Are you a "part-time" protein skimmer?

[kidkaos520]

Very interesting topic....would this be more aimed towards sps or does this go for mixed reefs as well?

 

[uniquecorals]

Very interesting topic....would this be more aimed towards sps or does this go for mixed reefs as well?

I'm thinking it's aimed towards any coral-oriented aquarium, but the crowd here has it's own thoughts which I'd like to hear!

-Scott

 

[kidkaos520]

I think I might try this.....as far as stopping and starting goes from what I have read about the apex doesnt it have a "soft" start function in the power strip that helps with the start up so its not as rough?

 

[cougercruiser]

Wouldn't feeding more frequently while maintaining clean water perams (import - export) be of better choice?

 

[Tek]

Wouldn't feeding more frequently while maintaining clean water perams (import - export) be of better choice?

It depends on how efficient your skimmer is. I feed 4x a day heavy but the fish can only digest so much within a day. My skimmer is very efficient at removing as soon as it is produced. I struggle to get 1-2ppm N03 which my SPS need to color up or they go pale.

 

[Ro.an]

I know this is an old thread, but I have having same issue with my sps turning pale. Since I don't have much fish (4 only in 35g), heavy feeding won't help. So I decided to turn off my skimmer and see how things go.

 

[Tom Davey]

I have a large skimmer on a 25 Gal that runs 24/7. Nitrates sit at about .05. I used to only put the skimmer on about once a month for a couple days and I had some issues but I increased the bio load and went to 24/7 and it had worked well for me.

 

[SCMatt]

I run mine 24/7. In such a small tank I feel like I can't afford not to (15gal nano). Things can change so quickly. I rely on water changes as well to help nutrient control, but the skimmer is watching my six so to speak and I like having the extra protection. I haven't had any issues thus far running it 24/7. Great colors on SPS, excellent polyp extension, healthy fish.....no real motive for me to change at this point.

 

[frogman_reefer]

My skimmer is on the same timer with my metal Halides. This ensures that my filter feeders at night get the opportunity to feed for longer periods of time. I did this quite by accident and noticed great changes in my orange setosa, Oregon tort and spongode (I'm sure I spelled that wrong). Plus my LPS look cleaner with better color.

I feed all my corals heavy once a week, and put zooplankton in three times a week in the evening with my kalkwasser and top off water. By having my skimmer off more, I've been able to keep blueberry gorgonians in the same tank as my SPS. Granted it's only been a few months, but they are looking good. I subscribe to being as natural as I can with my reef and its filtration. Lots of my cleaning is done through stocking 20K copepod and Amphepods to my cleaning crew. So far so good, and my reef tanks new so time will tell if it proves beneficial over the long haul.

Great article!! And while I'm here. Anyone have SC planet earth!? I know everyone is probably sick of me asking

 

[Eienna]

I have to leave mine on atm, but I'm thinking about just running it at night once I get situated in the new place and see what happens.

 

[Ro.an]

I think it depends on your bioload, like I said I only have 4 fish and having hard time raising its PO4 (I'm using the Hanna Ultra Low Phosphorus checker. I didn't check my NO3 but probably low because I don't have much algae on glass. Here are some washed out SPS, let me what you guys think.

 

[Mark426]

I run mine 24/7...BUT...I have it adjusted to skim as dry as possible. By adjusting it very dry, I still get the benefit of gas exchange and water movement in my sump while keeping with the spirit of part-time skimming. At least that's my theory.

 

[Ro.an]

Sounds like a plan

 

[hart24601]

I have a pretty good skimmer for my system, vertex 180i in a 110 total volume and it runs so there isn't always foam being produced. Generally after feeding for a couple hours, but aside from that there isn't anything entering the collection cup. So if I ran it only during the day time there really wouldn't be any change. It might be interesting to only run the skimmer at night and let whatever the skimmer is removing stay in the system longer, although I am not quite sold on that idea quite yet.

 

[ReelRednekReefer]

I stumbled upon this thread just now but I've been pondering this scenario recently. My 90g tank is 2 months old. One clown and several corals. My skimmer is a RO NWB110 I installed gfo and carbon reactor to help fight GHA along with manual removal and black out. I noticed the other day that my skimmer deflates every couple days. I did a large WC, siphoned sand bed well and scrubbed all the algea loose. The skimmer went nuts! Skimmed full 2 cups in a few hours. Water cleared up, no longer yellow tinge in sump. Yesterday I noticed the skimmer was deflated-no foam after about 1/4 cup. I feed the clown pellets which he eats all of and dosed phyto for pods. Today I see skimmer is generating skimmate again. Now that I recall the skimmer is deflated prior to feeding. So I must be stripping the water clean with skimming, gfo and carbon combined with low bio load. I think I try running it on a 12 hr timer and only feed during skimmer off cycles! This may explain why coral seem to do well but colors lack the original pop!

 

[CarolinaReefs]

I think I might give this a shot also. I have a 75 gallon with an RLSS 6i skimmer. This skimmer is a beast. I currently run it 24/7 and NO3 and PO4 at 0
I have had some corals fade, will see how this works. Thinking of shutting down when the lights go out for the night.



What is the recommended schedule?

 

[vetteman]

Mine runs 24/7 but I turn back the air to the Venturi during the day

 

[Piranhapat]

I was told that if your doing everything right. And still having to deal with cyano.. I was told to shut your skimmer off during the day. Run it at night which will help keep PH up. Simply if you are over skimming. You are removing good bacteria which will balance out the cyano. I also have high nutrients so was thinking giving this a try.

 

[Coral Farms PR]

Hello, I 'm going to try turning the skimmer off a couple of times during the week. My problem is that NO3 and PO4 are undetectable. They have been like this for several months now, I even cut down to half dosage of NP Active pearls from Dr Tim's to see in they rise but no signs yet. I'm also getting a lot of algae growth on my mother colony tanks and in my main tank my sand is turning brown. My TDS is zero and I use Red Sea salt on weekly water changes. The system is 500g.
Equipments:
Skimmer: Pro II by MRC
Calcium Reactor: MRC dual chamber
Biopellet reactor: Triton aquatics
Wavemakers: Tunzes 6125
Pumps: Reeflo Hammerheads
Lighting: Orphek Atlantiks

 

[leptang]

I have always been sceptical about what organics that actually get skimmed. Another thing I worry about is inorganics that skimming takes out like iodine and other important elements.
The skimmer I use is about 25 gallons under rated for my system and running it 24/7, it tends to stop foaming into the collection cup. At the same time I do notice some coral lose color especially zoas. I also couldn't just turn my skimmer pump off because how my refugium drained out. I just pinched the air tube closed for a couple days and seen my coral liven up a bit. So I ended up going on a routine of watching my skimmer foam over into the cup until it stopped then pinching the air intake off for a day with a heavy feeding.