Water in skimmer OK after skimmer turned off for a while??

[jcm1229]

There are many times when it is recommended or desireable to turn off skimming (per directions on some water treatments etc ...)

I used to have a bakpak and I just turned off the venturi so the water still flowed.

I now have a remora and that's not an option. If I turn off the skimmer for 24 hours, will the water in the skimmer be bad to recirculate into the tank??

Any comment/opinions??

Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

i've left mine off for days and just turned it right back on.

 

[cdeakle]

The water in your skimmer is from your tank, so yup, its ok to recirculate.

 

[jcm1229]

That fact that it is sitting for 24 hours or so without circulation doesn't matter??

 

[GSchiemer]

That fact that it is sitting for 24 hours or so without circulation doesn't matter??

It does matter. There is a good chance that hydrogen sulfide can develop in the stagnant water.

 

[Anonymous]

In most cases it is such a small percent of the main tank volume that it will not matter.

 

[Anonymous]

I've turned skimmers off for days at a time.
You have nothing to worry about.

Jim

 

[Expos Forever]

I would personally play it safe and dump your Remora's water into the tank, if you're going to shut it off for 24 hours. Or plug it back in every 8 hours or so for a couple minutes to circulate your water. It's not real hard to imagine stagnant used tank water being risky.

 

[salt creepette]

I have run into this situation and I have done both things: once I turned the skimmer on once or twice a day to circulate it, and the other time I just dumped the water down the drain, to be on the safe side. Just my take on it....

 

[PeeJ]

IMO, whenever I sit saltwater aside even for 24 hours, it turns heartily stinky. Don't really know wat these means, but it can't be good.

 

[leftovers]

A.) its very unlikely hydrogen sulfide will form (for many reasons...) even if it did it would perk up and out via the skimmers collection chamber....B.) you are more likely to create ammonia and nitrite from the stagnent water. ...and c usually most skimmers drain down to the level of the sump if they are are in one or down low enough that the water volume is insignificant anyways

if you are paranoid about it run your skimmer without the venturi running or close the air intake or remove the bio balls to eliminate foam production so that you an expensive water motion machine that wont skim but also wont have stagnent water..... enjoy....