Show us your protein skimmer
- Thread starter imfsub12
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turningtim
Active Member
DIY PVC recirc style. About 24 hours of yuck.......
golgi aparatus
Member
Well guys here are 2 images of my Corallife 65 gallon skimmer. I'm not sure that mine creates the amount of foam that everybody's does.
Could someone please comment on mine to tell me if I am creating enough foam? This is about the amount of junk I collect in about 2 weeks. I fear it is not enough.
Should I raise the water level in the chamber?
Wet skimming vs dry skimming?
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Could someone please comment on mine to tell me if I am creating enough foam? This is about the amount of junk I collect in about 2 weeks. I fear it is not enough.
Should I raise the water level in the chamber?
Wet skimming vs dry skimming?
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
stanlalee
Active Member
it looks like its working just fine. you are dry skimming (can tell by the dirty neck below the collection cup and the color/amount of the skimate) so you wont get as much skimate. Different bioloads will get different amounts of skimates so no one can say for sure what its suppose to be producing. The best way to tell is by the tank. If you are keeping nitrates where you want them to be and the maintenence isn't more than you expect then it is working well enough.
As for wet skimming vs dry skimming. Some people like to see impressive muddy dark skimate but I did a simple experiment by dry skimming for two days. On the second day a large clump of hair algae formed dead smack on the large rock in the center of my tank and the glass got a dusting of algae quicker than usual. I immediately removed the algae manually, went back to wet skimming and the problem never came back. that was enough to convince me wet skimming works better. It can be a pain emptying the collection cup every few days (its a coralife so the drain is out of the question. been there flooded the floor) and it even drops the sump level a little but it seems to work much better for me.
As for wet skimming vs dry skimming. Some people like to see impressive muddy dark skimate but I did a simple experiment by dry skimming for two days. On the second day a large clump of hair algae formed dead smack on the large rock in the center of my tank and the glass got a dusting of algae quicker than usual. I immediately removed the algae manually, went back to wet skimming and the problem never came back. that was enough to convince me wet skimming works better. It can be a pain emptying the collection cup every few days (its a coralife so the drain is out of the question. been there flooded the floor) and it even drops the sump level a little but it seems to work much better for me.
golgi aparatus
Member
Thank Stanlalee...I appreciate the input. How do you reccomend that I go about wet skimming? How much do I raise the water level in the chamber? I see we both have coralife skimmers...
stanlalee
Active Member
Originally Posted by Golgi Aparatus
Thank Stanlalee...I appreciate the input. How do you reccomend that I go about wet skimming? How much do I raise the water level in the chamber? I see we both have coralife skimmers...
no problem. if you like whats its doing dont change it. I'd just raise it up til I'm still getting foam not too watery in the cup and the skimate is a little lighter/more plentyful than it is. On mine I usually set the water level about a 1/4" above the base of the taper simular to where the directions say to put it for dry skimming (on mine I have to set the water level in the neck below the collection cup to dry skim). Yours may be different if you have the CL65 or depending on the water level you keep the pump.
Thank Stanlalee...I appreciate the input. How do you reccomend that I go about wet skimming? How much do I raise the water level in the chamber? I see we both have coralife skimmers...
no problem. if you like whats its doing dont change it. I'd just raise it up til I'm still getting foam not too watery in the cup and the skimate is a little lighter/more plentyful than it is. On mine I usually set the water level about a 1/4" above the base of the taper simular to where the directions say to put it for dry skimming (on mine I have to set the water level in the neck below the collection cup to dry skim). Yours may be different if you have the CL65 or depending on the water level you keep the pump.
ifirefight
Active Member
I just cleaned mine a few hours ago, But here it is BEFORE I installed it. Thats my 5 year old son standing next to it.. I love that picture.
