Has my Skimmer failed a simple test?

[Brocnizer]

So this was not a test so to speak, but a simple inadvertant find.

In my quest to reduce my sump noise (which is near zero now) I placed some filter pad under the outflow of my aqua C remora to reduce splashing noise.

This filter pad is not in contact with the water below at all and only recieves a flow of water from the skimmed water exit.

Well after 5 days the filter has all this gunk in it. It looks simlar in color to the skimmate, essentially the green fish poop color.

Shouldn't the water from my skimmer be clean?

[Frank-n-Tank]

the make hift filter pad is not submerged? so you have strong light with water flowing thru it, probably algae I had a biosponge set up it collected a mini algae scrubber, but then a hungry snail found out he could climb out and feed now it is just coraline.

[Frank-n-Tank]

here is a pic of the once soft bio sponge now hard as rock coraline filter

[Seamore]

Understand that even the most efficient skimmer will not remove 100% of the nutrients in the water on the first time through the skimmer.Thats why the trend is to have multiple turn-over rate with the skimmer in comparison with the sump return rate. The key things to learn from your experience is to understanding that your skimmer will allow some nutrients to pass through and that the filter pad is trapping it, understand you now have to change the filter pad every two days max. Any filter that traps particles (pads, socks...) and allows it to stay in the water that is circulating in the tank is allowing waste to decompose and add to the nutrients fouling your water. Put up with the noise or change that pad very often the trapped food and waste does not get any fresher with time. Good luck.

[Brocnizer]

Okay, I'll just change it very often. I clean the filter sock everyday anyway.

And yes the filter pad is suspended in air, so to speak.

Maybe I'll add two skimmers in my future setup, which will be 2-3 years down the road.