Skimmer Performance After Cleaning Collection Cup

FSOL · 09/26/2006, 01:36 PM

Why is it that after cleaning the collection cup, my skimmer takes a while to start pulling junk out. It goes on for a whole day sometimes w/out pulling anything out, but after that it kicks in.

What gives?

Andrew · 09/26/2006, 01:47 PM

What kind of skimmer is it? I've never had this happen before. Mine always starts right back up.

saveafish · 09/26/2006, 01:55 PM

when you clean your cup or the rest of the skimmer you wash away the thin film of deposite that is why when you get a new skimmer it takes a bit to break in so every time you clean your neck of the cup the imporant peice that does all the thansfer of wast up to the cup so when you clean the cup you are cleaning part of the tube and it has to form the film again so to speak break in all over every time you clean it you shouldnt clean it till you notice a decrease in its ability thats why most want it to drain out to a bucket or something

FSOL · 09/26/2006, 02:52 PM

I guess from now on I can empty the junk and let the film deposit stay

saveafish · 09/26/2006, 03:25 PM

yes unless you want to break it in all the time

old salty · 09/26/2006, 03:36 PM

Mine takes about 15 minutes or so, but not an entire day. I even get in there with a toothbrush to make sure I get all the nasty stuff out.

mg426 · 09/26/2006, 04:27 PM

Same here 15 minutes half hour at the most and I got skimate again.

Hammercoral · 09/26/2006, 06:32 PM

At most half an hour for full foam head on my skimmers, what kind of skimmer are you running, that seems odd. Are you cleaning it in soft water?

smp · 09/27/2006, 07:04 AM

I have the same problem. I'm running a Turboflotor 1000.
Basically, I don't get very good skimmate .. I either get wet skimmate or no skimmate. With either, the throat gets all crudded up and totally stops any skimmate from making it into the collection cup so I have no choice but to clean it out thoroughly.

FSOL · 09/27/2006, 09:25 AM

I have a ASM G4X skimmer on a 180g tank. It takes at least a day, after cleaning the collection cup fully w/ tap water for some skimmate to come out. All I see during that period is just white foam.

When you guys adjust the height of your water column, where is the optimal place for it to be. Mine's adjusted so that the foam makes it all the way to the top end of the collection cup end. Sometimes I see thick foam, sometimes all I see is bubbles developing and bursting at the surface.

PrangeWay · 09/27/2006, 10:14 AM

15 min and it's going again. I have the opposite problem, once stuff builds up in the neck I get less skimmate.

DocG · 09/27/2006, 10:21 AM

This is definitely a normal occurrence. A day is long but not unusual.

When you clean it do you physically remove the crud with a paper towel or do you try to blast it off with water.

I find that when I use water to blast the crud off then it will start to work faster then when I give it a thorough cleaning with a paper towel.

FSOL · 09/27/2006, 11:15 AM

I actually sit down and very thoroughly clean the whole thing. I don't let a single piece of slime stay on the neck part or inside the collection cup. I think from now on I"ll leave the neck alone and not clean it. Let the oily film stay on it.

Biggie · 09/27/2006, 11:20 AM

Mine start to stink too bad have to clean it or gag. I let it ride til she start to stink then scrub it down real good.
Starts back up 20 minutes tops.

crumbletop · 09/27/2006, 11:22 AM

I clean mine with water and with a paper towel, then I dry it (the tube part) on the inside and outside. I get bubbles coming back up within minutes. Is there something else you do every time you clean the collection cup? Like are you doing a WC every time, or something else? If so, maybe it is the other thing that is affecting your skimmer, and not the cleaning?

smatter · 09/27/2006, 06:51 PM

It helps not to touch the foam riser with your hands. Oils on your hands will change surface tension and cause the bubbles to pop faster. I give mine a quick swipe with a bottle brush and a rinse and it starts right up again.

UCanDoIt · 09/28/2006, 11:06 AM

I hear all kinds of horror stories from my Aquarium technician about his client's skimmers taking anywhere from a day to 3 days to get started again, and they think that use to be the norm. They use to install ERs on all setups as their perception that this was the best.

They recently started installing Deltec and H&S skimmers on all new installations and the skimmer starts up within an hour after cleaning. The collection cup and neck is completely cleaned. So, I disagree that you should leave a film within the collection neck. I clean mine every 5 days and the skimming starts up immediately. I spray down the neck and then use a sponge to wipe off all the gunk and rinse again. I have a H&S on 175G FOWLR and Deltec on 75g Reef.

FSOL · 09/28/2006, 11:46 AM

The only other thing I do is turn off the skimmer so I can lift the collection cup off and empty it. Then I clean the whole cup and place it back on and turn the skimmer back on.

