lifereef skimmers

[ralphie16]

I have 4 lamp T5 fixture but I think that is no relevant to how my skimmer is working like crap.

[cybertec69]

Originally posted by ralphie16
I have 4 lamp T5 fixture but I think that is no relevant to how my skimmer is working like crap.

which model do you have and what pump are you using on it, one more thing, is that a FOWL tank, if it is then the lighting is OK. Still not enough to produce anough micro algea, which is what most skimmers pull out and what gives you that dark sludge look of skimate.

[ralphie16]

i have the 24" model. vs2-24 i think its called. I got it brand new about 4 months ago. It is a 125 gallon fowlr with 200 lbs live rock, a trigger and a puffer. THe pump that came with the skimmer was the Little Giant 3mdxsq (the one Jeff at Lifereef recommended).

So it is really the microalgae that produces the dark skimmate? Because I have quite a bit of cynabacteria climbing up the tank walls.

[cybertec69]

Originally posted by ralphie16
i have the 24" model. vs2-24 i think its called. I got it brand new about 4 months ago. It is a 125 gallon fowlr with 200 lbs live rock, a trigger and a puffer. THe pump that came with the skimmer was the Little Giant 3mdxsq (the one Jeff at Lifereef recommended).

So it is really the microalgae that produces the dark skimmate? Because I have quite a bit of cynabacteria climbing up the tank walls.

what salinity is your water, and temperature, and how many inches is the water level in the skimmer from the bottom of the collection cup.

[ralphie16]

Originally posted by cybertec69
what salinity is your water, and temperature, and how many inches is the water level in the skimmer from the bottom of the collection cup.

1.0256 (53mS)

TEMP IS 82F

Water level in the sump is slightly below the output of the skimmer (right under the bottom of the bioballs) right where Jeff explained I want to have it.

Water level is about 1" below the neck of the skimmer. I have tried it both further down and further up over the past 4 months but skimmer still does not produce any decent skimmate.

To test whether my tank as a low bioload or whatnot, I installed a Tunze 9000 series skimmer in the sump for the past few days and turned off the LifeReef skimmer. What a difference! Skimmate was MUCH darker. Im not saying the Tunze is the most amazing skimmer ever at all, just saying how a random skimmer that my friend loaned me produced much darker skimmate within a day.

I am thinking these LifeReef skimmers, no matter how good of a quality peice it is, is not a very good skimmer. Mine consistently skimmed very very light green skimmate over past 4 months, which leads me to beleive it was not taking out the organics very well.