Shut that Skimmer Down! Over skimming your tank.

Zacco · Dec 30, 2015

Would it be safe to assume that 85 to 90 percent of the reefing community keeps their skimmers running 24/7 when in actuality we should be shutting our skimmers off for about 4 to 5 hours a day. Are we wrong for running our skimmers 24/7? More than likely. Over skimming or any skimming for that matter removes beneficial bacteria. By putting your skimmer on a timer and shutting it down for a few hours a day, you are giving the bacteria time to assimilate (take in) more nutrients and organics. The misconception with people having algae problems is to run out (or get online) to buy a bigger skimmer. Or to increase the water/air intake of their skimmer only to see problems get worse. By giving the bacteria more time in the reef environment to process and take in more nutrient's, we should start seeing our Skimmate a darker shade of brown in our collection cups. What say you?

millertyler22 · Dec 30, 2015

Interesting I'm to new to the hobby but I would like to read others input and I would consider trying it

twilliard · Dec 30, 2015

Right up my alley!
Do we all know what exactly a skimmer removes?
I would love to sit here and explain this but want the public to answer.
Beneficial bacteria?
I would re think that

AZDesertRat · Dec 30, 2015

If it is not skimming the dissolved oxygen is dropping and the water sitting in the skimmer is going septic. No thanks, I will keep my skimmer running 24/7.

tj w · Dec 30, 2015

lol twilliard, id have to politely disagree with that quote.

tj w · Dec 30, 2015

Ha, i agreed with twilliard on that. It automatically rephrased what i typed.

saltyhog · Dec 30, 2015

The vast majority of the bacteria necessary for our tanks is not in the water column, it's on the rock. I can (and have) done a near 100% water change without any problems to the tank. Skimmers take out dissolved organic matter. I'll continue to run mine 24/7.

tj w · Dec 30, 2015

I would hate to see what would happen in my 300 mixed reef if i were to try and unplug my skimmer 5-6 hrs a day. It pulls out dark thick green nastiness now as it is

Sabellafella · Dec 30, 2015

I mean,i dont disagree or agree lol ill tell you what tho, when i had my apex run my skimmer around night time and had it off for about 8 hours aday every single one of my corals blew up in the matter of weeks

twilliard · Dec 30, 2015

Keep it coming R2R peeps!

Shell · Dec 30, 2015

I will keep my skimmer.

twilliard · Dec 30, 2015

So guys and gals what does a skimmer remove??
I am interested to see who has the right answer to this

Pfisherman · Dec 30, 2015

I don't know. I think it would add to ph swings.

AZDesertRat · Dec 30, 2015

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foam_fractionation

twilliard · Dec 30, 2015

Hint ..
There is no such thing as over skimming

Zacco · Dec 30, 2015

LOL. I would like to interject that I am not suggesting to turn off your skimmer or run your skimmer 24/7. I am just putting a question out there for debate. I posted the above information from a response I got from a very well known company when I shot them an e-mail on this very topic. I personally run my skimmer 24/7. But this bacteria thing.... hmmmm.. does any one know how many strains of bacteria there can be in a reef tank? Hint.....It's just not one.

brandon429 · Dec 30, 2015

Is the goal of the thread about what skimmers remove or algae problems Id like to know ( and the skimmer was attempted to be traced back as the cause?)

the algae part is the simplest test in reefing. Use X method to fix and document algae tanks in threads and get it up to about ten pages.

The only valid test for algae causatives and fixes, is to wield them. Theories vastly outpace cure threads

brandon429 · Dec 30, 2015

We posted at same time I understand your take now

Show him this thread

ESVAreefer · Dec 30, 2015

I don't run my skimmer at night, my skimmer is loud and it keeps me up at night if I don't but I believe it's ultimately beneficial. If you look at Leng Sy's(of EcoTec Marine) experiments with various tank methods the tank with the most sps growth and the fluffiest LPS had the skimmer off for 6hrs daily. The skimmer removes micro food for coral. Also coral need certain ratio of nitrate and phosphate to survive and photosynthesize just that simple.

twilliard · Dec 30, 2015

ESVAreefer said:
I don't run my skimmer at night, my skimmer is loud and it keeps me up at night if I don't but I believe it's ultimately beneficial. If you look at Leng Sy's(of EcoTec Marine) experiments with various tank methods the tank with the most sps growth and the fluffiest LPS had the skimmer off for 6hrs daily. The skimmer removes micro food for coral. Also coral need certain ratio of nitrate and phosphate to survive and photosynthesize just that simple.

Hence why I dose no3

Skimmers pull out more bad than good