UCanDoIt · 09/28/2006, 11:49 AM

I use to have the same problem with my ER and ASM. Worst scenario was 3 days like my Aquatech's other clients and best scenario is a day. Nowadays, it's within an hour, sometimes just minutes.

RichConley · 09/28/2006, 11:56 AM

Guys, most of it is how you clean the neck. I tend to just wipe it out with my hand in running water. That means I get a lot of skin oil, and it takes a while for it to get the oil out of the neck (oil destroys bubbles). As to those who wipe with papertowels, it really depends on what brands you're using, on what their oil content is.

MJAnderson · 09/28/2006, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RichConley
Guys, most of it is how you clean the neck. I tend to just wipe it out with my hand in running water. That means I get a lot of skin oil, and it takes a while for it to get the oil out of the neck (oil destroys bubbles). As to those who wipe with papertowels, it really depends on what brands you're using, on what their oil content is.

Ugh! you touch skimmate? I use a brush and I still ahve to wash my hands to get rid of that "just skimmed" smell. =)

Fliger · 09/28/2006, 11:35 PM

I'd have to agree with ucandoit, prior to using H&S/Deltec/BK skimmers - I always waited at least 24 hours before decent skimmate. All three of those, and more recently the Tunze I'm using produces within 30 minutes max. And thats even when I have it dialed in for dry. I'm not saying those are better than the other brands, but throughout most threads - in particular H&S and Deltec - they start skimming the day you plug them in and right after you clean the cup. I have no idea why. Probably just better planned thresholds. I use a towel or sponge or paper towel, then rinse really well with hot water and use a clean towel to wipe the inside of the neck.

Pyrrhus · 09/29/2006, 01:32 AM

I also agree with ucandoit and Fliger. Deltec, H&S, and BK skimmers as well as industrial RK2's will skim very quickly after cleaning. I recently installed an ap702 that was skimming in 30 seconds out of the box, so I know that crud on the neck is not the only thing that matters. My old ASM and my old Kent Nautilus didnt do that, and neither has any other skimmer I have ever seen.

FSOL · 09/29/2006, 11:24 AM

Guys, when I just clean the neck (and I do use my fingers to get the scum out w/ water) the bubbles don't form after turning the skimmer on. They keep bursting. So I guess like some of you mentioned, it's probably oil from my skin that's causing this. The bubbles are fizzing and bursting, and it takes about a day until they start to not burst and move up the neck into the collection cup. I'll try from now on to just empty the collection cup and not do too much cleaning on the neck, but if I have to, I'll just use a towel instead of my fingers.

UCanDoIt · 09/29/2006, 11:37 AM

I really don't think it's your oils in your fingers as much as it is just the skimmer. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, on both ER and ASM skimmer that I owned as few years back, after I cleaned the collection cup by spraying down the neck and cup, wiping with the same sponge I've been using just to clean skimmer cups and then rinsing thoroughly afterwards, it took anywhere from a day to as much as 3 days before skimming started again. It's not the acrylic, because acrylic is just acrylic, it has to do with pump and body size. So, I don't think you have a problem, it's normal for your skimmer.

I just talked to my Aquatech last night and his partner has a BIG ER skimmer on a 900g display tank that takes 3 days minimum to start skimming again and sometimes as long as 5 days. He jets all the gunk out with a high pressure hose and just reinstalls it, so he leaves the thin film of waste and still it takes 3-5 days to get started again. My Aquatech told his partner that he made a mistake picking an undersize ER for the tank, but too late now.

I clean my H&S and Deltec exactly the same way I did my ER and ASM and within minutes to at most an hour, it is up and skimming again. My AquaC never took as long as ER or ASM to get started, but not as quick as H&S or Deltec.

09/26/2006, 01:36 PM	#1
FSOL Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 926	Skimmer Performance After Cleaning Collection Cup Why is it that after cleaning the collection cup, my skimmer takes a while to start pulling junk out. It goes on for a whole day sometimes w/out pulling anything out, but after that it kicks in. What gives?

09/26/2006, 01:55 PM	#3
saveafish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: indiana Posts: 873	when you clean your cup or the rest of the skimmer you wash away the thin film of deposite that is why when you get a new skimmer it takes a bit to break in so every time you clean your neck of the cup the imporant peice that does all the thansfer of wast up to the cup so when you clean the cup you are cleaning part of the tube and it has to form the film again so to speak break in all over every time you clean it you shouldnt clean it till you notice a decrease in its ability thats why most want it to drain out to a bucket or something __________________ If it was'nt for the sea I could not see or sing ( Jimmy Buffet ) I like to glue animals to rocks and put disturbing amounts of electricity and saltwater next to each other Reefing is'nt how long you been in it. It is how deep you get in it. Current Tank Info: 400g display build, 300g sump, 75g ATO, 75g refug and a few more. Close to a 1000g. 200g mixing station.

