High Altitude Skimming??

I was wondering if or how much effect high altitudes have on skimmer operation due to the lack of air at higher altitudes. I am asking because I live around 5000 feet above sea level and my skimmer does not seem to work quite as good as others that I have seen.
I have an ev-180 with a eheim 1262 feed pump it works well but I am running it without an air valve and I am still unable skim wet when I have seen others using the same setup and getting almost a gallon a week.

 

good question!

 

I was just thinking about the affect it has on a car. I have raced cars a good portion of my life and know the altitude here is equal to about a 20% decrease in performance. I was curious if this was true for skimmers as well since they rely on air for operation.

 

I believe the same factors will in fact have an effect on skimmer performance.

 

Wow Great question. I live at 4500 feet and have an EV 180 with a Mag 7. I can't get wet skim and have been messing with the airvalve a lot lately. My skim is always real dry and I always assumed it was because of a small bio-load. Makes you wonder...

 

I don't think it should effect it unless it decreases the volume of gas sucked in. If I remember correctly the protein attaches to bubbles because it wants to be part in water and part out, so amount of a specific gas doesn't matter only surface area.
I think the volume(amount of bubbles) should be the same even if there is less gas molecules in it, because the pressure is less on the water also.
So as of right now i've convinced myself, even if the air is thinner the bubbles will be the same size and amount because the air and water is under less pressure.


It should effect the car because the amount of oxygen is important for combustion.

 

I agree good question...
But i am going with no measurable difference...
The volume in the "system" could not change due to to elevation... How much gas exchange or how effective the exchange is might be changed??? Thin air would have less available O to contribute...
but my understanding of skimmers is that basicly just bully with bubbles of watever gases are in the bubbles... "gunk" that doesnt "like" water... So im voting that process wouldnt be affected by altitude.

 

And someday i will learn how to set my skimmer correctly...
And collect all the nasty stuff i dont want in my tank too .

 

I'm at 3800' and I get very wet skim. empty it daily. Could be I do not have it adjusted correctly..

 

Thanks for all the great replys. K+ for all those that helped out. Maybe I just do not have that high of a bio load to give the huge amount of skim that I see coming out of some peoples tanks.