newb question about protein skimmers
- Thread starter caz
- Start date
could take a few days to a week to 'break in'. then the collection cup will start filling with scum and you'll have to empty it every couple days.
some people like a the skim mate, as it's called, to be wet and others like it more like a thick dense sludge.
Be that as it may, you have to adjust it in such a way that only a foam is creaping into the collection cup. You don't want water to flow into it. It will take several days for it to start producing a foam though, I think thats because of the oils that are on the product from the production process.
Be that as it may, you have to adjust it in such a way that only a foam is creaping into the collection cup. You don't want water to flow into it. It will take several days for it to start producing a foam though, I think thats because of the oils that are on the product from the production process.
ok, its been almost a week. i have set ot up so that the bubbles are just over the top. doesnt really run down unless a bubble pops. doesnt seem to be working. im not really sure how its supposed to be working, because i have never seen one in action before. how do i know if its working? there is water in the collection cup, but its been building up for a few days now.
any suggestions?
thanx
any suggestions?
thanx
caz, if the cup is filling up with with a dark brown water to a dark brown sludge, it's working.
One thing to consider is how long has your tank been setup and how much livestock is in it? If it's say, a 55gal tank with 1 damsel in it, and it's been running for 1 month, the skimmer won't have much, if anything to skim out of the water.
But, it took my skimmer about 4 days to start making some skim mate, however it took my dad almost a week and a half for his to start making anything, and closer to 3 weeks to start making a lot, because he tank was so new and understocked.
One thing to consider is how long has your tank been setup and how much livestock is in it? If it's say, a 55gal tank with 1 damsel in it, and it's been running for 1 month, the skimmer won't have much, if anything to skim out of the water.
But, it took my skimmer about 4 days to start making some skim mate, however it took my dad almost a week and a half for his to start making anything, and closer to 3 weeks to start making a lot, because he tank was so new and understocked.
Ya you probably have hardly any waste for it to skim out. I would suspect that is why your not seeing any progress yet.
Yeah caz, mine's a new setup also and it's been going for about a week; at first a bit of foam and a little sludge at the bottom of the cup, then nothing since. But I've got no bioload in the tank yet, I imagine, since the only thing in there besides the water is the "live sand". So your results are not unique I guess, and I wouldn't worry yet. 