Honestly, How Often Do You Clean Your Skimmer?

Craig Lambert · 04/17/2007, 09:55 AM

Not the collection cup, but the skimmer itself......

I thoroughly clean my sump once per month, but removing my AquaC EV-180 is such a pain that I don't bother with it. Over the past week the skimmer's performance was declining, so it was time to take on the task I had put off for a long time. How long? 15 months! ...... Did you know that sponges can grow inside the mixing box of a skimmer? After wiping out the inside as best I could, I put the skimmer in a plastic tub with 1/2 water, and 1/2 vinegar, attached the pump and fired it up. I let it run for 5 hours. I am now letting the skimmer soak in the solution for an additional 24 hours. Pretty disgusting!

lvpd186 · 04/17/2007, 10:04 AM

Besides cleaning out the collection cup (once to twice a week) I hardly ever pull the whole skimmer out to clean it. I suppose it is a good idea and I should do it at least once a year.

Amphiprion · 04/17/2007, 10:05 AM

Err, maybe every 2-3 months, sometimes a bit longer. If my anemone tends to increase spawning frequency, then I have to do it more often to remove the waxy film that develops on the inner surfaces.

barbra · 04/17/2007, 10:06 AM

I soak the whole mess in vinegar too about every 6 months to clean out the piping mostly. I use one of those dish washing things that looks like a string mop and doesn't hold soap to swab out the inside once a month though, it improves skimmer function it seems.

SDguy · 04/17/2007, 10:06 AM

I clean the riser and cup and waste collector once a week. I clean the becketts once a month at least, or as needed. I plan to clean the whole skimmer once a year, since at 6 months now it's still pretty spotless. As the tank ages, that will probably increase in frequency though.

Orochimaru · 04/17/2007, 10:18 AM

twice a year.

jslomo420 · 04/17/2007, 11:00 AM

I just clean the collection cup and every 3 or so months I take the pump apart nd clean it, that seems to help.

corals b 4 bills · 04/17/2007, 11:03 AM

Clean it? This is where I'm growing most of my pods!

andyjd · 04/17/2007, 11:05 AM

Clean & empty the collection cup daily, skimmer & pump gets a good cleaning every month or so

D-Rod · 04/17/2007, 11:07 AM

Rinse the cup twice a week, the skimmer & pump and all 3 power heads every 4 months.
It's highlighted on my calendar.

drummereef · 04/17/2007, 11:13 AM

I clean the collection cup every other day or so. I do a full skimmer cleaning about every 6 months.

gabe3d · 04/17/2007, 11:19 AM

I've only cleaned my EV180 twice during the 3 years i've owned it. It's a pain cleaning it since i can't fit my hand in the compartments inside the skimmer, so it's a hour long process each time. The inside is filthy and filled with those white sponges all over (sychia, not sure of the spelling). Though i don't clean the skimmer body very often i empty out the collection cup everyday and clean the tower in the process. Injector and air intake i clean once a month.

Craig Lambert · 04/17/2007, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by gabe3d
I've only cleaned my EV180 twice during the 3 years i've owned it. It's a pain cleaning it since i can't fit my hand in the compartments inside the skimmer, so it's a hour long process each time. The inside is filthy and filled with those white sponges all over (sychia, not sure of the spelling).

My experience exactly........

gabe3d · 04/17/2007, 11:51 AM

Great skimmer but a pain to clean and those acrylic pieces in the body are not rounded so they are sharp.

kingnai · 04/17/2007, 03:21 PM

your supposed to clean it>???

lvpd186 · 04/17/2007, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by corals b 4 bills
Clean it? This is where I'm growing most of my pods!

Funny

old salty · 04/17/2007, 03:46 PM

I clean the pumps and skimmer body every 2 months for optimal performance.

Bebo77 · 04/17/2007, 03:48 PM

i wipe the inside down every week.. i done get any light on the skimmer so there is no coraline build up...

