Skimmer on timer?

[ckuhny3]

Does anyone else have their skimmer set to be on anything less than 24 hours a day. I think my skimmer may be too powerful for the bioload I have . Only problem is when I turn off the skimmer my ORP tanks to sub 200. Should that be a concern? I don’t want to strip out all nitrates and nutrients but I also want there to be oxygen in the water

 

[ckuhny3]

Also nitrates have a hard time staying above 5. P04 is at .05-.06

 

[atoll]

I only run mine when my lights are off through the night on a simple plug in timer.

 

[mike550]

I run mine all of the time but now cut back because my nitrates are bottoming out. I’m assuming that the turbulence of the water from the tank to the sump and filters keeps up the oxygenation.

 

[ckuhny3]

I’m going to start testing nitrate daily and seeing what the sweet spot is. Definitely going to run it on a timer from now on

 

[areefer01]

Does anyone else have their skimmer set to be on anything less than 24 hours a day.

I do not but I'm sure there are plenty of hobbyist who use schedules to run their skimmer. Some even do not have them installed or running.

I think my skimmer may be too powerful for the bioload I have .

Nothing wrong with that. Could be age of the display. Could be number of fish. Could be over sized such that you future proofed the skimmer to a future upgrade. Something that I did when I purchased my skimmer in 1999 and still use it today.

Only problem is when I turn off the skimmer my ORP tanks to sub 200. Should that be a concern? I don’t want to strip out all nitrates and nutrients but I also want there to be oxygen in the water

What is the mature of the display? How long have you had the ORP probe? What does the ORP look like throughout the week and over 24 hours with skimmer in use? What does the ORP value look like before and after a water change?

Just a few things to look at as it relates to ORP readings. To be honest there isn't anything wrong with running a skimmer on a schedule be it over the course of a day or days during the week. It really depends on your system, nutrient level, concerns, and overall goal.

If the display is looking great to you then it wouldn't hurt to try it and see how the display responds. Whatever you decide only do one thing at a time and make a note. This way you can see how the schedule impacts your system.

 

[mattdg]

I tend to manually turn the skimmer on and off, based on uptake. Decided to connect it to a wifi plug and run for 3 hours a day. Will test and adjust accordingly. Might as well save on the power. How long are most of you running yours?

Also, I have always run GFO in my my system. I imagine I could get by running my 120gph reactor for 1 hour, cycling the system 1 time / day. Hope to extend life of GFO and increase PO4 by .05 ppm higher. Anyone else running a GFO reactor on a timer?

 

[Jekyl]

I never turn mine off. If low nitrate was actually a problem, I would just add another feeding or 2 throughout the day. Heavy in, heavy out. The agitation and gas exchange that skimmers provide is often overlooked and underrated.

 

[jda]

The gas exchange is too important, which you are seeing with the ORP difference. Driving off co2 is also important job. If your tank is mature at all, you likely have anoxic bacteria in there that has more impact on the no3 than your skimmer does. Some tanks just work this way if you have sand or effective rock. If you are feeding your tank well, your inhabitants are likely getting all of the nitrogen that they need from the ammonia anyway.

 

[Harpo]

If you turn off your skimmer for too long does the scum ring dry out and inhibit the foam from rising up to the cup

 

[reeftivo]

If you turn off your skimmer for too long does the scum ring dry out and inhibit the foam from rising up to the cup

yep! It affected mine a few years back when i tried running at night only. My opinion is the exposed slime coat has to re-adjust each time it's fired back up. Mine would take an hour or more to get back to producing normally.

I would just set the skimmer to run as dry as possible (concentrated) and run it 24/7. That way it will still skim (albeit less) but will still give you the continuous O2 benefit.

works for me