Overskimming defenition required

[Mouse]

I was under the impression that overskimming is when the skimmate is fairly clear and runny, not the dark brown/black stinky tar stuff. This is because i thought that when the skimmate is clear it was also drawing lots off enriched water with it too and not producing a thick sludge consisting of purely desolved organics.

By this reasoning any skimmer was capable of over or under skimming, irrespective of size. Its only untill recently that i have read threads of people buying undersized skimmers to avoid over skimming. So what is over skimming???? Has it anything to do with the cosistancy of skimmate????

 

[Anemone]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mouse:
<STRONG>Has it anything to do with the cosistancy of skimmate????

</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Well, kind of. The idea behind under skimming a tank is to not strip all the tank produced planktonic food (including larval stages of various live rock and live sand critters, as well as bacterial "clumps" and floculant composed of food, waste and reproductive material).

So, you can accomplish this goal by buying an undersized skimmer - one that really doesn't pump enough water through to effectively keep the tank clean, or by running an effecient skimmer inefficiently (valving down the pump output, adjusting your skimmer so it doesn't produce hardly any skimmate, never cleaning your skimmer, etc). Providing an underpowered skimmer seems to be the most popular (hey, a small skimmer just isn't going to turn over enough water in a large tank to fully strip the water).

HTH,

Kevin

 

[Mouse]

Cheers Kevin, thats exactly what i needed to know. I still think im going to buy a correctly rated skimmer and then just detune it. Just incase i get any problems like accidentally dropping a can of spam down the back of the LR or something.

 

[Merkur]

undersizing a skimmer i just simply do not understand. I skimm the hell out of my tank. I turn over 1000gph through my ETSS skimmer on my 90gallon tank. IMO: the refigium makes up for the loss of planctonic life and balances out the skimmer.

the skimmer is adjusted to produce very thick foam and actually produces very little skimate. it takes about a month to fill my large auto waste collector.

of course, you must always find out what works for you. but if you ask me, for the first year a tank is up you should skim the living hell out of it, then after your tank reaches some equalibrium you can throttle it back.

 

[Mouse]

Agreed, my thoughts exactly. This goes allong my lines of keeping the waters nourishing propertys fresh. Out with the old and in with the new.

 

[Anonymous]

So even tho my skimmer takes out a lighter greenish-brown watery skimmate, I should still leave it on 24/7? Since it's been off, everything has looked amazingly fantastic.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Merkur]

i would imagine that after my refigium kicks in really well my skimmer will stop producing skimate all together.

however, at this point i will still keep my skimmer on line and running at full potential. if something ever dies or i overfeed the skimmer will be there to cover my ass. besides, i don't believe it is hurting anything in reguards to microfuana.

the density and color of a skimmers output has nothing to do with the disolved organic content of your water. that is completly dependent on the adjustment of your skimmer. or perhaps, the engineering of the model in question.