Skimmer Waste! How often should your cup be filling up?

[lapin]

Each week when the 5 gallon bucket is full. SRO 7000 EXT

 

[Madonia]

Is it more common to h

 

[Madonia]

Overall is it more common to have overflow with your skimmer when it’s brand new? I’ve had my skimmer less than a week. I empty it daily (tea colored). Still sending micro bubbles into water column.

 

[WVNed]

Each week when the 5 gallon bucket is full. SRO 7000 EXT

I don't let the bucket get full. Then I spill it on my shoes. Talk about smelly feet.

 

[Madonia]

Overall is it more common to have overflow with your skimmer when it’s brand new? I’ve had my skimmer less than a week. I empty it daily (tea colored). Still sending micro bubbles into water column.

 

[WVNed]

Overall is it more common to have overflow with your skimmer when it’s brand new? I’ve had my skimmer less than a week. I empty it daily (tea colored). Still sending micro bubbles into water column.

When your skimmer is broken in the water at the bottom of the reaction chamber will be clear and there will be no bubbles coming out.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Mine goes right to a skimmate collector

 

[ScottR]

I love the A week option

 

[ss30]

once week for me

 

[Brycnz]

Wet skimming, dry skimming, what type of skimmer you have, your tank size, your bio-load, your sump water level and more are all variables of how quick your skimmer cup will fill up with waste. That being said I would like for us to discuss this today and maybe get a basic idea of how often our skimmer collection cup should be filling up!

How long does it take for your skimmer cup to fill up when you've got all your "settings" correct?

Anything else you would like to add?

@wiselyy73 skimmer photo

I have a skimmer that will do 15,000L and my tank is only 450 so it’s a massive over kill haven’t had to empty it and it’s been a Month

 

[tdlawdo]

Ahhh ye ole skimmer cup!! Well I just started Zeo and so now it seems like everyday. But before Zeo when it was dialed in like a boss it was maybe 6 days strong!! Thick skimmate

 

[FLSharkvictim]

I change out my Reef Octo REGAL 150 INTL Skimmer probably about every week or so!!!

 

[Reefnman2]

I check it every 3 days when I top off my ATO bucket, I have a drain tube on my Curve 7 and drain it usually once a week but it's never full.

 

[McPuff]

I used to empty the cup around 4-5 days, basically whenever it got an inch or two of skimmate. Recently I added an Oxydator and skimmate production has gone up by about double. I don't run it wet, but very moist (ha!) and the stuff inside is pretty dark. Have a Reef Dynamics INS300 on my 300 sps reef with moderate bioload. I like to use the collection cup so I know how the skimmer is running... feel it gives me more insight as to how the reef is functioning as well. No automation needed for the skimmer in my opinion.

 

[MombasaLionfish]

Maybe a month or so but I do have a five gallon bucket for it to wait in.

 

[Jerry Ebner]

I am frustrated with skimming in general. It either Collects nothing or overflows the cup
My Small tank 32 gallons with the sump I had the IceCap K2 skimmer. It never collected anything . I have since added the Clarisea Roller Filter and it takes all that room in the little sump. IF I go back to skimming them I would have to get a HOB skimmer but in my history that was the second skimmer that didn't work for that tank. I did try to raise and lower the skimmer, open the valve or close it no matter what I did it was not successful First skimmer that come with the tank was a aquatop and it worked okay until it broke but it did the same thing either overflow or nothing but it worked slightly better.
Cube aquarium two clowns. 1 cardinal and a goby I'd say tank is stocked well.

So I take this to my 60 cube I went with a The Reef Octopus Classic 150SSS ( recommend to me by BRS) Somewhere around 75 gallons with the sump when you displace rock and sand etc.
Skimmer just never worked at all. I get tons of bubbles in the sump chamber now everytime I use it and am in the process of taking it apart to see what the heck is wrong. That tank has two clowns 1 dwarf angel and a goby as well. I wouldnt say its stocked to the brim but its decent. Oh and I got a Six Line Wrasse . lets just say I have spent plenty of money on skimmers and as a 3 year old reef keeper Even several Local fish stores have no clue what's going on. I have raised these skimmers changed the air going in and nothing. So at this point what do I do ? Toss in the Towel for skimming. . Money has gotten tight so I can't just keep buying equipment. I do AWC my 60 cube and when I get enough funds I plan on doing AWC on my little 24 cube as well.

 

[Radman73]

I can go a month or so. But, I only run the skimmer during the evening hours and it runs pretty dry. Skimmer is currently over sized for my bioload.

 

[Timfish]

Never. I don't use skimmers.

90 Gallon Mixed Reef


500 gallon Mixed Reef


Mixed Reef started in 1997, 10-07-19


220 Rimless 450 view

 

[Reefer40b]

I don't think there really is a time on it, as this will vary greatly between all our tanks. Also using a smaller skimmer on a larger system will result in a full cup faster, compared to a say using a bigger skimmer like the one on my 180 which can hold 10 cups of skim...
You have to account for bio-load and amount of food going in too..

Best way to set the skim is just by looking at the type you are getting either wet or dry, not by when the cup fills up, IMO

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I wonder if there are any good uses for skimmer waste. Wonder if it is to salty for house plants..