How exactly do skimmers work?

[reefguy24]

I realize this is a bit of a noob question...

But I have a Tunze Skimmer in the mail and on its way to my house.

All I know is that a skimmer removes "biological matter" that can cause high nitrates in a tank.

So how exactly do skimmers remove the bad stuff?

The reason I ask is I'm not sure how to tell if I set up the skimmer properly.

thanks

[jinks]

If you set it up right the collection cup will start to fill with brown dirty water/sludge. Most of the time a new one will take a week or two before it really starts to work.

[cloak]

Check this out.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-0...ture/index.php

[reefguy24]

[QUOTE=jamesbaur13;22197890]

Originally Posted by jinks

If you set it up right the collection cup will start to fill with brown dirty water/sludge. Most of the time a new one will take a week or two before it really starts to work.

Thanks, this is the answer I was looking for. I have read that there are certain "types" of sludge and some people "tweek" their skimmer for a certain color and texture/etc. Just wondering if there was a certain type of waste collection you guys recommend over another?

I know that the skimmer will come with set up instructions, but wasn't quite sure if it would say: "if you see "X" happening, then this means your skimmer was set up properly"

[billdogg]

Originally Posted by cloak

Check this out.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-0...ture/index.php

Great article. Even us "seasoned" hobbyists can use a good review from time to time.

[GilliganReef]

Do you have fish or anything in your tank? Just run it at the lowest setting at first and watch collection cup. Depending on you what you want it functioning at after the break in. Slowly allow more bubbles up the chamber and leave it a few days. Once you have it where you like it should run perfectly. I have mine setup that the foam bubbles just a bit in the chamber by the lower end of my cup. so it's removing both liquid and solid matter.

[jinks]

If you have the skimmer set so it getting more foam is higher up you will get a wetter skim. This will look like yellowish water or tea. If you set it a little lower you'll start to get it to more like mud. Wet skimming should pull more junk out but you lose more water with it. Find a nice middle spot and go from there. The first week or two you want to have it just running so that it gets broke in. Don't be looking to skim. After a bit the foam head will star to build up and you can start to dial it in. a vinegar bath first can help to speed up break in. Gets oils and what not out of it.

[Bpb]

The skimmer pump will draw in air and water. The bubbles get chopped into a fine foam, which will attract organic matter and physical chunks of detritus. Those bubbles rise and fall into a collection cup. That's how it works. Most skimmers are tuned by modifying how much water LEAVES the skimmer by way of a valve. Close the valve, more pressure inside the reaction chamber, more foam is pushed to the top, more is collected faster, water is "cleaned" quicker, but you also will lose a fair amount of good water and your salinity will drop over time as you're going to be emptying the cup more and topping off more. That is wet skimming. Turn the valve to let more water escape the skimmer and the foam head will drop because of decreased pressure in the reaction chamber. Thus, it will get more heavily saturated with funk before it rises to the collection cup. Will take longer to fill the cup, skim product is more concentrated. This is dry skimming. Works slower but is more "efficient". I set mine somewhere in the middle.

[johnike]

When I try to explain skimmers, I use the analogy of the foam deposited on the edge of a body of water whether it be the ocean or a creek from wind/waves. Your skimmer is basically doing the same thing.

[fijisrfr]

Originally Posted by Bpb

The skimmer pump will draw in air and water. The bubbles get chopped into a fine foam, which will attract organic matter and physical chunks of detritus. Those bubbles rise and fall into a collection cup. That's how it works. Most skimmers are tuned by modifying how much water LEAVES the skimmer by way of a valve. Close the valve, more pressure inside the reaction chamber, more foam is pushed to the top, more is collected faster, water is "cleaned" quicker, but you also will lose a fair amount of good water and your salinity will drop over time as you're going to be emptying the cup more and topping off more. That is wet skimming. Turn the valve to let more water escape the skimmer and the foam head will drop because of decreased pressure in the reaction chamber. Thus, it will get more heavily saturated with funk before it rises to the collection cup. Will take longer to fill the cup, skim product is more concentrated. This is dry skimming. Works slower but is more "efficient". I set mine somewhere in the middle.

Great info! If you have ever been walking along the shore & seen the brown foam created by wave action, this is natures skimmer. I have read that this is where the idea for skimmers came from.

[reefguy24]

Originally Posted by johnike

When I try to explain skimmers, I use the analogy of the foam deposited on the edge of a body of water whether it be the ocean or a creek from wind/waves. Your skimmer is basically doing the same thing.

