Is your protein skimmer working like it should? How do you know?

What do you look for when making sure your skimmer is working correctly?

  • Amount of skimmate

    Votes: 249 46.0%
  • Dark Skimmate

    Votes: 342 63.2%
  • Light Skimmate

    Votes: 18 3.3%
  • Dry Skimmate

    Votes: 60 11.1%
  • Wet Skimmate

    Votes: 54 10.0%
  • Low Nutrient Levels

    Votes: 73 13.5%
  • Low Nuisance Algae

    Votes: 50 9.2%
  • Algae on the glass

    Votes: 28 5.2%
  • Other (please explain in the thread)

    Votes: 12 2.2%
  • I don't run a skimmer

    Votes: 60 11.1%

  • Total voters
    541

Kevan Sharp

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The thicker and darker the better. I also like to make sure that there are just enough bubbles to be seen in the skimmate chamber and they aren't running freely. I test my nutrient levels every week and if those don't change and the skimmate looks right, I know I don't have to do anything but clean the cup every 5 days or so.

Oh and I do like when the smell makes me gag a little.
I'm with you. If my skimmate in the reservoir is filling at a steady predictable rate, I know things are cool. I have issues with my older Red Sea with finding that setting that results in just a constant daily amount of skimmate. Its either not enough, or with a slight twitch of the setting I get an overflow and recontaminate my entire tank. I do not have that issue with my Aquamaxx.
 

BradB

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If my skimmer is too wet, it overflows, and that' s an obvious problem.
If it is too dry, there will be very little, if any, skimmate.

As long as I am between these extremes and I clean it weekly, I don't worry.
 

gt44ever

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I shoot for just wet enough that I dont get tons of buildup in the neck. I use the small bubble foamy/boiling water look as my sign that its too wet
here's my lineup:
650g shark tank - Deltec SC2561 (need to clean this one)
100g Anemone tank - Aquamax FC-120
20g frag tank - Tunze 9001 (mostly for surface cleaning as its in tank)
75g FOwLR - Reef Octopus 2000-hob
35g long term holding tank - Aquac Remora

O and 110 mixed reef will have a Skimz SM162 once its booted up. The frag tank will be moved to the system too.

Ya I'm all over the place on skimmers. No loyalty here. I've even built a lifereef copy for the 650 that didnt operate consistently enough for my liking.
 

arking_mark

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I'll be the one outlier. Based on skimmate analysis, skimmers are not particularly good for filtration.

However, they are now on my essential list for aeration in combination with a CO2 scrubber.

So all I really care about is lots of bubbles and steady pH. If pH drops, time to replace CO2 scubbing media.

I'm now in the pH is key camp for tank health and stability.
 

Knology

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I picked up a SCA-302 for my ~180g in wall build with a basement fish room. It was on sale for $175 on Amazon. I had very little expectations. I figured why not. I had the smaller version on a 30 cube years ago.

I dropped it in, set the right water height, and just set it to 0 and let it run to break in. In 48 hours, the cup was filling with dark gunk already. I had been at low nitrate levels already so I was not expecting that at all. Plus I felt like ti would take a couple weeks top break in. I also run a roller mat for filtration.

I've had it running for two months and it just pulls all the dark junk out of the tank without even trying to tune it. I have it set to 3 and it just skimms out the nasty. I empty the cup every 2 weeks.

If that isn't working, I don't know what is.
 

rmay6850

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If my coffee is darker than the skimmate, I have to adjust it. I love my Skimz Mini Monzter and am sad that they have gone under. I currently run it on a 32g DT, but will be adding an 80g tank to the system. I have no doubt it will be able to keep up.
You have to adjust your coffee or skimmer??
 

DarkReefer

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I look for dark skimmate, is it tuned properly... who knows. Mine seems to mostly sit middle of the neck mostly, however if I try and tune it to be slightly higher, I find that my ATO is working a lot more and the cup fills up very quickly. At least this way stuff is still getting over the top and into the cup, just takes a little more time to do it and it ebbs and flows a bit with the load.

