Skimmer maintenance questions

[Nanogasm]

Hey all,

Now that my skimmer is up and running, I am wondering how often I should be emptying and cleaning out the cup. I hear people doing this daily, but my bio-load is quite low so I'm wondering how you can tell when it is time.

Also, I'm wondering about how the goop in the skimmer effects things. For example, does it pose any hazards to my reef life if the cup is left for awhile to build up the waste? Likewise, does not cleaning out the cup frequently leave to reduced skimmer performance?

 

[Anonymous]

If the cup overflows back into the skimmer it will be a problem. The gunk also builds up on the inside of the cup's neck. It too can build up and run back into the skimmer. You should be able to see that the cup needs cleaning.

 

[mike90]

my cup has a drain hose attatched to it that drains into an empty gallon jug. so mine will never overfill

 

[Anonymous]

It wont overfill but the riser tube will get clogged and degrade performance.
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[Nanogasm]

Thanks for the replies. I'm sure it seemed like an obvious question to many, but for me being new and my bio-load quite small, my skimmer isn't pulling too much gunk yet. I wasn't sure if the toxicity of the film inside my skimmer cup was somehow getting back into my tank. No worries of overflow or clogging at this point, so it seems I don't need to worry about daily maintenance yet.

Thanks for the info.

 

[ChrisV]

I empty mine every week or 2, mostly becuase it starts to stink... Also running the skimmer in some vinegar water once in a while helps a lot for my euroreef.

 

[Anonymous]

I suggest cleaning it atleast once a week or when ever you have to empty the collection cup, whatever comes first. Mine has run longer with out cleaning because I was out of town and the junk in the skimmer neck was rediculous.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Yes, it does build up a pretty thick coating of gunk in a short period of time. I clean mine weekly too.