I always thought that was the result of man made pollution.

[dc]

Some of you really need to grow up. People ask here for participation. No one would ever need to post if they just googled/wiki'd everything.

[dc]

I've removed several posts, if you can't be helpful, don't post.

[johnike]

Originally Posted by reefguy24

I always thought that was the result of man made pollution.

I'm sure some of the pollutants being foamed to the shore are man made, but nonetheless things are being removed. I was just making a comparison.

Originally Posted by dc

Some of you really need to grow up. People ask here for participation. No one would ever need to post if they just googled/wiki'd everything.

Originally Posted by dc

I've removed several posts, if you can't be helpful, don't post.

Thank you Debi, that's the kind of stuff that keeps me locked up in the Lounge.

[phillrodrigo]

Heres a great reference I stole from a expert on skimmers in another forum. https://db.tt/EScj3NTw

[phillrodrigo]

Its a great tool to have when you have no idea how they work

[reefguy24]

Ok so everyone be prepared for a new skimmer thread from me tomorrow.

My Tunze 9002 arrives in the mail tomorrow (unless UPS lets me down) and I get to set it up.

I know I need to lower the water level in chamber 2 in my tank.....and I do this by pumping out water.

I know it's going to take ~2 weeks for it to break in, and I shouldn't expect to see any brown/etc skimmate until then.....

But as long as the bubbles are reaching the cup, this means it's set up right?

[Rbs07fxstc]

I use water from the chamber to fill skimmer, so it sinks it down in sump. I have to remove the collection cup before installing skimmer cause of height issues. I would keep skimmer turned down & watch it run then gradually turn it up. Check it randomly til your used to it cause they can take a bit to foam up when started. You don't want the cup to overfill & put waste back into the water.

[reefguy24]

Originally Posted by Rbs07fxstc

I use water from the chamber to fill skimmer, so it sinks it down in sump. I have to remove the collection cup before installing skimmer cause of height issues. I would keep skimmer turned down & watch it run then gradually turn it up. Check it randomly til your used to it cause they can take a bit to foam up when started. You don't want the cup to overfill & put waste back into the water.

I talked to the guy who sold me the skimmer....and he simply told me to "pump water out of chamber 2". Not sure if this is going to work or not.

I also bought the "skinny cup" for the tunze so I can keep my lid closed at all times. I got a cat....

I also read on another forum I should turn the dial all the way up....then all the way down (1st time) and then do very small increment "dial ups".

I'm just worried I will "dial it on" on a set up that doesn't work....and will waste 2 weeks waiting for it to break in before I realize there is a problem.

[flixxx]

I too am confused with skimming.

I have played with the valve and power to get a perfect skim going. Then at night, i hear water dripping and when i check it out the skimemr is going nuts overflowing. So I turn it down and the next morning it's too low.

I get very inconsistent results depending on the time of day, it's never steady

[dkeller_nc]

Originally Posted by reefguy24

I talked to the guy who sold me the skimmer....and he simply told me to "pump water out of chamber 2". Not sure if this is going to work or not.

I also bought the "skinny cup" for the tunze so I can keep my lid closed at all times. I got a cat....

I also read on another forum I should turn the dial all the way up....then all the way down (1st time) and then do very small increment "dial ups".

I'm just worried I will "dial it on" on a set up that doesn't work....and will waste 2 weeks waiting for it to break in before I realize there is a problem.

Don't be too concerned. While a skimmer looks like a hopelessly complicated beast when you're first introduced to them, they're actually fairly simple and extremely effective devices.

Here are a couple of tips:

It's unlikely your skimmer will take 2 weeks to break in - it will likely start producing some skimmed material after 24-48 hours. The "break in", by the way, is the process of the new plastic surfaces getting coated with proteins, lipids, and other compounds. Once broken in, it stays broken in even if you wash down the surfaces with tap or purified water. The only thing that will "reset" the break-in period is thorough washing with detergent.

The key part of setting a skimmer is setting the water level under the collection cup. Different skimmers have different ways of adjusting this, but two observations will help remove frustration if you're new to skimmers:

1) The water level in the chamber that the skimmer's in is absolutely critical. Very small changes (less than 1/4") of depth can make the difference between not operating at all and overflowing the collection cup. Most control this either by the design of the all-in-one tank's skimmer chamber itself (e.g., the weirs set the height of the water in the chamber), or if in a sump with no baffles, an ATO (automatic top-off unit).

