Does skimate reduce salinity?

[Joe Batt]

Just wondering since I am doing a wet skim at the moment to help remove bacteria bloom, if skimate removes salt from the tank? ie is it salty?

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

Yes if your are running it wet.
As skimmer expels skim, wet skim will consist of saltwater as well and as salt water goes ATO will try to fill it back up lowering salinity.
Now it won't happen quick but over time depending on how wet skim is eventually salinity will be lowered.

 

[Norcalreef]

Just wondering since I am doing a wet skim at the moment to help remove bacteria bloom, if skimate removes salt from the tank? ie is it salty?

Yes. You’re removing water that is being replaced with ro. I’m also running triton. They suggest a wet skimmate because dosing their elements will raise salinity over time. They counteract this by wet skimming. You could just add some salt to top off water

 

[pharazon]

Like they said, wet skimming will lower salinity over time. Assuming the salinity of your skimmate matches your tank water, you can just replace the amount skimmed with fresh salt water.

 

[fishbox]

Yes but it's a very slow process. I battle this by making my water change salinity a tad stronger once a month. I normally do a 20% water change every week with the salinity @ 1.026. Once per month I boost it to 1.027

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Often times, the loss of salinity by removing salt water via skimming is more than offset by the rise in salinity for calcium and alkalinity dosing. Any method that uses calcium chloride in it will boost salinity.