when should you start using a skimmer
- Thread starter Lonny
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Wet skimming is when you dial-up your skimmer so that it collects a lot of skimmate (cup gets full in 2 or 3 days). The skimmate will be ice tea color. Dry skimming is when you dial it down so that it takes about 1-2 weeks to fill the cup and the skimmate is a dark coffee color. Wet skimming is helpful in reducing nutrients in your tank, especially after you have some livestock death. But you have to empty your cups often, and if you have a small tank, make sure to replace the same amount (cup full) of saltwater to keep the salinity balanced.
merlberg
Valuable Member
Sry if this sounds stupid [emoji85][emoji85] but wht do you mean by dial up? I have a skimmer and it has been on for a week now n i still havent needed to empty it out which is so odd even tho it is a huge skimmer n tge gunk that is on the top thts pulled out isnt even that dark. Do you think i have to adjust something?
rayn
Bluefin Believer
There should be a output water adjustment and air adjustment on the skimmer. You can adjust the water output to move the head up or down in the collection tube. This will adjust how much you skim.
jaws789832
Active Member
He means getting more flow thru the skimmer. depending on the skimmer there are several ways of doing this. If its just a cheap air stone type skimmer you can adjust the air flow with some sort of valve on the air line. Higher end skimmers have a lot of ways of doing it. Mine I can close a gate valve to restrict water flow, I can turn down the pump to reduce water flow, I can close an air valve to restrict air flow. Some skimmers you can actually adjust the cup height and that will change the amount of skimate. On a new tank you aren't going to get anything because there are no organics in the water to skim off yet. After you start getting a bio load you will have to adjust the skimmer depending on how much you want to get. Hope this helps.
It means to increase the amount of air flow into the skimmer in order to increase skimmate collection. This is done in different ways depending on the skimmer. Some are not adjustable except by lowering the collection cup. Some have air flow restrictors and I imagine that some come with variable speed pumps, but I'm only familiar with smaller hang on back skimmers like the aquamaxx hob 1 and in tank skimmers.
Depending on your bioload and how much you feed, you might not get much skimmate. Also, many skimmers take a while to break in. If you want better answers though, people will need to know more about your setup. What's in the tank, how long has it been set up, how much and what type of food you feed, what brand and model skimmer, etc. Hope this helps.
Depending on your bioload and how much you feed, you might not get much skimmate. Also, many skimmers take a while to break in. If you want better answers though, people will need to know more about your setup. What's in the tank, how long has it been set up, how much and what type of food you feed, what brand and model skimmer, etc. Hope this helps.
luke33
2500 Club Member
Generally I start skimming as soon as I have a skimmer and new tank has water in it. Could you wait a bit, sure but I see no reason to do so.
As far as wet vs dry skimmate goes its just the consistency of skimmate. If you lower your water level internally in your skimmer generally you will get a darker skimmate with more neck buildup, or neck turds. If you raise your water level internally in your skimmer you generally get a wetter skimmate with less neck turds, and its a lighter color. Some prefer skimming wet as it pulls more out, and some dry. I prefer inbetween myself.
As far as wet vs dry skimmate goes its just the consistency of skimmate. If you lower your water level internally in your skimmer generally you will get a darker skimmate with more neck buildup, or neck turds. If you raise your water level internally in your skimmer you generally get a wetter skimmate with less neck turds, and its a lighter color. Some prefer skimming wet as it pulls more out, and some dry. I prefer inbetween myself.
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Lonny
Well-Known Member
She looks just like my chocolate lab
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