2) You skimmer's foaming will change substantially between the time you first put it in the tank and after it "breaks in". In particular, if you set the skimmer foam height to be somewhere in the collection cup column when you first put it in, there's almost a guarantee of an overflow a few hours to a few days later. So set the foam height low initially, and gradually bring it up over the next couple of days.

[Bpb]

Originally Posted by flixxx

I too am confused with skimming.

I have played with the valve and power to get a perfect skim going. Then at night, i hear water dripping and when i check it out the skimemr is going nuts overflowing. So I turn it down and the next morning it's too low.

I get very inconsistent results depending on the time of day, it's never steady

Skimmers will always skim inconsistently. It's a result of biological processes that happen in the ecosystem. All the inhabitants from bacteria to fish have circadian rhythms and the water chemistry will change. It seems during the dark hours, more skimmable material is released into the water. This inconsistency is quite consistent lol. My skimmer is set to a medium sort of light maple syrup color when the cup is full (not the black coffee dry skim), but the foam head ONLY rises to the very top and spills over at night. In the daytime it drops and produces almost nothing. I'd suggest tuning it to where the top of the foam head in the daytime is at the very base of the collection cup. Past 2 skimmers I've owned, this tactic has always yielded a medium skimmate, your results may vary though

[reefguy24]

Originally Posted by dkeller_nc

Don't be too concerned. While a skimmer looks like a hopelessly complicated beast when you're first introduced to them, they're actually fairly simple and extremely effective devices.

Here are a couple of tips:

It's unlikely your skimmer will take 2 weeks to break in - it will likely start producing some skimmed material after 24-48 hours. The "break in", by the way, is the process of the new plastic surfaces getting coated with proteins, lipids, and other compounds. Once broken in, it stays broken in even if you wash down the surfaces with tap or purified water. The only thing that will "reset" the break-in period is thorough washing with detergent.

The key part of setting a skimmer is setting the water level under the collection cup. Different skimmers have different ways of adjusting this, but two observations will help remove frustration if you're new to skimmers:

1) The water level in the chamber that the skimmer's in is absolutely critical. Very small changes (less than 1/4") of depth can make the difference between not operating at all and overflowing the collection cup. Most control this either by the design of the all-in-one tank's skimmer chamber itself (e.g., the weirs set the height of the water in the chamber), or if in a sump with no baffles, an ATO (automatic top-off unit).

2) You skimmer's foaming will change substantially between the time you first put it in the tank and after it "breaks in". In particular, if you set the skimmer foam height to be somewhere in the collection cup column when you first put it in, there's almost a guarantee of an overflow a few hours to a few days later. So set the foam height low initially, and gradually bring it up over the next couple of days.

Thanks, that all makes sense. Will keep it low and just let it ride for a few days and see what happens.

I'm doing less feedings (only 1x per day...and only 4-5 pellets each fish) and hopefully this will drop my nitrates to 0.

[reefguy24]

Ok so update: Skimmer just arrived via UPS.

I unpacked everything, rinsed out with ro/di water.

I emptied the Chaeto out of chamber 2 in my 24ga JBJ nano. The Tunze 9002 is very tall.

It is an absolute necessity for me to keep the lid on the tank closed, because I have two jungle cats, one who is smart as a 2 year old human being.

So I pushed the Tunze down as far as it would go....then attempted to use the magnet to secure it in position.

The water level is about .5 inches below the water line mark on the Tunze.

I plugged it in......and bubbles are forming. But they are not going into the collection cup.

So I'm just letting it ride for a few hours to see what happens.

I didn't touch the "adjustment valve" once. So not even sure where I'm at.


The instructions suck. The sound like someone who is not native English speaker wrote them and I'm left with even more questions than before.

Hope this works....

[reefguy24]

Wow, this thing is engineered like a piece of crap.

Both plastic bottom and plastic top come off very easily, this thing is near impossible to set up. Before I set it in the water....the plastic bottom came "unhinged" and the motor popped out. The motor can go inside both ways and am not sure which way is right. The instruction manual is a joke.

The top pops off very easily as well.

I knew there were going to be issues with this Tunze.....I have read other people having same exact problems in other forums. This is why I made this thread.

It's sitting outside my tank now because it's not working.

What a rip off for $130