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Wet Skimming vs Dry Skimming
Ok just kidding about the FIGHT part but let's for real discuss wet skimming versus dry skimming and why you like one over the other.
What's the difference?
Laymen terms: Dry skimming is when your protein skimmer produces an almost dry like foam that takes a lot longer for your collection cup to fill up. Wet skimming is very "wet" and produces a more liquid waste more often. Dry skimming waste is usually very dark in color while wet skimming is lighter and looks somewhat like tea. Don't drink it though!
@Randy Holmes-Farley terms: Foam draining is a critical stage for most skimmers. One problem with drainage is that some organics are washed away with the draining water. There is always an equilibrium between organics in solution, and those actually attached to the interface. As water continues to drain, some of the organics are lost. Further, as some bubbles pop and their organics are redistributed into the nearby water, the local concentration of organics in the water between the bubbles in the foam can rise to concentrations far higher than are present in the aquarium. For this reason, the most effective skimming, in terms of total organic removal, comes from removing somewhat wet foam, rather than waiting for this same wet foam to drain prior to removal. The primary difference between wet foam, and drained dry foam, is that additional water and some organics have drained away. A dry form is more efficient in terms of the amount of organic removed in relation to the water volume, and all skimmers and their potential adjustments strike some balance between removing more water and slightly more organics, or less water and slightly fewer organics. Perhaps a careful analysis of different types of skimming will, in the future, show this expected result experimentally.
So let's discuss it today!
1. Do you prefer dry skimming or wet skimming?
2. What differences in the two have you noticed when it comes to the exportation of waste from your reef tank?
image via @reeftivo
Ok just kidding about the FIGHT part but let's for real discuss wet skimming versus dry skimming and why you like one over the other.
What's the difference?
Laymen terms: Dry skimming is when your protein skimmer produces an almost dry like foam that takes a lot longer for your collection cup to fill up. Wet skimming is very "wet" and produces a more liquid waste more often. Dry skimming waste is usually very dark in color while wet skimming is lighter and looks somewhat like tea. Don't drink it though!
@Randy Holmes-Farley terms: Foam draining is a critical stage for most skimmers. One problem with drainage is that some organics are washed away with the draining water. There is always an equilibrium between organics in solution, and those actually attached to the interface. As water continues to drain, some of the organics are lost. Further, as some bubbles pop and their organics are redistributed into the nearby water, the local concentration of organics in the water between the bubbles in the foam can rise to concentrations far higher than are present in the aquarium. For this reason, the most effective skimming, in terms of total organic removal, comes from removing somewhat wet foam, rather than waiting for this same wet foam to drain prior to removal. The primary difference between wet foam, and drained dry foam, is that additional water and some organics have drained away. A dry form is more efficient in terms of the amount of organic removed in relation to the water volume, and all skimmers and their potential adjustments strike some balance between removing more water and slightly more organics, or less water and slightly fewer organics. Perhaps a careful analysis of different types of skimming will, in the future, show this expected result experimentally.
So let's discuss it today!
1. Do you prefer dry skimming or wet skimming?
2. What differences in the two have you noticed when it comes to the exportation of waste from your reef tank?
image via @reeftivo
