Cleaning skimmer

[Scotty09]

My skimmer not working well what's the best way to clean it

[carey]

what kind of skimmer do you have? I clean the neck of the skimmer with a paper towel when it gets gunky.

[Scotty09]

V2 tmc 400 should I not clean the whole thing

[carey]

On mine the dirt and grime build up near the neck and the rest stays pretty clean. Not sure how you can get down into a skimmer, maybe with a long wire brush?

[AquaRick]

Are you skimming too dry perhaps? I've only had gunk build up on the inside of the skimmer (below the neck) if I'm skimming super dry.

[Scotty09]

Skimming too dry ?

[AquaRick]

Once a skimmer has broken in, you can dial it in to produce the type of skim you want. Wet to dry etc. If it's too wet you accumulate too much skimmate in your collection cup in a short amount of time. If it's too dry, your skimmate will be more concentrated etc. If it's too dry, i wonder if it will have a hard time collecting in your cup and instead sit along the cone/neck.

[Scotty09]

I always get a very watery skim mate does that help

[melosu58]

Moved to General Hardware and equipment discussion.

[Scotty09]

I get alot of thick stuff around the cone but it barely works now

[Reef Mechanic]

I take mine apart every month or so and clean it. However it takes about a day or two to break in again.

[Scotty09]

How u clean it brush , vinegar ?

[Reef Mechanic]

I just use warm water and a clean sponge. My skimmer is big enough to get my hand in it. It doesn't get very dirty in the bottom anyway. So it's not that bad too clean. Collection cup is the nasty part.

[AquaRick]

Has your skimmer ever produced skimmate? Are you still breaking it in?

[Scotty09]

Maybe I should buy new one