Great now my idiot husband is going to want his own electron microscope

posted by rich-n-poor:

So what's an electron microscope cost ?

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[danmhippo]

Can you try dose the system with DT and Look for concentration of them in the skimmate? Just to test out the theory that skimmer removes significant portion of DT's from water.

 

[Anonymous]

I humbly second danmhippos' request.

I usually tunr the skimmer off for about 1/2 hour or so after i dose DT's and Golden Pearls. If ya'll could take a look at skimmate after dosing these additives it'd really give this guy a clue. I need all the clues i can get

.

Keep the information coming Matt

You Rock!

 

[MattM]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by danmhippo:
[QB]Can you try dose the system with DT and Look for concentration of them in the skimmate?QB]<hr></blockquote>

We already tried this, and you don't need a microscope to do it. If we dose DT's in our 220 gallon show system, the EV-240 fills with green liquid in about 10 minutes.

Mediocore skimmers won't remove DT's. Good skimmers (AquaC, EuroReef, PM, etc.) will.

 

[Mouse]

You da king MattM Microscope man, yea!

 

[danmhippo]

Sure glad I went skimmerless!

 

[MattM]

Dan -

At 1826 posts I think you can add an "a" to your "{squat}{squ".

 

[Steve Richardson]

yep.. that looks like a spicule.

If it is, that one would be a 'Triact'.

I have a sponge with those same spicules in my tank. A white one.
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[MFisher]

It looks like a sponge spicule.

FWIW,

Matt

 

[Bucktronix]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by danmhippo:
<strong>Sure glad I went skimmerless!

</strong><hr></blockquote>

ditto

 

[Tcook]

Matt,

What type of microscope and camera equipment are you using?

 

[MattM]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Tcook:
<strong>What type of microscope and camera equipment are you using?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Check near the bottom of the first thread on this.

It didn't get set "sticky", so it's several pages down now. Just follow the link above.