How often do you clean your collection cup?

[chasesng]

Is there a consensus on whether to clean your skimmer's collection cup when you empty it?

I've had a Euro Reef CS80 for the past year. Whenever the cup is full, or at longest once a week... I've always brushed the crud off the collection cup and its inner tube while running it under sink water. Then I dry inner surfaces well with a paper towel before reattaching to skimmer. (Basically as per instruction manual.)

Was told a couple of weeks ago by owner of LFS that he preferred not to clean collection cup. He felt skimming action is better when crud is left on surfaces. That crud offers foam something to grip and therefore improves efficiency.

So what does the crowd say? To clean or not to clean?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Once a week I scrub it down and get all schtuff out of it, I empty as needed.

 

[OctaviousMonk]

Once a week with my water change I clean the cup completely.

 

[masterswimmer]

I find the efficiency better just after cleaning the collection cup with a good scrubbing. Do I think it needs to be done weekly or with each emptying? No. I just examine the crud buildup and clean as necessary. It doesn't always build up at the same rate.

swimmer

 

[jhale]

I think as long as you don't scrub the neck clean it leaves enough of a bio-film for the foam. too much crap in the neck and the foam will be impeded. I rinse mine in FW and clean off with a paper towel.

 

[home wrecker]

clean mines once an week .......it works much better after cleanin ...so i would say clean it

 

[Will]

I clean the cup whenever I empty it .....I think a clean inside neck would let the foam flow thru better and thus improve the skimming.

 

[autoponicz]

i agree with cleaning it.....after i clean it ...my foam builds really nicely....then starts to decline day by day

 

[inline6]

I usually clean the neck of the skimmer with a soft sponge which I think leaves alot of the "bio film" behind.
Once a week.

 

[SIReefer]

Usually once a week. More often if excessive crud build up!

 

[crox99]

Every 5-7 days my cup is full!!!

 

[rfc]

2x a week. It seems to skim better after cleaning

 

[LeslieS]

mine ONLY works when clean so it get cleaned a lot....

 

[NYreefNoob]

cleaning

i drain it once a week and clean it every other week