Is my skimmer oversized?

jjvanb · 03/15/2016, 06:48 PM

I have an MSX extreme 250 that uses two sicce psk 2500's, I think the body is 10". It is running on my 152 Gal 52" x 26" x 26" system. Bio load is only 3 smallish fish, but the tank is pretty much filled up with lps/sps.

If I try to run dryer / darker. I get lots of sludge in the neck but not much in the cup, raise the level just a little and I get lots of pale tea colored skim that fills up pretty quick. It's really hard to hit the middle of those two. Does this sound like a skimmer that's too big for it's bio-load? Or do I just not have all that much to pull out?

thanks

Jayreefer · 03/16/2016, 12:08 AM

Whats your water parameters? Nitrate? Phosphate?

jjvanb · 03/16/2016, 06:03 PM

Phosphate 0.00 ppm from hanna low range checker (not the ULR)
Nitrate somewhere between 2-5 ppm- salifert test kit

I do have 2 or 3 little spots of GHA in my display, but thats not why I'm asking about the skimmer.

jjvanb · 03/17/2016, 04:29 PM

bump

GimpyFin · 03/17/2016, 04:40 PM

I think your skimmer size is fine. Maybe a tad beefy, but in general it's hard to really overkill the skimmer. I think the psk-2500 is an older version of the psk-600, which do roughly 650 gph ea. It sounds like you might just not have a lot of dissolved waste to pull out.

03/15/2016, 06:48 PM	#1
jjvanb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 159	Is my skimmer oversized? I have an MSX extreme 250 that uses two sicce psk 2500's, I think the body is 10". It is running on my 152 Gal 52" x 26" x 26" system. Bio load is only 3 smallish fish, but the tank is pretty much filled up with lps/sps. If I try to run dryer / darker. I get lots of sludge in the neck but not much in the cup, raise the level just a little and I get lots of pale tea colored skim that fills up pretty quick. It's really hard to hit the middle of those two. Does this sound like a skimmer that's too big for it's bio-load? Or do I just not have all that much to pull out? thanks

03/16/2016, 12:08 AM	#2
Jayreefer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Peoria Az Posts: 2,022	Whats your water parameters? Nitrate? Phosphate?

03/16/2016, 06:03 PM	#3
jjvanb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 159	Phosphate 0.00 ppm from hanna low range checker (not the ULR) Nitrate somewhere between 2-5 ppm- salifert test kit I do have 2 or 3 little spots of GHA in my display, but thats not why I'm asking about the skimmer.

03/17/2016, 04:29 PM	#4
jjvanb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 159	bump

03/17/2016, 04:40 PM	#5
GimpyFin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,032	I think your skimmer size is fine. Maybe a tad beefy, but in general it's hard to really overkill the skimmer. I think the psk-2500 is an older version of the psk-600, which do roughly 650 gph ea. It sounds like you might just not have a lot of dissolved waste to pull out.