Running a Reef Octopus 110S on a Waterbox 70.2 (so approx 70 gallon total system).

20210305_060558.jpg
 

Reefvision

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So I like to see dark skim filling skim reservoir (avast) consistently over a week. I know when there’s an issue when the skimmer lid is bubbling up/off it’s seat. I read something about using vegetable oil on lid and areas of collecting cup to prevent this. I did this on aquamax skimmer for 55g . Seems to work there -yay. Gonna give it a go on lifereef skimmer this weekend. If I don’t address this the skim oozes out nasties!!
 

Alan_J_MN

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I picked up a SCA-302 for my ~180g in wall build with a basement fish room. It was on sale for $175 on Amazon. I had very little expectations. I figured why not. I had the smaller version on a 30 cube years ago.

I dropped it in, set the right water height, and just set it to 0 and let it run to break in. In 48 hours, the cup was filling with dark gunk already. I had been at low nitrate levels already so I was not expecting that at all. Plus I felt like ti would take a couple weeks top break in. I also run a roller mat for filtration.

I've had it running for two months and it just pulls all the dark junk out of the tank without even trying to tune it. I have it set to 3 and it just skimms out the nasty. I empty the cup every 2 weeks.

If that isn't working, I don't know what is.
I also have an SCA-302. Same experience. It took a week or two to break in but now it needs minimal tuning and pulls dark stinky skimmate.
 

Mkissane

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I'll be the one outlier. Based on skimmate analysis, skimmers are not particularly good for filtration.

However, they are now on my essential list for aeration in combination with a CO2 scrubber.

So all I really care about is lots of bubbles and steady pH. If pH drops, time to replace CO2 scubbing media.

I'm now in the pH is key camp for tank health and stability.
Bingo! I look for consistent skimming, but recently realized when ph is trending down and all other variables are in control then time to clean the skimmer pump. Specifically the pin wheel that’s creating the bubbles. Of course a visual on the bubbles in the neck is important too. I use a Reef Octopus 200.
 

Privateye

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Consistent Skimmate

That's what I look for (I selected "other"). Some tanks I do a little dry, some I skim wet (often due to design) but I want to see that it's always producing.

I've skimmed in freshwater too at some of my past jobs. No way you could expect to get anything dark or dry from our tanks. Still worth it. Most of the time we were using ozone injected into the skimmer to bust-up certain molecules, then skimmed really wet to remove the products.
 

Vette67

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I don’t pay attention to skimmate color. Since I run ozone, it can dramatically change the color. It is much lighter when ozone runs. I pay attention to the main body of the skimmer. If the water isn’t so foamy, it looks like milk, then something is wrong. When my Beckett starts to clog (usually from limpet shells), then it’s time to clean the injector housing. Limpets also lower the skimmer level, so I’ll have to compensate by slightly closing the gate valve to raise the level back up.

But the main thing I look for is the foam color. It should be impossible to see through, and you shouldn’t even be able to see into the foam at all. This is what I want to see:
1727B1A5-8C14-49E2-B81E-2314BCB0328B.jpeg
 

sawdonkey

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210 tank currently running bubble magus B10. Hate it!... want to buy it? It either produces nothing, or the realest tea you’ve ever drank.

I just pulled the trigger on a lifereef this week, on which I will run a huge pump. I’m looking forward to producing that sticky icky... and finally getting my nitrates below 25. Biopellets, NOPOX and water changes with this skimmers ain’t cutting it.
 

Rubberfrog

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I'm with you. If my skimmate in the reservoir is filling at a steady predictable rate, I know things are cool. I have issues with my older Red Sea with finding that setting that results in just a constant daily amount of skimmate. Its either not enough, or with a slight twitch of the setting I get an overflow and recontaminate my entire tank. I do not have that issue with my Aquamaxx.
I have a redsea skimmer and it sucks
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 75 37.7%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 68 34.2%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 12.6%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.6%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
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