Craig Lambert · 04/17/2007, 07:57 PM

Well, it's up and running again. I'll be curious to see how much more gunk is in the collection cup over the next few weeks.

Vanquishxxxx · 04/17/2007, 08:47 PM

i have a corallife super skimmer, if i dont give it a vinigar bath once everytwo months, it comptlety stoppes workgin, cup i clean out once a week and whoel thing once every two months. cant wait to get a sump

HBtank · 04/17/2007, 09:18 PM

just the pump (every few months) and collection cup a couple times a week.. I don't really see how cleaning the body would matter... Maybe someone can explain that? other than it physically choking the system with sponges etc..

04/17/2007, 09:55 AM	#1
Craig Lambert Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,897	Honestly, How Often Do You Clean Your Skimmer? Not the collection cup, but the skimmer itself...... I thoroughly clean my sump once per month, but removing my AquaC EV-180 is such a pain that I don't bother with it. Over the past week the skimmer's performance was declining, so it was time to take on the task I had put off for a long time. How long? 15 months! ...... Did you know that sponges can grow inside the mixing box of a skimmer? After wiping out the inside as best I could, I put the skimmer in a plastic tub with 1/2 water, and 1/2 vinegar, attached the pump and fired it up. I let it run for 5 hours. I am now letting the skimmer soak in the solution for an additional 24 hours. Pretty disgusting! __________________ "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will spend all day in a boat drinking beer." Current Tank Info: 75G Tank, 29G Sump, 100lbs LR, AquaC EV-180, Iwaki MD-20RT return Tunze nano streams 4X54 t-5/Icecap Ballast & SLR's 2x110 vho actinic Last edited by Craig Lambert; 04/17/2007 at 10:10 AM.

04/17/2007, 10:04 AM	#2
lvpd186 Reefing in NE Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Papillion, NE Posts: 1,485	Besides cleaning out the collection cup (once to twice a week) I hardly ever pull the whole skimmer out to clean it. I suppose it is a good idea and I should do it at least once a year. __________________ "A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice." Bill Cosby

04/17/2007, 10:05 AM	#3
Amphiprion Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mobile, AL Posts: 6,611	Err, maybe every 2-3 months, sometimes a bit longer. If my anemone tends to increase spawning frequency, then I have to do it more often to remove the waxy film that develops on the inner surfaces. __________________ You've done it now, haven't you? Current Tank Info: 40g breeder patch reef w/ seagrass; 2-250w XM 10K; Vortech MP40wES & MP10wES; BM Curve 7 skimmer; carbon & occasional GFO

04/17/2007, 10:06 AM	#5
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	I clean the riser and cup and waste collector once a week. I clean the becketts once a month at least, or as needed. I plan to clean the whole skimmer once a year, since at 6 months now it's still pretty spotless. As the tank ages, that will probably increase in frequency though. __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

04/17/2007, 10:18 AM	#6
Orochimaru 1 of 3 legendary ninjas Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Leaf Village of OC Posts: 3,324	twice a year. __________________ Gintama, episode 118 = "Live an honest life even if your back is crooked." STD(s) are not Pokemons, you don't have to catch them all!

04/17/2007, 10:06 AM	#4
barbra Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Va Beach, VA Posts: 1,408	I soak the whole mess in vinegar too about every 6 months to clean out the piping mostly. I use one of those dish washing things that looks like a string mop and doesn't hold soap to swab out the inside once a month though, it improves skimmer function it seems.

04/17/2007, 11:00 AM	#7
jslomo420 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nashville Posts: 352	I just clean the collection cup and every 3 or so months I take the pump apart nd clean it, that seems to help.

