help me get darker skimmate.

[hotnickz07]

Hey guys just want to get some darker, gunkier , nastier skimmate out of this coral box d500. Right now its sitting in 8 in of water fully opened valve and pump set to max. Here are some picks. What do yall experts recommend, or is this fine.

 

[linguisticameencanta]

How are phosphates and parameters right now? If they are ok and where you need them, I wouldn't fuss much more over it. That's just a sort of newbie opinion. 1 year experience in retail saltwater.

 

[twilliard]

Lower the neck water level. Skim dryer.

 

[bmac16]

Fully open as in the foam head is bottomed out?.....if so you may want to try the skimmer at 7 1/2"- 7 3/4" deep

 

[hotnickz07]

Lower the neck water level. Skim dryer.

Only way i can lower it is by raising the skimmer, or lowering the pump speed from 9 to 7and below. Since i have the flow gate fully open and its still high at full speed.

Fully open as in the foam head is bottomed out?.....if so you may want to try the skimmer at 7 1/2"- 7 3/4" deep

Flow inlet hole. This one

 

[hotnickz07]

How are phosphates and parameters right now? If they are ok and where you need them, I wouldn't fuss much more over it. That's just a sort of newbie opinion. 1 year experience in retail saltwater.

No3 is 2pp and p03 at .03. Im on aquaforest pro bio system. My corals or nutrients are not an issue, just woild like to get darker , dryer skimmate. Never been a fan of wet skimming.

 

[hotnickz07]

 

[bmac16]

Do you understand the difference of running dry/wet skimmate? There's nothing wrong with what you are getting.

 

[hotnickz07]

Do you understand the difference of running dry/wet skimmate? There's nothing wrong with what you are getting.

Only reason i asked was simce the AF program calls for a dry skimm, but if you think this is fine then i guess.

 

[bmac16]

What is AF? ....bacteria additives?

 

[mcarroll]

Hey guys just want to get some darker, gunkier , nastier skimmate out of this coral box d500.[...]

This pics where you see extreme or dry skimmate only make me worry about the tank connected to the skimmer....what and how much food it's being fed, how little it and the skimmer are being cleaned, etc. Dry is not generally better....it just cuts the skimmer's performance sooner due to early fouling of the skimmer neck.

What you have there looks like the perfectly decent product of wet skimming. That should be the goal, IMO. Fill up the cup every day with that, clean the skimmer every day.

wet skim = wet neck
wet neck = no (slow) buildup
no buildup = top performance
top performance = no (less) required maintenance
top performance + no required maintenance = happy @hotnickz07

 

[ycnibrc]

dose a little vinegar your skimmer will skim like mad. You need to adjust it back down or it will over flow

 

[hotnickz07]

What is AF? ....bacteria additives?

Aquaforest. Yes

This pics where you see extreme or dry skimmate only make me worry about the tank connected to the skimmer....what and how much food it's being fed, how little it and the skimmer are being cleaned, etc. Dry is not generally better....it just cuts the skimmer's performance sooner due to early fouling of the skimmer neck.

What you have there looks like the perfectly decent product of wet skimming. That should be the goal, IMO. Fill up the cup every day with that, clean the skimmer every day.

wet skim = wet neck
wet neck = no (slow) buildup
no buildup = top performance
top performance = no (less) required maintenance
top performance + no required maintenance = happy @hotnickz07

Sounds like a plan. Ill keep it there then.

dose a little vinegar your skimmer will skim like mad. You need to adjust it back down or it will over flow

Not a big fan of VsV dosing. But your right its gets sime nasties out

 

[FlyinBryan]

Lower the neck water level. Skim dryer.

This!

 

[urbaneks]

I would run your pump at a little lower speed. This will give you more contact time and drier foam.

 

[1stNoel]

If skimmate is collecting inside of the skimmer, below the collection cup, then you are running it too dry.

What works best for me is to find tune it until you have the little white bubbles ALMOST reaching the very top of the neck (before it overflows into the collection cup). At first, it will skim wet because you have a lot of stuff to push out...but eventually it will level off and produce darker, dryer skimmate. This is from a youtube video I saw from Mr. Saltwater Tank.

Based on the video you posted, I think you're running it too dry.