Breaking in a new protein skimmer

[flricordia]

I have found that by dropping a chunk of frozen fish food (I have been using Rod's) into the newly set-up protein skimmer it breaks-in within a couple days. Here is a DIY I setup one week ago today and a Bakpak I set-up 2 days ago.

 

[Burks]

Neat idea!

Got any pictures of that DIY skimmer? Specs? Wouldn't mind trying one as my Red Sea Berlin sort of....sucks.

 

[flricordia]

Neat idea!

Got any pictures of that DIY skimmer? Specs? Wouldn't mind trying one as my Red Sea Berlin sort of....sucks.

I didn't build it but bought it from a local hobbyist that had a hand in building it. It looks pretty simple and does work well. Been going a week and has pulled out some crude.
If you can get all the plumbing parts, some epoxy/silicone and the gromets it would be simple enough to build. I am sure the pump has much to do with its performance. This has an Octopus 3000 needlewheel pump. I am guessing one could be built for less than $200, pump included.

 

[DJreefer]

It may be that a skimmer takes a couple days to break in and any result from adding the fish food is coincidental. IME the skimmers I've owned never took any time to "break in", they just worked. hth

 

[flricordia]

Usually, unless you have high organics in the tank, it can take a week or two to build the film on the inside walls of a skimmer and to get it to start skimming all except wet. Adding the frozen chunk seems to help build the slime on the walls so it starts to skim a drier skimmate.