Hair alge

[LARRY007]

I
just got a new protein skimmer xs 160 classic for my 125 mix reef my old skimmer went I did not run a skimmer for 5 or 6 weeks the hair algae got stared . Should I run the skimmer In water and vinegar and then put It In the sump ??

 

[Kyuss414]

Not a bad idea to run it in a bit of vinegar/water to get rid of any oils, release agents, ect. Many say it will speed up the "break-in" period for a skimmer, which may be true if any of that is present. It certainly won't hurt, but you might want to give it a rinse in straight water before moving it to the sump to avoid a potential bacterial bloom from excess vinegar - not that it would be anything major anyway.