Ineffective Protein Skimmer

[Dom]

Would an ineffective protein skimmer cause elevations in nitrates and drops in pH? I think it would, but I'd like feedback.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Downbeach]

An ineffective skimmer will allow the DOC's it would normally be skimming out to break down into nitrates and phosphates. The aeration it provides will allow the CO2 to reach equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere and will have an affect on the pH, i.e. if the surrounding CO2 is elevated you may see a decrease in pH, if the CO2 is lower in the surrounding atmosphere you will see an increase in pH as long as your alk is in acceptable levels.

 

[mcarroll]

Would an ineffective protein skimmer cause elevations in nitrates and drops in pH? I think it would, but I'd like feedback.

You might have to define what you mean by ineffective.

Broken pump?
Skimming wetter (or drier) than you want?
Something in between?

Assuming the skimmer is functioning to at least a limited degree (bubbling and water flowing through), then I don't think gas exchange (pH) will be handicapped. (You will see a day/night pH cycle even in a tank with an effective skimmer.)

I'm also a little leary of hanging a nitrate problem on an "ineffective" skimmer. Skimmers extend the time between basic maintenance - they do not remove anywhere close to all excess nitrates in a system that may be rapidly accumulating them. A skimmer-less system with a nitrate problem is most likely still going to be a system with a nitrate problem after a skimmer is added. (Nitrate problems relate to feeding and livestock levels more than anything.)

 

[Dom]

Expanding on "Ineffective Protein Skimmer"....

The water column is filled with bubbles. Sometimes, the protein skimmer produces a lot of foam and other times, none at all. When it does produce foam, it has a clear to lite green color and is of a watery consistency, not thicker sludge as I've seen described here on the forums.

I've ordered a REEF OCTOPUS CLASSIC 110 SPACE SAVER PROTEIN SKIMMER to replace my existing skimmer (a DYI Job).

 

[mcarroll]

Anything that's like "thick" or "sludge" is a product of skimmer marketing or a poorly maintained skimmer/system. Light green skimmate could be fine - it's my goal.

But that intermittent behavior needs some further clarification.

Are you saying that the skimmer stops making bubbles altogether, or just that sometime the skimmer is "idle" where it's still foaming, but not making enough "head" to put anything in the skimmer cup?

Bubbles stopping would mean something is severely wrong.

In the case of an skimmer that's idling...a well-sized skimmer should go idle from at least some time every day. That simply means there isn't enough DOC in the water to skim - it's done it's job.

On the flip side, if your skimmer skims 24/7 they you know it's never catching up - it's undersized for the system it's on.

 

[Dom]

Yes; I would call it an idle skimmer. Sometimes it makes lots of foam and other times it bubbles but doesn't make any real foam to discuss.

Among the different pieces of media I use in my filter is white filter felt. I usually get about 10 days out of it before it becomes so clogged that water doesn't pass through it. Lately, I've only been getting 5 days at most. I was attributing this to poor performance of the protein skimmer and that more of what the PS should be catching is passing through and captured by the white felt.

 

[mcarroll]

Any chance you can post a picture of the set up?

 

[Dom]

This is a closeup of what my protein skimmer is producing.

When the skimmer goes "idle" the cone is empty and you can only see bubbling water at the base of the cone.

 

[mcarroll]

Looks OK to me. :) And sounds about right for "idle".

I'd be happy with it tuned like that. :)