Skimmer question: is it bad to clean your skimmer too much?

[glb]

I have my first skimmer and I've been emptying it out way before the collection cup is full. I've been reading that the slimy stuff that accumulates on the walls of the tube where the bubbles are actually helps the bubbles climb and dump the skimmate in the cup. Does the skimmer work better if this slimy stuff has had a few days to build up? If emptying the collection cup isn't an immediate need, how often should you clean it any way?

 

[evolved]

No; the build-up on the neck of the collection cup actually hurts skimmate collection. Cleaning the collection cup often is a good thing.

Now, if you were taking the whole skimmer out and cleaning the main body throughly (ie - vinegar), this could be a "bad" thing as it would cost the skimmer a few days to "break in" again.

 

[glb]

No; the build-up on the neck of the collection cup actually hurts skimmate collection. Cleaning the collection cup often is a good thing.

Now, if you were taking the whole skimmer out and cleaning the main body throughly (ie - vinegar), this could be a "bad" thing as it would cost the skimmer a few days to "break in" again.

Thanks. I clean the collection cup only with water.
The skimmer's new so the rest of it doesn't need cleaning yet. How often should I clean everything with vinegar?

 

[Bensadork]

im gonna follow this thread as well. I am still new to the hobby and still using my first skimmer. I also clean my skimmate collector cup quite often (every couple of days). I just use regular water and an old toothbrush and scrub the cup as close to new and clean as i can possibly get it. I have read that you really only want to try and clean out the main body of the skimmer if you are experiencing low bubble volume or if you see a lot of coraline algae building up in the body itself preventing it from properly working. In that case is when you bust out the vinegar and properly clean the whole skimmer. Evolved makes a very good point about the skimmer needing to break in for a few days so I wouldnt touch the body unless its not performing the way you want to

 

[glb]

I'm also curious about the level people set their bubbles in the skimmer. I start mine at the base of the collection container and let them migrate up from there. My skimmate is more wet than I'd like, but it is skimming well.

 

[evolved]

The skimmer's new so the rest of it doesn't need cleaning yet. How often should I clean everything with vinegar?

Personally, I do it every 6 months, but:

I have read that you really only want to try and clean out the main body of the skimmer if you are experiencing low bubble volume or if you see a lot of coraline algae building up in the body itself preventing it from properly working. In that case is when you bust out the vinegar and properly clean the whole skimmer.

That's a good rule of thumb, and the time frame will vary from system to system.

I'm also curious about the level people set their bubbles in the skimmer.

Whatever set-point get's the skimmate performance you desire.