04/17/2007, 11:03 AM	#8
corals b 4 bills Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Francisco Bay Area (Belmont). Posts: 2,381	Clean it? This is where I'm growing most of my pods! __________________ Reefkeeper - (ref-ke-per) n: Individual obsessed with placing disturbing amounts of electricity and seawater in close proximity for the purpose of maintaining live coral reef organisms. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon Bio Cube, HQI 150 watt Nanotuner~Vortech MP10W ES~Arctica Chiller~AC II~Tunze Osmolator ATO~ Tunze 9002 skimmer W/In Tank Cup~ Korallin Reactor W/PH Monitor~ Korallin Denitrator~APC Back-up~Phosban/Carbon Reactor.

04/17/2007, 11:05 AM	#9
andyjd International Nomad Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Dunedin, NZ Posts: 1,147	Clean & empty the collection cup daily, skimmer & pump gets a good cleaning every month or so

04/17/2007, 11:07 AM	#10
D-Rod Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Paso Robles, Ca Posts: 1,020	Rinse the cup twice a week, the skimmer & pump and all 3 power heads every 4 months. It's highlighted on my calendar. __________________ The Vino Man - I Trade With Wine...Just Ask! Current Tank Info: Small Tank, Lights, Fish; Tangs a whole bunch, 4 False Perculas, 6 rose anemones Mixed Reef.

04/17/2007, 11:13 AM	#11
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	I clean the collection cup every other day or so. I do a full skimmer cleaning about every 6 months. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

04/17/2007, 11:19 AM	#12
gabe3d Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Elk Grove/Sunnyvale/Shibuya Posts: 1,605	I've only cleaned my EV180 twice during the 3 years i've owned it. It's a pain cleaning it since i can't fit my hand in the compartments inside the skimmer, so it's a hour long process each time. The inside is filthy and filled with those white sponges all over (sychia, not sure of the spelling). Though i don't clean the skimmer body very often i empty out the collection cup everyday and clean the tower in the process. Injector and air intake i clean once a month.

04/17/2007, 11:51 AM	#14
gabe3d Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Elk Grove/Sunnyvale/Shibuya Posts: 1,605	Great skimmer but a pain to clean and those acrylic pieces in the body are not rounded so they are sharp.

04/17/2007, 03:21 PM	#15
kingnai Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Dunnellon, FL Posts: 1,464	your supposed to clean it>??? __________________ Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value. Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them. Current Tank Info: 92 AGA Corner

04/17/2007, 03:46 PM	#17
old salty Genius Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The Island of Misfit Toys Posts: 3,131	I clean the pumps and skimmer body every 2 months for optimal performance. __________________ "The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." Thomas Jefferson Current Tank Info: Out of the marine aquarium hobby

04/17/2007, 03:48 PM	#18
Bebo77 Premium Nonpaying Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lost Posts: 14,377	i wipe the inside down every week.. i done get any light on the skimmer so there is no coraline build up... __________________ Gabriel Current Tank Info: 300 Gal Envision Tank(98Lx30Wx26T) 120 Gal SoCalCreations Sump, Deltec TC2560, 2 LumenarcsMini 1 Reg on a light mover W Radiums 250& 400, Gallaxy ballasts, Red Dragon 10m3 return W/ 2 WavySeas, 2 6155 Tunze streams

04/17/2007, 07:57 PM	#19
Craig Lambert Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,897	Well, it's up and running again. I'll be curious to see how much more gunk is in the collection cup over the next few weeks. __________________ "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will spend all day in a boat drinking beer." Current Tank Info: 75G Tank, 29G Sump, 100lbs LR, AquaC EV-180, Iwaki MD-20RT return Tunze nano streams 4X54 t-5/Icecap Ballast & SLR's 2x110 vho actinic

04/17/2007, 08:47 PM	#20
Vanquishxxxx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Long Island Posts: 998	i have a corallife super skimmer, if i dont give it a vinigar bath once everytwo months, it comptlety stoppes workgin, cup i clean out once a week and whoel thing once every two months. cant wait to get a sump

04/17/2007, 09:18 PM	#21
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	just the pump (every few months) and collection cup a couple times a week.. I don't really see how cleaning the body would matter... Maybe someone can explain that? other than it physically choking the system with sponges etc.. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA