Skim mate

[DevilBoy]

How much skimmate does everyone collect on a weekly average?? Do you skim wet or dry?

Thanks

[Wiskey]

In my SPS tank I shoot for from 1/2 to 1 gallon of skimate weekly, it is an SPS tank.

In my Softie tank I shoot for about one cup per week, it is very dark, but the Softies love the nutreants.

Whiskey

[DevilBoy]

so you are skimming wet on the SPS and dry on the softie tank.

The reason i am asking this question. I feel i am actually skimmin wet, since i can see the water level that is right below where the neck of the skimmer is and mixing with bubbles there. but it is flowing in the cup like it is skimmin wet. it looks more like a dry foam to me. and the foam just hangs out in the collection cup... Any ideas? my water level is almost all the way up the skimmer body, and air is two turns open, from completely being off.

I know you and i have spoken about this Whiskey. I havent touched the air, but my gate valve i have been closing slightly. But heck i cant close it much more without the water level going up into the neck of the skimmer

[LilB0506]

i dont like my skimmer... what i have it on now, i am getting VERY dark skimmate... barely any... but if i just click it up one more spot it overflows my milk jug in no time... oh well...

[DevilBoy]

Originally Posted by LilB0506

i dont like my skimmer... what i have it on now, i am getting VERY dark skimmate... barely any... but if i just click it up one more spot it overflows my milk jug in no time... oh well...

what type of skimmer is it??

[LilB0506]

umm a coralife 125 super skimmer i think... its a needle wheel i know that for sure...

[DevilBoy]

ok took 3 photos here they are.....

1. red mark with arrow is pointing to were the water level is in my skimmer body, if you look closely you can see the water line and the bubble line





2. skimmate collection jug, skimmate look like the right color??






3. collection cup and the foam





the skimmate in the jug appears darker in the picture then in person. it almost looks like the color of green tea. if you need me to shut the air off and then take a picture of how high the water is in the skimmer body i can do that also. The skimmate really has no stench to it either. So maybe im alittle too wet. i dunno

[Wiskey]

I was telling you not to touch the air to help you get a feel for what the two different controls of the skimmer do. If you want, and you have a good idea of how the water level effects the skimate, then you can start playing with the air a bit, move the water level down and experiment with how different levels of air effect the skimmer's performance.

I personally run my water level higher than you are now on my skimmer, but I think your skimate (judging by the cup) looks good if you are trying to clean the tank up (like you are).

How much skimate do you get in a week?

Whiskey

[DevilBoy]

Originally Posted by Wiskey

I was telling you not to touch the air to help you get a feel for what the two different controls of the skimmer do. If you want, and you have a good idea of how the water level effects the skimate, then you can start playing with the air a bit, move the water level down and experiment with how different levels of air effect the skimmer's performance.

I personally run my water level higher than you are now on my skimmer, but I think your skimate (judging by the cup) looks good if you are trying to clean the tank up (like you are).

How much skimate do you get in a week?

Whiskey

Right, i didnt touch the air at all, its still set at where you told me to set it at. hasnt been touched. just tuning the gate valve like you told me too. As for the skimmate a week. i get half of the jug, which the jug is a 1/2 gallon.

[Wiskey]

I think you will get more in time as you start to get some food input in the tank, fish pooing, corals sliming (that's accually a biggie) etc,... I would be happy with what your getting right now since your rock has been curing for a while, in fact I'd figure it's about done,... how are your levels?

Do you have that sand in there yet? Or did you decide to wait? Ever decide what you will do to prevent your sand dwelling golbies from knocking stuff over?

Whiskey

[DevilBoy]

Originally Posted by Wiskey

I think you will get more in time as you start to get some food input in the tank, fish pooing, corals sliming (that's accually a biggie) etc,... I would be happy with what your getting right now since your rock has been curing for a while, in fact I'd figure it's about done,... how are your levels?

Do you have that sand in there yet? Or did you decide to wait? Ever decide what you will do to prevent your sand dwelling golbies from knocking stuff over?

Whiskey

Well.... i havent tested my levels in awhile so i dont know what they are at. I am sure the rock is done. The rock has hair algae on it in places. And some spots i am seeing black sponge like things. which i know black isnt good.

No, havent added the sand yet. I dont know if i need to take out all my rock to vacuum all the crude off the bottom. before i and the sand. And for the sand bed it will be SSB and i will be placing the rock directly on the bottom of the tank and just spreading the sand around the rockwork.

Whiskey why dont you give me a jingle when you get home, so you could explain to me how to do this. I want to clean off the rock real good, remove the hair algae, and try removing the black spots, before i add the sand. I dont know if i will have to remove all the rock to clean it. Then i can siphon every thing off the bottom. then arrange my rock work, then add the sand to a clean bottom... i have never did this part before so i am alittle confused. so it will probably just be easier if you gimme a jingle when you get home, and easier to explain vocally then typing.

[Loverotties]

3/4 of a gallon wet a week.

[zxcv123]

My tank is mixed with sps, lps, and softies, BB, so I skim pretty well, about 2 whole cupfulls per week of wet dark stuff, in addition to ultra strict water changes

[Sprayin70]

I get about a 1/2 gallon a week wet. I also use a MR-1.