CPR bak pak skimmer maintenance

[reefrunner69]

Curious as to what other bak pak owners do maintenance wise to their skimmers and if they have any modifications that they have employed to make it more efficient.

Weekly
I empty the collection cup, cleaning it of any sludge that has built up.
I use a toothbrush to scrub any algae from the sides of the skimmer body.
I heat up 4oz of RO water in the microwave and stick the airline into the RO water. This sucks the water up removing any dust or salt that has built up in the line and keeps the air moving good

Quarterly
I remove the skimmer from the tank and do a thorough cleaning of the entire skimmer, soaking in bleach to remove any organic build up and then soaking in vinegar to remove any calcium carbonte build up and coraline algae.

 

[steve-s]

Other than cleaning the collection cup and the seating area, I never touch the housing itself. There way too many critters in there. The mysid population alone is enough to keep it clean.

The pump is usually my main concern, but I will normally just use a bamboo skewer to clean the hoses.

Cheers
Steve