Skimmate Test

[Harif87]

Hey guys

So earlier today i got a little curious to as how efficient my Aqua C Remora is at pulling out nitrates from my 55 that had at least 20ppm nitrate(could have been even higher but that was my last recorded value before the water change, which was in the beggining of the week)before a 30% water change. -I dont normally wait so long in between water changes and/or high nitrate readings...

Anyways, i tested my skimmate with an aquarium pharmiceuticals Nitrate test kit, the same i used to get the results of 20ppm on my tank water. Now this kit might not be so accurate (my lfs doesnt sell salifert kits..) but i think since the kit variable wasnt chanfed i dont think it changes anything...

So i tested 5 ml of skimmate, which is the correct volume needed according to the instructions of the kit and i was shocked when i got my results. I got a value of 0-5 ppm of nitrate in the skimmate.

Now i know that doesnt necessarily mean that there was 0 nitrates in the skimmate because:
A) Skimmate isnt transparent like water so color is not as easily determined
B) Certain things in the skimmate may react differently with the indicator chemicals the test uses.
C)When "shaking the tube vigorously" a good part of the tube was foamed up, which may affect results.

I wanted to post this to maybe get some help from members to determine whether my results can or cant be trusted to a certain factor. I would also like for anyone who has anything related to say to chime in here...


I hope my skimmer isnt good for nothing :scratchch :bigeyes:

 

[loismustdie]

Skimmers do not remove nitrate. If you tested your tank NO3 and the effluent from the skimmer, You will have the same results. Skimmers remove waste before they turn to NO3. Same for PO4.
I can't see you getting an accurate reading from skimmate. It's far from clear, which would effect readings.
I would test ammonia of the skimmate. The nutrients aren't sitting in your collection cup long enough to go through a cycle making NO3 for you. Again, I don't think this is possible due to color of skimmate, unless you use one of those ammonia kits that sticks to the side of the tank.
Not too sure this test makes a whole lot of sense to me.

 

[Harif87]

Gotya.
You mean the Live NH3 items from Mardel? Those tests accurate?

 

[Tonyscoots84]

harif it dont make any sense to me... what would make some sense would be to run ur skimmer as efficiently as possible do ur water changes and dont overfeed and then check ur nitrates and whateva you test for at the beginning before you do all that and at the end of the 1st or 2nd week... ... then you no if ur system is working

 

[Harif87]

right.

I was just under the impression that due to the friciton of the water the bubbles become electrically charged and attract ions in the water. And being that NO3 carries a net negative charge i thought it would end up in the skimmer.

Now that i think about it, i think i have it wrong, or incomplete. Because then the skimmer would suck the salt out of of the water.... which it obviously doesnt.....

Also Tony keep in mind that i didnt set up an experiment to get definitive results. I just opened the collection cup cover and said "hey let me try this.." But im sure there are tons of other ways to measure the efficiency of a skimmer.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

now ur thinking ..... i measure the efficiency of my skimmer by the color it pulls out, how fast it does it, and how bad it smells ... :lol2:...

 

[Kedd]

If there is a chance of getting a reading(color),
You are skimming too wet anyway:shocked: .
J/K
Never tried to test it.