Skimmer Q&A Thread

italquam · Feb 1, 2017

mcarroll said:
Heat or vibration, so far as I know. Maybe ozone? Bad batch of acrylic? I'd ask JNS. It should only be a cosmetic issue though. How bad does it look?

jason2459 · Feb 1, 2017

mcarroll said:
Increase the diameter of that airline.

Also remove the airline from the skimmer and check for crusty buildup – especially inside the inlet where it might be hard to see.

Yep and get a strainer of some kind on the end so nothing crawls up in it.

mcarroll · Feb 2, 2017

italquam said:

Wow!

fragit · Feb 2, 2017

jason2459 said:
Yep and get a strainer of some kind on the end so nothing crawls up in it.

Already have some panty hose over the end.

fragit · Feb 2, 2017

It's so strange it almost seems like a pump or valve issue. I reset the valve last night so that the waterline in the skimmer neck was where the collection cup attaches. This morning the waterline was way above that. Not very far from the overflowing mark. Nothing changed overnight. No cars running, no feeding... nothing I'm truly puzzled.

mcarroll · Feb 2, 2017

Time for a call to JNS for this issue, maybe.

Did you already check for crusty buildup in the venturi inlet where the airline connects to the pump?

Any chance of increasing the airline size for that long distance run I mentioned?

Also, how old is this skimmer and pump?

Has the pump been disassembled and cleaned lately?

mannyhernz · Feb 8, 2017

Whats the better skimate, dry or wet?
Also my skimmate does not stink and it is real dark..skimmer is a cadlights pls 50 elite

jason2459 · Feb 8, 2017

Debatable question.

I prefer Dry if I can get an equal amount of skimmate as what I was doing wet.

Keep in mind the wetter it is the more you need to watch salinity and some people use it for a slow wet skimmate water change routine.

mcarroll · Feb 8, 2017

mannyhernz said:
Whats the better skimate, dry or wet?
Also my skimmate does not stink and it is real dark..skimmer is a cadlights pls 50 elite

Wet skimming has the advantage in general, mainly because it prevents or slows down fouling of the skimmer neck, which will slow down your skimmer.

Since the skimmer stays at peak operating efficiency, it stands to reason that it should remove more gunk from the tank this way as well. (It also requires shorter, less-intensive cleanings by you! This all adds up!)

If/when you make adjustments to tune your skimmer, make them small adjustments no mor than once a day. And base adjustments on the quality and quantity of skimmate produced the day before. Do not base adjustments on current skimmer performance.

jason2459 · Feb 8, 2017

The Avast Swabbie was the best investment I've made for my skimmers. I'm still using the same one through 4 different skimmers now. I think it's vertex that makes one with a wash down feature which would be awesome but expensive.

mcarroll · Feb 8, 2017

+1

I've never had an auto-cleaner for a skimmer since I've almost always wet-skimmed (no need), but I have thought about them for installations where I can't be there daily or weekly.

indyjaco · Feb 9, 2017

Is a Reef Octopus SRO 2000 overkill on a 120G? Total water volume of about 110 gallons with sump.

I'm having very inconsistent skimming with 9 smaller fish fed about a penny size piece of LRS daily.

jason2459 · Feb 9, 2017

indyjaco said:
Is a Reef Octopus SRO 2000 overkill on a 120G? Total water volume of about 110 gallons with sump.

I'm having very inconsistent skimming with 9 smaller fish fed about a penny size piece of LRS daily.

I would say its a good match. I ran a 3000 on a 180. The 2000 is a better balanced skimmer then the 3000 too. Fwiw, I even ran a 2000 on a 55g

What depth do you have it running in? What is inconsistent about it?

indyjaco · Feb 10, 2017

jason2459 said:
I would say its a good match. I ran a 3000 on a 180. The 2000 is a better balanced skimmer then the 3000 too. Fwiw, I even ran a 2000 on a 55g

What depth do you have it running in? What is inconsistent about it?

I have it at 6". It doesn't produce much skim in the cup during a week.

I tested water parameters last night and realized I had zero nitrates on the Salifert kits. I am thinking it is my issue.

jason2459 · Feb 10, 2017

indyjaco said:
I have it at 6". It doesn't produce much skim in the cup during a week.

I tested water parameters last night and realized I had zero nitrates on the Salifert kits. I am thinking it is my issue.

I would feed more.

indyjaco · Feb 10, 2017

I'm batting hair algae right now. Apparently my dry Marco rock included phosphates.

Partsman41953 · Feb 12, 2017

I am looking for suggestions for a skimmer for my 90 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump which I am building. Also, I have gotten different opinions on where the skimmer should sit in the sump. Some people have it in the middle of the sump while other say it is best to have it to the left or right side of the sump either the refugium in the middle and the return pump next to the refugium. What setup is best?

Thanks

mcarroll · Feb 13, 2017

Tunze 9410 is a great option for that size. I have mine right where it picks up water coming straight from my drains, but I don't think it matters a ton.

Keep your 30 Gallon an open sump so you can put anything anywhere you want at any time, BTW. I did!

cdmckinzie · Feb 13, 2017

mcarroll said:
Pretty simple mod? Sometimes those Superskimmers go for cheap. (I think I might even be able to get more than one for free. )

I would take any skimmer if it was free as long as it would work on my 140g. My hubby and I are shopping around for the best deals now to set up first tank.