Will a skimmer not pull skimmate in a very clean tank

Discussion in 'Protein Skimmers' started by Peredhil, Jan 12, 2010.

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  1. Peredhil

    Peredhil Giant Squid

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    My tank is very clean. No algae. Params are great and have been stable for months and months. nitrates/phosphates read 0.

    Also, I only have 2 clowns and a blenny in a 55gallon. So my bio load is very very low.

    I was having some issues with my skimmer that have since been corrected. It appears to be working as designed now.

    However, it barely pulls any skimmate at all these days. (on the order of a teaspoon a day). Even before the issues I had with the skimmer came up.

    My SG got slightly high after some rock rework and I thought I'd just start wet skimming to lower the SG slowly (no hurry) with the bonus's that come with wet skimming.

    The cup is pushed way down, the foam looks good (there is a little foam in the cup tube) but the foam doesn't make it in to the cup...

    Based on my experience, where the cup is now, in the beginning of my tank, it would fill up within a day or two. I generally kept it much higher to dry skim.

    So I'm wondering as I've read this but it doesn't make sense to me, if you have a clean tank, will a skimmer not skim bc there's nothing to skim (to oversimplify)?

    I've had this skimmer for over a year and I know how to adjust it and where the cup should be to get skim... If I push the cup down any further, it'll be well below the bubble/foam line (it's at the line now).


    In my mind, it should still be sending bubbles to the cup - even if they are "clean" bubbles and this shouldn't have any real difference between clean or dirty water... but maybe I just don't understand.

    Do you need at least some filth in the water to skim?


    The cup was dirtyish, so I cleaned it real good (it's been a few days now) and it still isn't getting much skimmate at all... So I'm kind of lost on this...


    Though, it has led me to believe I need another fish as my tank is too clean ;)::);D
     
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  3. RustyShakleford

    RustyShakleford Feather Duster

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    i would say since your bio load isn't very much this is the reason why its not skimming. I have two skimmers on my tank and they dont skim very much either because i only have 3 fish ATM.
     
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  4. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    You will get very inconsistent results. It will only skim what is there to be skimmed. And not only that, there needs to be enough organics to stick to the bubbles and become a foam in the first place. So nothing will happen, then enough will accumulate till they get pushed out then thats it till next time.

    That is one thing about having too big of a skimmer. Yes twice the size is good if you know you are going to move up, but all a huge skimmer will do for you is perform poorly and inconsistently. In your case it is the very small bio load compared to your skimmer capacity.
     
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  5. Peredhil

    Peredhil Giant Squid

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    So you find it true that a skimmer needs dirty(ish) water for it to move bubbles into the cup?

    Like I said, I've read this before - it just doesn't makes sense to me :-/

    Makes me feel better to hear someone else confirm this...

    interested in more input on this reefers! ;D
     
  6. Peredhil

    Peredhil Giant Squid

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    Cool, got another post while I was typing the last ;D


    Seems this is working as expected and only means my tank can easily handle more load.

    That's kind of exciting in a way.
     
  7. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    Skimmers can work in fresh water, but bubbles form much better in salt water. Much finer in salt water therefore much more surface area compared to fresh. The skimmer will make bubbles, but then they break and that is it. Organics will collect to make foam that is pushed out of the neck. With oversized skimmers, the neck is made big enough to handle the rated air draw, but the organics are so low, they can't be pushed up the neck. So the only way to counter that is run the skimmer level very high to keep the water level up in the neck to help. then you skim a bunch of wet skimmate, but you are not removing more organics. You can only remove what is there to begin with.

    Get more fish.
     
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  9. Chad

    Chad Astrea Snail

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    I am having the same issue.

    I just read this statement ...
    from this thread. Does this make sense to you? I have a hang on over flow box and I was considering removing the pre filter sponges in it. Perhaps to allow a more efficient skim. What about the filter socks tho, don't they trap items as well?
     
  10. Puffer Chick

    Puffer Chick Giant Squid

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    im having the same exact problem with my bh 800, and i have only 3 fish as well, but in a 46. I run mine on dry and raise my collection cup as high as it can possibly go because if i skim wet and push the collection cup pretty much all the way down it skimms crazy fast but with clear water, but at least when i have it on dry the skimmate is at least a muddy brown.

    Sounds like both of us are having trouble with our Ocotopus HBs
     
  11. Peredhil

    Peredhil Giant Squid

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    Yes, that makes sense to me too. My skimmer is HOB and has an overflow box (which I use). I don't have any pre sponges or socks on this setup for the reasons you quoted.

    I mean, I do have them, but they are on the return side to trap exiting bubbles, not on the intake side like in your quote.
     
  12. Peredhil

    Peredhil Giant Squid

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    ;);D

    not a recommendation we make everyday eh?

    ;D;D