Skimmate question

jason604 · #1 10-22-2013, 09:23 AM

I have a euro reef 125 slimmer that has been pulling very dark nice looking skimmate. Till I decided to turn off the slimmer and clean its foam filter on the tube that adjusts the water lvl in the skimmer. After doing so my skimmate has been very light. Pretty much just normal clear tank water with just a very light tint of greenish yellow. And it the skimmate doesn't smell as bad as it use to. How I get it to skim as great as it use to?

tang daddy · #2 10-22-2013, 03:18 PM

You have to adjust the sliding tube up or down.
That controls how high the foam head will be at the skimmer cup, wetter skim will be light brown, dry skim will be dark brown.

If I were you I would remove the sponge, I've never ran mine and try to skim wet, it may not be as dark but it will pull more nutrients out.

Magickiwi · #3 10-22-2013, 04:20 PM

I don't use that model of skimmer but I know from my own aquariums that sometimes the skimmate is the color of tea and sometimes it is blackish green. It always smells bad but when it's that dark color it could gag a skunk...

Like the previous reply I think it depends totally on what sort of DOC level your water column has. Sometimes after I clean the collection cup I'll get nothing or very weak skimmate for a week or two but after I feed the corals etc. I'll get a big jump in the skimmate quality/quantity.

jason604 · #4 10-23-2013, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tang daddy

You have to adjust the sliding tube up or down.
That controls how high the foam head will be at the skimmer cup, wetter skim will be light brown, dry skim will be dark brown.

If I were you I would remove the sponge, I've never ran mine and try to skim wet, it may not be as dark but it will pull more nutrients out.

When I remove the sponge it gets really noisy. I will try to skim wet

dino · #5 10-23-2013, 11:53 PM

also I notice if I fully clean my skimmer it takes a while to pull the dark stuff again

The Guy · #6 10-24-2013, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magickiwi

I don't use that model of skimmer but I know from my own aquariums that sometimes the skimmate is the color of tea and sometimes it is blackish green. It always smells bad but when it's that dark color it could gag a skunk...

Like the previous reply I think it depends totally on what sort of DOC level your water column has. Sometimes after I clean the collection cup I'll get nothing or very weak skimmate for a week or two but after I feed the corals etc. I'll get a big jump in the skimmate quality/quantity.

I only empty my collection cups when they get about 1/3 to1/2 full pretty much dark brown/green color and very gross smelling as well. I don't seem to have to adjust at all once dialed in, sometimes takes a few days to find the sweet spot.