THE DIRTY SKIMMER "CUP" - lets all play along

How often do you clean your skimmer cup

  • every few days

    Votes: 56 21.2%
  • weekly

    Votes: 130 49.2%
  • bi-weekly

    Votes: 51 19.3%
  • monthly

    Votes: 12 4.5%
  • hardly ever

    Votes: 3 1.1%
  • automated drain/self cleaning

    Votes: 12 4.5%

  • Total voters
    264
I'll start, swc reef octopus skimmer I believe nwb 150. It is 14 years old and last year I finally replaced the pumps on it for the first time. It is running on my 150gal dt with 45gal sump and 15gal refugium. I'm also running an ats.
Stock list: Yellow Tang
Dot Dash Wrasse
Orange spot goby
Foxface
Blue/green mandarin
Starry eyed blenny
Queen Angel

Don't know water parameters, I've only tested once in the last two years.

Here is the skimmer for reference and all cleaned up!
 

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here is the first tank a 90 gal mixed reef heavy toward sps, 9 fish in tank, running a bm nac 9 skimmer, fuge with chaeto and an ats, flow is accomplished by a maxspect xf150 gyre pump, rtn is a mag18.
 
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the second tank also a 90 skimmer is an omega 150, 5 fish in tank, flow is 2 rw15, rtn is a jebao dc12000 at around 1/3 pwr, stock is lps and softie, runs a fuge rock rubble w/chaeto and an ats.
 
This is what happens if I don't do it at least weekly
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wiz 40b/20l

Sca 301 skimmer rated at 65g. About 50-55g in my system. Chaeto, grape caulerpa, and sawblade algae in fuge. Small halmeida, and red gracialara in display.
1x six line wrasse
1x springeri dottyback
1x bangai cardinal
1x occelaris clown
1x lg purple firefish
 

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Inverts
1x scarlet cleaner shrimp
1x fire/blood shrimp
1x pom pom crab
1x porcelin crab
1x tiny yellow cucumber
2x tiger sand conch
12x scarlet hermit
2x halloween hermit
20x nerite snail
5x star astrea snail
8x turbo astrea snail
12x banded trochus snail
5x cerith snail
5x dwarf cerith
10x nassarius vibex snail
1x electric flame scallop

Anemone
1xpinkgreentubeanemone
1x pink tipped gbta
1x green mouth rbta

As well as mixed coral lps,sps, softies, and a whip
 
Thanks. Looks just like my swc 230's cup that fills up in just over 4 days
 
Aqua maxx ecomaxx EM500 rated for 500 gallons. It's a beast!

I have a 300 gallon DT with 60 gallon sump. Run a dual gfo reactor from BrS. Two filter socks changed every 4-7 days. Dart hybrid return. Flow inside tank with 2 new jebao rw-15.

Lots of sps, Lps, bta, and carpet.

Too many to name crabs, snails, shrimp.

Large powder brown
2- yellow tang
5-blue/green chromis
2-schooling butterfly
1-dispar anthias
1-Kauderns Cardinal
1-flame angel
1-black combtooth blenny

My ato pumps kalkwasser as top off. I do water changes of about 20% biweekly to monthly, depending on my schedule.
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Aqua maxx ecomaxx EM500 rated for 500 gallons. It's a beast!

I have a 300 gallon DT with 60 gallon sump. Run a dual gfo reactor from BrS. Two filter socks changed every 4-7 days. Dart hybrid return. Flow inside tank with 2 new jebao rw-15.

Lots of sps, Lps, bta, and carpet.

Too many to name crabs, snails, shrimp.

Large powder brown
2- yellow tang
5-blue/green chromis
2-schooling butterfly
1-dispar anthias
1-Kauderns Cardinal
1-flame angel
1-black combtooth blenny

My ato pumps kalkwasser as top off. I do water changes of about 20% biweekly to monthly, depending on my schedule.
ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1418055392.610673.jpg
ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1418055411.471072.jpg
ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1418055424.467979.jpg

whoa! :tongue: that's the skimmer I want where did you get it?
 
ASM G4 skimmer rated for 350 gallons but would like to upgrade to an Aquamaxx EM500(Nurse Payne) later on or do you guys think my current skimmer will suffice?

I have a 150 gallon DT with 40 breeder sump with chaetos. GFO, filter sock changed weekly. Mostly softies and LPS's and about 20 fish

IMG_5925.jpg

Pic taken today 12/8
 
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Cleaned it this morning. I've got a 220 with a 55 gallon sump. I'm running a Vertex IN-250 with a Mag 12 pump. I've got 7 small fish and about 15 small coral frags, mostly zoas and palys. I feed a moderate amount and usually empty and clean my skimmer cup about every 3 days.
 

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Reef Octopus NWB200. Tank is 120 gallon with 40B sump. This tank is all sps, mostly frags currently. Has 4 smallish fish (clown, 2 wrasse and a cardinalfish). I'm running Zeovit system.

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sweet 2nd tag out to thread made - it alphabetised the list for me.lol but also looks like they all didnt take to thread tag. Let me know if you didnt recieve both a mention tag and a tagged to thread under your notification tab.

Cool - this event has started and is on its way - will get my pics up in a minute.

also it wont let me tag myself to the thread - so if someone could kindly tag me in the "tag users" at the top of the threads page I would kindly appreciate it.lol
 
Here is my clean starting pic.
EuroReefUsa 250 skimmer i believe with a mesh modded mag running
90g dt 40g sump 5-10gfuge 20g ft
Carbon gfo in reactors plus sock
Heavily stocked mixed reef
12 fish
Weekly 5g wc
 

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IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
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