Fight! Fight! Fight! Wet Skimming vs Dry Skimming
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Karen00
2500 Club Member
That's also a good point. I guess a glob of it would have to be put in an equal amount of rodi water (I assume equal amount but maybe not), then leave it for a bit then check to see what the salinity of the water measures.
Silent
2500 Club Member
Many gardeners add salt to their garden specifically for bushy plants, tomato, and pepper plants. Good for seed germination and nitrogen uptake. Everything in moderation though.
Mr Mumblez
Active Member
I’m not skimming yet. I am working a refugium in my sump first. I will follow this though as I’m very interested.
Marie7
Well-Known Member
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?
I preferred dry skimming, my cup really puck up a lot of the waste from the tank and believe me the stuff collected is very dark green brownish and smell awful at times.
2. What differences in the two have you noticed when it comes to the exportation of waste from your reef tank?
image via @reeftivo
1. Do you prefer dry skimming or wet skimming?
I preferred dry skimming, my cup really puck up a lot of the waste from the tank and believe me the stuff collected is very dark green brownish and smell awful at times.
2. What differences in the two have you noticed when it comes to the exportation of waste from your reef tank?
I feel satisfy going into dry skimming all the time as I can see that it is doing the job needed to be done getting all the bad contaminants and stuff from the water, my cup does not overflow and I don’t have to empty the cup as often or allowed to spill the bad stuff back into my water
stephen wyard
Community Member
I like a little weter skimming.Not so wet that it is very light in color but not so dry that it cakes on the cup.I have a heavy bio load becouse of heavy feeding so I need the mechanical filtering as well as my refusion to keep up and to keep phosphates low.
I'm an other, and walk the line between dry and wet.
If I skim dry, the skimmate collects up on the neck and baffle on the collection cup lid, blocking the flow.
Skimming wet is a hassle, and I don't find it affects my nitrates more than dry or middling skimmate.
I do notice one side effect... middle of the road skimmate does keep my pH a tick higher and reduces the NoPoX needed to keep nitrates steady. Wetter or drier doesn't much matter.. same effect.
If I skim dry, the skimmate collects up on the neck and baffle on the collection cup lid, blocking the flow.
Skimming wet is a hassle, and I don't find it affects my nitrates more than dry or middling skimmate.
I do notice one side effect... middle of the road skimmate does keep my pH a tick higher and reduces the NoPoX needed to keep nitrates steady. Wetter or drier doesn't much matter.. same effect.
Auquanut
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I guess I skim on the wet side. I clean the cup every 3 days when I change the filter socks. I get around half a skimmer cup of darkish tea colored skimmate.
Seabiscuit
Active Member
My skimmer is soooo big that I can fit my tank inside of it! Seriously though, I have a nano tank with a very small skimmer and small collection cup so I skim on the dry side -- just a few ml's a week.
NewCaliCaptives
Active Member
Make sure you get an ATO! It is very necessary on these nano tanks unless you’re at your house all day and able to top off many times a day!
Karen00
2500 Club Member
Thanks! Yep it's on the list! My house gets crazy dry in the winter and the daily evap on my FW is nuts. Having said that if I got the humidifier fixed that would probably help a lot but I think it would still be enough of a problem for a 5g.
Kaya
Community Member
I have an issue with my skimmer as it overflow. Just started my tank but the skimmer isn’t new. Took the cup of for now and hoping it will calm the f..k down soon! It’s been going like this for three days...it’s a bubble king mini 180.
cshouston
Hoopy Frood
I guess I’m skimming on the dryer side here. Usually, it’s a little wetter/lighter colored than that. I pretty much found a setting that works and left it there. It kind of does its own thing after that.
Floppyfish
Community Member
I prefer to keep my skimmate on the drier side. Never really tried a wet skim because I figure it’s more concentrated dry and it’s doing the same job. I could be wrong but been doing it that way for over 20 yrs so why stop now.
Floppyfish
Community Member
Raise the skimmer up higher or adjust the flow so the water is passing through it more and it should help with that over flow. I really only have that issue on my icecap or any skimmer other than when I treat with chemiclean and bring it back online.I have an issue with my skimmer as it overflow. Just started my tank but the skimmer isn’t new. Took the cup of for now and hoping it will calm the f..k down soon! It’s been going like this for three days...it’s a bubble king mini 180.
Streetcred
Active Member
1. Do you prefer dry skimming or wet skimming?
I prefer wet skimming, not too wet, mind you, but not dry.
2. What differences in the two have you noticed when it comes to the exportation of waste from your reef tank?
Nutrients better exported into the collection cup with wet skim, lower PO4
Sludge exported out of the skimmer neck, not layered in the skimmer neck to be recirculated
I prefer wet skimming, not too wet, mind you, but not dry.
2. What differences in the two have you noticed when it comes to the exportation of waste from your reef tank?
Nutrients better exported into the collection cup with wet skim, lower PO4
Sludge exported out of the skimmer neck, not layered in the skimmer neck to be recirculated
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