dry skimming vs. wet skimming??

[austin9392]

Just hooked up my new skimmer and at the end of the instructions is mentioned that I can run it for wet skimming or for dry skimming. What is the difference as far as what they filter out and when I should use each one? The book said that in dry skimming i keep the foam low and it produces a lower volume/higher density waste in the collection cup. In wet skimming i keep the foam a bit higher and it produces a high volume/low density waste in the collection cup.
So which one should I use and when?

 

[natclanwy]

All depends on your preference I believe, wet skimming removes more water from your tank thay you will need to replace, and dry skimming I am guessing doesn't remove as much material as wet skimming does but I haven't done any experimenting to confirm this. I shoot for something between the two, if my skimmate is light green I am skimming too wet so I adjust it until I get skimmate that is as dark as a cup of coffee. If I have it too dry I usually will get alot of buildup in the riser tube and skimmate about the same in my collection cup with maybe a few chunks in it.

 

[nordy]

Wet skimming will require more frequent emptying of the collection cup and consequently more top off water will be required. You want to closely monitor it to be sure it isn't so "wet" that the cup overflows (unless you have a drain from the cup, as some do). "Dry" skimming can mean that the collection cup can get really nasty and will have to be cleaned and not just rinsed out when servicing the skimmer. I prefer less stuff and lower volume skimmate so i don't have to empty the cup as often or have it overflow.
I can't say why you would use one over the other, but properly set up and operating skimmers in either mode will do the job once they get dialed in and start working, which can take awhile.

 

[yerboy]

i have read that by either wet skimming or dry skimming you will essentially remove just as much junk in the same time period only with wet skimming it will be more diluted. All depends on what you want.

 

[spanko]

From Randy Holmes Farley
"Foam draining is a critical stage for most skimmers. One problem with drainage is that some organics are washed away with the draining water. There is always an equilibrium between organics in solution, and those actually attached to the interface. As water continues to drain, some of the organics are lost. Further, as some bubbles pop and their organics are redistributed into the nearby water, the local concentration of organics in the water between the bubbles in the foam can rise to concentrations far higher than are present in the aquarium. For this reason, the most effective skimming, in terms of total organic removal, comes from removing somewhat wet foam, rather than waiting for this same wet foam to drain prior to removal."

 

[austin9392]

awesom. thanks a lot for the help