09/26/2006, 03:25 PM	#5
saveafish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: indiana Posts: 873	yes unless you want to break it in all the time __________________ If it was'nt for the sea I could not see or sing ( Jimmy Buffet ) I like to glue animals to rocks and put disturbing amounts of electricity and saltwater next to each other Reefing is'nt how long you been in it. It is how deep you get in it. Current Tank Info: 400g display build, 300g sump, 75g ATO, 75g refug and a few more. Close to a 1000g. 200g mixing station.

09/26/2006, 03:36 PM	#6
old salty Genius Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The Island of Misfit Toys Posts: 3,131	Mine takes about 15 minutes or so, but not an entire day. I even get in there with a toothbrush to make sure I get all the nasty stuff out. __________________ "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

09/26/2006, 04:27 PM	#7
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	Same here 15 minutes half hour at the most and I got skimate again. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

09/26/2006, 01:47 PM	#2
Andrew Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 13,640	What kind of skimmer is it? I've never had this happen before. Mine always starts right back up.

09/26/2006, 02:52 PM	#4
FSOL Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 926	I guess from now on I can empty the junk and let the film deposit stay

09/26/2006, 06:32 PM	#8
Hammercoral Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Elmhurst Posts: 220	At most half an hour for full foam head on my skimmers, what kind of skimmer are you running, that seems odd. Are you cleaning it in soft water?

09/27/2006, 07:04 AM	#9
smp Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 574	I have the same problem. I'm running a Turboflotor 1000. Basically, I don't get very good skimmate .. I either get wet skimmate or no skimmate. With either, the throat gets all crudded up and totally stops any skimmate from making it into the collection cup so I have no choice but to clean it out thoroughly. __________________ K.I.S.S Current Tank Info: 90 Gallon reef, 2 x 250 Pheonix 14k on icecaps, 2 x Aquascience 17.5 on workhorse, ER RS-135, Tunze ATO Kalk bucket, 30 Gallon sump, MRC CR1 reactor, 2 x phosban reactor (Rowa, Carbon), 2 x MJ Mod, mixed reef

09/27/2006, 09:25 AM	#10
FSOL Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 926	I have a ASM G4X skimmer on a 180g tank. It takes at least a day, after cleaning the collection cup fully w/ tap water for some skimmate to come out. All I see during that period is just white foam. When you guys adjust the height of your water column, where is the optimal place for it to be. Mine's adjusted so that the foam makes it all the way to the top end of the collection cup end. Sometimes I see thick foam, sometimes all I see is bubbles developing and bursting at the surface.

09/27/2006, 10:14 AM	#11
PrangeWay Duke of Monte Fisto Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 722	15 min and it's going again. I have the opposite problem, once stuff builds up in the neck I get less skimmate. __________________ Dumbest Quotes Ever..... "Great color, great growth" closely followed by "all water parameters fine"

09/27/2006, 10:21 AM	#12
DocG Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Sarnia, Ontario Posts: 561	This is definitely a normal occurrence. A day is long but not unusual. When you clean it do you physically remove the crud with a paper towel or do you try to blast it off with water. I find that when I use water to blast the crud off then it will start to work faster then when I give it a thorough cleaning with a paper towel.

09/27/2006, 11:15 AM	#13
FSOL Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 926	I actually sit down and very thoroughly clean the whole thing. I don't let a single piece of slime stay on the neck part or inside the collection cup. I think from now on I"ll leave the neck alone and not clean it. Let the oily film stay on it.

09/27/2006, 11:20 AM	#14
Biggie Moved On Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 785	Mine start to stink too bad have to clean it or gag. I let it ride til she start to stink then scrub it down real good. Starts back up 20 minutes tops.

09/27/2006, 11:22 AM	#15
crumbletop Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 4,718	I clean mine with water and with a paper towel, then I dry it (the tube part) on the inside and outside. I get bubbles coming back up within minutes. Is there something else you do every time you clean the collection cup? Like are you doing a WC every time, or something else? If so, maybe it is the other thing that is affecting your skimmer, and not the cleaning? __________________ "Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before." - GK Chesterton Current Tank Info: 90 gallon AGA RR. 20 gal sump. 6x54W T5. AquaController Jr.

09/27/2006, 06:51 PM	#16
smatter Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 2,055	It helps not to touch the foam riser with your hands. Oils on your hands will change surface tension and cause the bubbles to pop faster. I give mine a quick swipe with a bottle brush and a rinse and it starts right up again.

