skimmer not putting out ??

david b. · #1 06/16/2002, 06:46 PM

Hi,
I recently moved my 55 gal tank into my new home about 5 weeks
ago.My skimmer worked fine for about 1 week,then it started not
to pull out any thing.It is a Aqua C Urchin,it has been cleaned and
checked out and is fine.All my fish and corals are in good shape.
Should i be worried about this?

dattack · #2 06/16/2002, 08:28 PM

Maybe you bioload is so low that you will actually get very little skimmate once the skimmer has pulled out most of the gunk.

What and how many fish do you have in your tank?
What are your current water chemistries now?

RFK · #3 06/16/2002, 08:31 PM

I wouldn't worry... you were probably just pulling out all of the die off from the move. It is probably just tapering off. Watch it for the next week or so to see if you are getting sufficient skimmate in relation to feeding, etc...
Keep an eye on your livestock and do some water testing and make sure everything checks out.

Jeff Hood · #4 06/17/2002, 01:09 AM

Sounds just like my wife. Put out great for the first year or so but ever since has just not put out as much. Maybe I should give her a good cleaning

Or buy a bigger pump. Can you buy them these days? I wonder if ampmaster makes anything in that line?

sorry I could not resist.

Cohiba · #5 06/19/2002, 09:22 AM

My PM CV626 skimmer slowed production and I thought it was because my bio-load was low. After about a couple of weeks of low to no skimmate, I was getting worried. I experimented and started pumping air through the venturi and production was REALLY great. Problem is that the air pump is noisy. After a day, I turned off the air pump and disconnected it from the skimmer. However, skimmate production is still GREAT that I had to adjust the skimmer to not produce too wet of a skimmate.

Bottom line, I think that my venturi was clogged enough to slow down production. Maybe you have a similar problem. My 2cents.

Cheers

knobbe · #6 06/26/2002, 01:14 PM

Jeff-

Good one.

I've had my skimmer for about 5 months now. It's a remora pro on a 60 gal. I still don't have it set to where it produces the right skimmate. If I set it too low it's too wet. Too high and nothing. Can't seem to find the happy medium.
I have it set low now because I use phosphate remover everyday for high po4. Sometimes I notice that it goes "crazy" producing tons of skimmate and other times nothing and that's on the same setting(low). what's weird about the whole deal is nh4 is neg, no2 is neg, but no3 around 5 and po4 doesn't seem to budge.
Call me confused.
Matt

Not sure about my bioload. My tank is a 60 gal. hex. half of it is LR, several SPS frags, 2 starfish, lots of snails, lots of hermits, one spiney urchin, one long tent. anemone, only 2 clown fish, one damsel. Feed every other day. Why the nitrates and phosphates? Shouldn't skimming get rid of them?

csanchez77 · #7 06/28/2002, 12:59 PM

I dont think so

Skimmers remove organics. Nitrates and phosphates will have to be removed by biological actions (live rock comes in handy here).

Well Im sure of nitrates, not as sure of phosphates. Phosphates I think you need algae, where bacteria and algae take care of nitrates.

Flame me if Im wrong but this is what I remember from Environemental modeling.

tyoberg · #8 06/28/2002, 01:13 PM

I have to let my venturi skimmer suck a cup of hot DI water every week down the air hose to keep the salt from building up in the venturi.

Ty

MJB · #9 06/28/2002, 01:45 PM

knobbe,
Using RO/DI for water changes and topoff? Tap waters a big source of PO4. What about substrate, using a DSB? Skimming will help if indirectly by removing particulate matter before it decomposes. --MJB

knobbe · #10 06/28/2002, 01:51 PM

MJB
using DI water for everything, DSB only about 3-4" though(maybe should add to it? and maybe reactivate it?), I seriously think the PO4 is leaching out of the rock I bought about 4 months ago. I use salifert PO4 remover every single day, the PO4 is coming from something. Feeding every other day, once a day.

MJB · #11 06/28/2002, 02:25 PM

Think adding to the DSB might help with NO3, less so with PO4 IMHO. Might try dripping kalk, recommended to help precipitate phosphates and csanchez77's thought about some macros would also help to export both. Dosen't sound like you're over feeding unless you're dumping in by the shovel full but food is the next biggest source of PO4 next to water. Feed something like frozen brine? Preservatives can contain phosphates in some form. Was that Fla. rock?--MJB

knobbe · #12 06/28/2002, 02:29 PM

yes it was florida rock. I am dripping kalk already. i use salifert PO4 test kit, maybe I should looking into getting a second opinion. Also have macroalgae in an in tank refuge, but just got the algae 2 weeks ago. might be too early to tell if the algae is gonna work?

alde · #13 06/28/2002, 02:59 PM

Quote:

I have to let my venturi skimmer suck a cup of hot DI water every week down the air hose to keep the salt from building up in the venturi.

The instructions for my EuroReef say to do this very thing.

MJB · #14 06/28/2002, 03:03 PM

Second opinion can't hurt and if the macros and/or refuge are recent improvements it may take some time to fully kick in. Can't help with the remora I'm not familiar with the model. Might do a search for some DIY upgrades that somebody's come up with. Don't like Fla. rock for the reasons you suspect but that's grounds for getting incinerated by the fans. Hope you solve the problem. Good luck--MJB