Does feeding affect how much is being skimmed out?

FishAreFriends2 · 10/24/2007, 01:08 PM

I have a 50gallon tank and I feed once aday and I dont seem to get much skimmate.
Tank has
2 clowns
1 yellow coris
1 yellow tail damsel
1 algae blenny
1 dwarf angel
1 hawk fish

And I dont get much skimmate. So does feeding affect how much skimmate you get?

seapug · 10/24/2007, 01:13 PM

certain types of food (fatty/oily "quality" foods) can cause the foam head to collapse for quite a long time on certain skimmers. It also might just be that your skimmer hasn't been run in or isn't adjusted correctly. Provide some info on the make & model and you might get more help.

m2434 · 10/24/2007, 01:31 PM

should be getting something. What type of skimmer and what are you feeding?

FishAreFriends2 · 10/24/2007, 02:28 PM

I have a octopus hang on skimmer, I dont have a sump and I feed a variety of foods, once a day. The skimmer is about a 1 and a half old. When I first started to use it the first day I got half a cup of yellow skimmate and than the next cople of days I didnt get as much. Does it get affected if I feed heavier? Or something. I am not protein skimmer savy so I dont know when its working right.

JoeMomma · 10/25/2007, 08:44 AM

I have the same question. I added my skimmer to my DT while its cycling. The first few days it picked up some nice yellow water but now I don't need to empty it for days. It must have skimmed out most of the nasties in the first few days.

I guess once more bioload goes in there it will start producing more crud.

fishysteve · 10/25/2007, 09:58 AM

Some skimmers pull out more nastiness than others.

m2434 · 10/25/2007, 11:00 AM

The Octopus in-sump skimmer I have kicks but. I'm not familiar with the HOB's but I would check the settlngs, l'd say the foam head ls set too low, but it's tough to say why without seeing it.

happyface888 · 10/26/2007, 12:19 AM

Hmm I think that skimmers are effected by how much you feed and how high your bioload is. If you feed heavily say 3 times a day and have a high bioload I am thinking your skimmer will keep skimming nasty stuff out. but if you have a ok bioload and feed like once a day or so, you wouldnt see as much stuff collected. This is what I think. I have a hob skimmer myself. and this is from my view if I feed alot the skimmer skims alot if I dont feed alot it dones skim alot. Not sure what others will say.

10/24/2007, 01:08 PM	#1
FishAreFriends2 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,163	Does feeding affect how much is being skimmed out? I have a 50gallon tank and I feed once aday and I dont seem to get much skimmate. Tank has 2 clowns 1 yellow coris 1 yellow tail damsel 1 algae blenny 1 dwarf angel 1 hawk fish And I dont get much skimmate. So does feeding affect how much skimmate you get?

10/24/2007, 01:13 PM	#2
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	certain types of food (fatty/oily "quality" foods) can cause the foam head to collapse for quite a long time on certain skimmers. It also might just be that your skimmer hasn't been run in or isn't adjusted correctly. Provide some info on the make & model and you might get more help. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

10/24/2007, 01:31 PM	#3
m2434 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2,171	should be getting something. What type of skimmer and what are you feeding? __________________ Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which are there. ~Richard Feynman

10/25/2007, 09:58 AM	#6
fishysteve Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 1,804	Some skimmers pull out more nastiness than others. __________________ On a break

10/25/2007, 11:00 AM	#7
m2434 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2,171	The Octopus in-sump skimmer I have kicks but. I'm not familiar with the HOB's but I would check the settlngs, l'd say the foam head ls set too low, but it's tough to say why without seeing it. __________________ Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which are there. ~Richard Feynman

10/24/2007, 02:28 PM	#4
FishAreFriends2 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,163	I have a octopus hang on skimmer, I dont have a sump and I feed a variety of foods, once a day. The skimmer is about a 1 and a half old. When I first started to use it the first day I got half a cup of yellow skimmate and than the next cople of days I didnt get as much. Does it get affected if I feed heavier? Or something. I am not protein skimmer savy so I dont know when its working right.

10/25/2007, 08:44 AM	#5
JoeMomma Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 619	I have the same question. I added my skimmer to my DT while its cycling. The first few days it picked up some nice yellow water but now I don't need to empty it for days. It must have skimmed out most of the nasties in the first few days. I guess once more bioload goes in there it will start producing more crud.

10/26/2007, 12:19 AM	#8
happyface888 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 3,987	Hmm I think that skimmers are effected by how much you feed and how high your bioload is. If you feed heavily say 3 times a day and have a high bioload I am thinking your skimmer will keep skimming nasty stuff out. but if you have a ok bioload and feed like once a day or so, you wouldnt see as much stuff collected. This is what I think. I have a hob skimmer myself. and this is from my view if I feed alot the skimmer skims alot if I dont feed alot it dones skim alot. Not sure what others will say.