Protein skimmer

[FPandMM]

I'm curious to know if you need to run a skimmer 24/7. Does it benefit to run it 24/7 or Maybe just a few hours a day??

 

[tecwzrd]

Most do fine just running a couple of hours a day or even a couple of times a week. 24/7 can actually remove too much (certain trace elements) and is generally not recommended unless you have a predator tank or huge bio-load and need to constantly remove excess waste.

 

[MyCatsDrool]

wow, i always thought they had to run 24/7

 

[MT79]

I run mine 24/7. Most people w/ hard coral, especially SPS's, skim very heavily. IMO it's best to run it as much as possible.

 

[afilter]

I have never heard of not running 24/7 unless it is a new setup.

 

[melosu58]

I run mine 24/7. I also do weekly PWC`s to keep from stripping the water of trace elements.

 

[Innovator]

An interesting thread to pay attention to: http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic52254-9-1.aspx

 

[melosu58]

I dont doubt what he is saying but IMO the benefits way outnumber the problems.

 

[MyCatsDrool]

Innovator --

That
Is
An
Amazing
Thread

Thanks for posting it.

For the record: I am pro skimming. HOWEVER...

In my old reef tank that eventually crashed, i skimmed religiously 24/7. This was a 40 Gal breeder.

In my current 10 gal nano, I am not skimming, just running an AC 20 with LR Rubble and macro algae. Sometimes, when I am feeling fruity, I put a lil bag o' carbon in there for kicks.

I have far less nutrient issues in this nano than i did in my 40. My softies are doing better. My surviving fish are doing better.

I ran the nano FOWLR for quite some time after I scavanged what i could from the 40 gal crash.

Not sure what that all means, but one more thing: I have never had yellow water in the nano.

 

[melosu58]

In my old reef tank that eventually crashed, i skimmed religiously 24/7. This was a 40 Gal breeder.

I hope you are not saying that because you skimmed your tank 24/7 that is the reason why it crashed. I`ve skimmed mine 24/7 for nine yrs and have a nice tank. But a skimmer is only a part of why a tank is great or is not so great. PWC`s and feeding schedules and many other things factor in.

 

[MyCatsDrool]

no no no... that isn't why it crashed. all i know is i went out of town for 2 days and came home to a dead reef.

 

[melosu58]

I`m sorry to hear that. Hope this time will be better.

 

[pipermurphy]

I skim mine 24/7 have gone thru 5 different skimmers to find the one I was happy with, spent alot of money but isn't that part of the hobby?

 

[TheChad]

wow, i always thought they had to run 24/7

Me Too... I have always run mine 24/7.

But I guess that's why I dose with Trace Elements..

-TheChad

 

[TheChad]

... spent alot of money but isn't that part of the hobby?

Unfortunitly...

-TheChad

 

[Ziggy953]

Hmmm.....I don't always run mine 24/7, but for the most part it never shuts down. every once i a while I'll shut it off when I does phyto or other filter feeder foods and forget to turn it back on so the tank may go with 24 hours of no skimming but that doesn't happen very often. I've alway read to run the skimmer 24/7 so I tend to agree with those that have had a lot of success and run their skimmers all the time.

 

[melosu58]

But I guess that's why I dose with Trace Elements..

IMO I would rather you do frequent PWC`s instead of adding trace elements. Your PWC`s contain all your trace and major elements. That`s what I do to keep trace elements replenished.

 

[TheChad]

But I guess that's why I dose with Trace Elements..

IMO I would rather you do frequent PWC`s instead of adding trace elements. Your PWC`s contain all your trace and major elements. That`s what I do to keep trace elements replenished.

Unless your using a salt that you can verify contains trace elements, How would you be replenishing them?

RO/DI water has 0 of anything. Which is why I add Kent's OsmoPrep to replentish the vital minerals that RO/DI remove. I use IO salt which is know for not containing any benefitial elements, other than the salt.

Soon after this bucket is gone, I am planning on switching to Reef Crystals, so I may not be dosing then, till I see how the salt goes.

Also I have to dose some things. For example Calcium, and Magnesium. Both of which I have a test kit for, and test before dosing. Now that My Magnesium is starting to get in the proper range, and my calcium is comming up, I am starting to get more and more coraline growth.

On the same note. Running the Skimmer 24/7 as mentioned, removes many trace elements. So Unless I want to do a PWC every week (It's alot of work to do PWC, especially with REALLY slow RO/DI systems) I have to add something.

I have never seen any reverse affects by dosing my tank. But My Corals and Inverts are all happy, My inverts Molt as they should, and my corals are all very happy.

I Have however seen reverse affects by not having the proper consintration of trace elements.

My Water parameters are always good. So I am not too worried about it unless I start to see reverse affects.

-TheChad

 

[melosu58]

You have to understand that marine salt has over 89 different salts in. This is where your trace elements come from. You will have the proper concentration of trace elements with just PWC`s IMO.