Skimmer used a fan to cool off tank

[Mariners]

Hi everyone,
I placed a small fan on top a tank to promote evaporation and dissipate heat from summer weather. I also have a aqua maxx hob skimmer on my jbj 28 g nano. Ive noticed that ever since i have placed the fan, i have much less waste in the skimmer collection cup. Should i worry about this or is the fan promoting evaporation of waste thus less collected in cup? I havent seen any oil or waste film at the top lvl water of the tank. The only change is that my nitrates have risen slightly from imperceptible lvls to 10 ppm. I also maintain and clean my skimmer weekly and when it does skim, which is very little it is very wet and almost clear. Anyway, your input would be greatly appreciated thx.

 

[Florida Sunshine]

I'm not sure why the fan would affect your skimmer, but it seems that it has. The waste won't evaporate as is proven by your rise in nitrates. I would try moving the fan away from the skimmer and see if that helps.

 

[tdunmore2]

Many times the evaporation promoted from the fan lowere the effective water level for the skimmer, thus it will not pull out as much waste. This is most likely why you are seeing nitrates up. Do you have an ATO? That usually helps keep the water levels more stable, but especially for an HOB skimmer, the level change can still make a difference.

 

[Mariners]

No ato, i usually put a 1/2 a cup of ro/di water every 3-4 hrs

 

[Mariners]

Thx for the input