09/28/2006, 11:06 AM	#17
UCanDoIt Moved On Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bay Area CA Posts: 1,684	I hear all kinds of horror stories from my Aquarium technician about his client's skimmers taking anywhere from a day to 3 days to get started again, and they think that use to be the norm. They use to install ERs on all setups as their perception that this was the best. They recently started installing Deltec and H&S skimmers on all new installations and the skimmer starts up within an hour after cleaning. The collection cup and neck is completely cleaned. So, I disagree that you should leave a film within the collection neck. I clean mine every 5 days and the skimming starts up immediately. I spray down the neck and then use a sponge to wipe off all the gunk and rinse again. I have a H&S on 175G FOWLR and Deltec on 75g Reef.

09/28/2006, 11:46 AM	#18
FSOL Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 926	The only other thing I do is turn off the skimmer so I can lift the collection cup off and empty it. Then I clean the whole cup and place it back on and turn the skimmer back on.

09/28/2006, 11:49 AM	#19
UCanDoIt Moved On Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bay Area CA Posts: 1,684	I use to have the same problem with my ER and ASM. Worst scenario was 3 days like my Aquatech's other clients and best scenario is a day. Nowadays, it's within an hour, sometimes just minutes.

09/28/2006, 11:56 AM	#20
RichConley Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bostonian in Chicago going to DC Posts: 9,908	Guys, most of it is how you clean the neck. I tend to just wipe it out with my hand in running water. That means I get a lot of skin oil, and it takes a while for it to get the oil out of the neck (oil destroys bubbles). As to those who wipe with papertowels, it really depends on what brands you're using, on what their oil content is. __________________ NO TANKS!!!

09/28/2006, 11:35 PM	#22
Fliger Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Chandler, AZ Posts: 8,642	I'd have to agree with ucandoit, prior to using H&S/Deltec/BK skimmers - I always waited at least 24 hours before decent skimmate. All three of those, and more recently the Tunze I'm using produces within 30 minutes max. And thats even when I have it dialed in for dry. I'm not saying those are better than the other brands, but throughout most threads - in particular H&S and Deltec - they start skimming the day you plug them in and right after you clean the cup. I have no idea why. Probably just better planned thresholds. I use a towel or sponge or paper towel, then rinse really well with hot water and use a clean towel to wipe the inside of the neck. __________________ Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional. Closed minds should come with closed mouths. When life hands you lemons, add vodka! Current Tank Info: Current: 210G Elos System, 2x400W + 6x54W Photon w/Aquaconnects, H&S skimmer, Deltec FR509/ROWAphos+Elos Carbon, 6101's and 6201's, Ocean GEOtronic 900 Chiller/Heater, Biotopus II Controller w/SMS. Elos System 70.

09/29/2006, 01:32 AM	#23
Pyrrhus Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Tempe, AZ Posts: 2,713	I also agree with ucandoit and Fliger. Deltec, H&S, and BK skimmers as well as industrial RK2's will skim very quickly after cleaning. I recently installed an ap702 that was skimming in 30 seconds out of the box, so I know that crud on the neck is not the only thing that matters. My old ASM and my old Kent Nautilus didnt do that, and neither has any other skimmer I have ever seen. __________________ Severe Knowledge In Plumbing

09/29/2006, 11:24 AM	#24
FSOL Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 926	Guys, when I just clean the neck (and I do use my fingers to get the scum out w/ water) the bubbles don't form after turning the skimmer on. They keep bursting. So I guess like some of you mentioned, it's probably oil from my skin that's causing this. The bubbles are fizzing and bursting, and it takes about a day until they start to not burst and move up the neck into the collection cup. I'll try from now on to just empty the collection cup and not do too much cleaning on the neck, but if I have to, I'll just use a towel instead of my fingers.

09/29/2006, 11:37 AM	#25
UCanDoIt Moved On Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bay Area CA Posts: 1,684	I really don't think it's your oils in your fingers as much as it is just the skimmer. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, on both ER and ASM skimmer that I owned as few years back, after I cleaned the collection cup by spraying down the neck and cup, wiping with the same sponge I've been using just to clean skimmer cups and then rinsing thoroughly afterwards, it took anywhere from a day to as much as 3 days before skimming started again. It's not the acrylic, because acrylic is just acrylic, it has to do with pump and body size. So, I don't think you have a problem, it's normal for your skimmer. I just talked to my Aquatech last night and his partner has a BIG ER skimmer on a 900g display tank that takes 3 days minimum to start skimming again and sometimes as long as 5 days. He jets all the gunk out with a high pressure hose and just reinstalls it, so he leaves the thin film of waste and still it takes 3-5 days to get started again. My Aquatech told his partner that he made a mistake picking an undersize ER for the tank, but too late now. I clean my H&S and Deltec exactly the same way I did my ER and ASM and within minutes to at most an hour, it is up and skimming again. My AquaC never took as long as ER or ASM to get started, but not as quick as H&S or Deltec.