How Often Do You Clean You're Skimmer?

[dctrwho]

I'm a little confused...skimmer, neck of skimmer or collection cup?

I clean my cup every time I empty it (about every 3-4 days), skimmer neck about every other time I empty the cup I wipe it off, completely disassemble and clean the skimmer about every 2-3 months.

good point

 

[melev]

I voted weekly, but there's a huge caveat to why. I used to clean it daily, and that was the cup and neck of the skimmer. Then one day I stumbled upon a video by Avast Marine showing their Skimmer Swabbie. It was love at first sight. I run it eight times a day for 2 minutes each. The neck of my skimmer is always clean, and I have the waste going to a waste collector. When the collector is full, it shuts off one of the two pumps going to my skimmer. The skimmer runs at half mast until I empty out the collector, still building a foam tower within the body of the skimmer in the meantime. I clean the cup weekly just because I like my gear clean.

The pumps are cleaned every six months, and the body once a year.

 

[Bronson Foster]

When It's about half-full. Probably every other time I do a partial.

 

[PaulKreider]

I voted weekly, but there's a huge caveat to why. I used to clean it daily, and that was the cup and neck of the skimmer. Then one day I stumbled upon a video by Avast Marine showing their Skimmer Swabbie. It was love at first sight. I run it eight times a day for 2 minutes each. The neck of my skimmer is always clean, and I have the waste going to a waste collector. When the collector is full, it shuts off one of the two pumps going to my skimmer. The skimmer runs at half mast until I empty out the collector, still building a foam tower within the body of the skimmer in the meantime. I clean the cup weekly just because I like my gear clean.

The pumps are cleaned every six months, and the body once a year.

I was waiting to hear from somebody with a swabbie! That's very interesting, you're not worried about the skim mate getting sucked back into the tank once the swabbie knocks it off?

 

[YodaHart]

I was waiting to hear from somebody with a swabbie! That's very interesting, you're not worried about the skim mate getting sucked back into the tank once the swabbie knocks it off?

It usually stays on top of the foam and goes into the collection cup. Since it is cleaned so often there isn't much junk that comes off.

 

[Squishie89]

It is ~5-7 days. I just clean it if it looks full or getting near full or if it seems like it has been a while or if I plan on not being able to attend to tank maintenance.

 

[melev]

I was waiting to hear from somebody with a swabbie! That's very interesting, you're not worried about the skim mate getting sucked back into the tank once the swabbie knocks it off?

Take a look - this blog will clear it up quickly even if you don't read any words.
Waste collector magic - Blogs - Reef Addicts

The slime in the neck gets trapped on the bubbles and exported. It doesn't really fall back into the skimmer, if that's what you were thinking.

 

[NC2WA]

I clean mine 5 days without ozone..if the ozone is running, then I clean it sooner, as there is some dark, thick god awful stink skimmate

 

[mcarroll]

Anthony Calfo says it's important to clean skimmers daily. I don't do that, but I have tuned my skimmers in to skim "wet" and clean them every 3 days.

+1

I clean mine daily as much as possible, but I also skim wet so about every three days makes a pretty good compromise when I'm not able.

-Matt

 

[zforce]

I have a swabbie clean 4 times a day for 1 min. Once every 2-3 months I take it apart for good clean.
Has helped me really dial it in, I do not miss the constant fiddlin

 

[backpack]

I skim dry but with vodka dosing I have to clean my skimmer a lot.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Once a month

 

[Steveowhits]

I clean mine about once every 2 weeks. I have a skimmer with and 8 inch cup rated for 250 gallons on my 75 so it holds plenty of waste. Seems to work better if I don't clean it out constantly.

Do jalapeno's work well as a cleaner??? lol

 

[ritter6788]

Do jalapeno's work well as a cleaner??? lol

Well the juice is vinegar. :xd:

 

[DexMom]

I clean mine every 3 days to a week depending on how much gunk is in it.

 

[DexMom]

Do you need to tear down the whole skimmer from time to time. I have had that question in my mind.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Do you need to tear down the whole skimmer from time to time. I have had that question in my mind.

I break down and clean pump every six months.

 

[joeyhatch11]

With my vodka dosing I've been cleaning it every 3 days. I skim on the wet side and 3-4 days is when it really needs to be cleaned. As for the whole skimmer itself, maybe every other month ill pull it and do a full cleaning.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I visually check it daily and clean as needed. Averages 3-6 days.

 

[Jimbo]

Is the skimmer more effective when the neck is clean or when gunk has built up in it or is there no difference ?