To skim or not to skim

[IUECreefer]

Just trying to get information from other people a lot more experienced in the world of skimming. I understand there’s a lot of factors such as how big of a tank how many fish, what kinds of corals, if you’re dosing and so on, but I guess my main question is if you are running a skimmer do you run it 24 hours a day or do you turn it off for a period of time each day or once a week? All input and personal experience would be appreciated. Thank you.

matt

 

[MadReefer]

24 x 7 for me. I don't run it very wet or dry, some where in the middle. I try to get a constant accumulation of foam.

 

[IUECreefer]

24 x 7 for me. I don't run it very wet or dry, some where in the middle. I try to get a constant accumulation of foam.

So even when you feed your corals or broadcast, or dose your tank whether it’s trace elements or calcium or alkalinity or magnesium you continue to run your protein skimmer you don’t give the tank time to absorb before the protein skimmer starts to remove it or am I thinking way too in depth about it?

 

[redfishbluefish]

24/7 as well. Skimmers are so inefficient you need to run them full time. I also believe they are important for gas exchange.....getting the "bad" gasses out.

 

[MadReefer]

So even when you feed your corals or broadcast, or dose your tank whether it’s trace elements or calcium or alkalinity or magnesium you continue to run your protein skimmer you don’t give the tank time to absorb before the protein skimmer starts to remove it or am I thinking way too in depth about it?

My understanding is skimmers remove organic waste. I don't think trace elements, calcium, Alk or Mag would be removed. If it does it's not much otherwise we probably wouldn't see them spike every so often.

 

[DYIguy]

I run mine 12hrs a day and feed my corals and add phyto before it comes son in the morning

 

[Rueric]

How big is your tank?
I run a skimmer 24/7 on my Reefer 350 now, you should also consider setting up a recirculating co2 scrubber attached to your skimmer too

 

[DYIguy]

How big is your tank?
I run a skimmer 24/7 on my Reefer 350 now, you should also consider setting up a recirculating co2 scrubber attached to your skimmer too

My tank is a 75g

 

[Rjmul]

So even when you feed your corals or broadcast, or dose your tank whether it’s trace elements or calcium or alkalinity or magnesium you continue to run your protein skimmer you don’t give the tank time to absorb before the protein skimmer starts to remove it or am I thinking way too in depth about it?

Probably over thinking. I have a friend who loves "feed mode" on a skimmer. I think he just likes fancy stuff. I have enough controllers flopping about. I like a simple power chord when it makes sense.

 

[IUECreefer]

Probably over thinking. I have a friend who loves "feed mode" on a skimmer. I think he just likes fancy stuff. I have enough controllers flopping about. I like a simple power chord when it makes sense.

Yeah, I normally just turn my wave makers off and target feed and leave the skimmer going but I’ve noticed after I feed the corals a couple hours later the skimmer really amps up it’s collection

 

[IUECreefer]

How big is your tank?
I run a skimmer 24/7 on my Reefer 350 now, you should also consider setting up a recirculating co2 scrubber attached to your skimmer too

The tank I’m currently talking about is a 40 gallon

 

[diana a]

I run an oversized skimmer (Manufacturer rated for tanks up to 150 gallons) on my 40B. 4 fish, dose All-for-reef and 90% of corals are SPS. I heavy in and heavy out

 

[redfishbluefish]

@diana a , I feel the same way….no such thing as overskimming. If there is nothing there to skim, it won’t skim….but again, their efficiency is down around 25%, so it’s not an issue. When I first started I was into beckett’ed skimmers and on my 90 DT I started with an MRC M1…don’t remember the rating, but it was into the hundreds of gallons. I even went as far as upgrading to an MRC M2, and these were run by a MAG 24. These were the best skimmers I’ve ever owned and my only complaint was the noise...oh, two complaints, pump used 285 watts. These beckett'ed skimmers sound like jet engines and would highly recommend it if you had a remote fish room to run this thing. With my tank and sump in a “living” room, I was forced to go to a quieter skimmer….one of those newfangled cone skimmers….not even close to the size of the MRC. So you might ask, what do you do with two, $500+ skimmers you’re no longer using….





FYI, I didn't actually turn one into a lamp....that was just set up to take the picture. However, the other picture is real, being used as a small table in the fish room.

 

[horseplay]

Same here, heavy in and heavy out. A lot of skimmate production. Very light fish load. Feed a lot but the phosphate is always 0. I give up measuring nutrients.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I’m going to be running one 24/7 on my 15 gallon nano. My tank is going to be fed heavily and the plan is for it to house BTA and soft corals.

 

[mnat]

We run ours 24/7 as well. Only turn off to clean.

 

[eli smoke]

I run it 24/7. Only turns off on feed mode and cleaning.

 

[myrjon]

24*7 & shut off for a few hours after a water change.

 

[kabal2]

20 hours a day for me, mine turn off at 7pm and back at 11pm, I try to feed my fish between 7 to 730pm, so what I feed, medications, and anything else have time to act, get eaten or do whatever it needs to be done in thise 4 hours, and my pumps go full power between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm to try to get any food and waste that settle on the sand so the skimmer can get it, and I belive skimmers are the best way for gas exchange

 

[DangerDave]

24x7, unless the sensor in the overflow bucket comes on, or the main pump turn off it’s running.