Protein skimmer

[MasterBlaster]

I'm in the habit of removing the collection cup for 2 or 3 hours whenever I dose my tank with phytoplankton, Coral-Vital, ect. I can't seem to get a definitive answer as to whether this is necessary or not.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Reefland]

A lot of people opt to turn their skimmer off completely when they dose their tanks with phytoplankton and other foods. If you've got a heavy-duty skimmer, it can remove some of the food before it is consumed and therefore counter productive to what your trying to accomplish. I don't know if removing the skimmer cup eliminates this possibility or even reduces it, shutting it down would be a better option if your concerned.

For me, sometimes I shut my down and other times I don't; depends on how I feel.

[MasterBlaster]

Why doesn't removing the cup have the same effect? Nothing is leaving the system, so where does it go? Thanks!

[Reefland]

Masterblaster,

I would think that even though the collection cup is off, the skimmer is still pumping/producing foam which is removing DOC's and the beneficial food in this case. The foam is still produced and present in the skimmer so the food and DOC's are still "clinging" to the micro bubbles.

Just my thought anyway, no scientific proof.
Scott Z.

[Ninong]

Why doesn't removing the cup have the same effect? Nothing is leaving the system, so where does it go? Thanks!

If you remove the collection cup, doesn't the skimmer continue producing skimmate which would simply overflow the tube onto the floor?

I usually turn off the skimmer pump whenever I feed anything like D.T.'s phytoplankton in spite of the fact that D.T.'s claims that it is not removed by skimming. Now that I have removed the polyester filter pad from my Lifereef sump, the only thing remaining is the foam block and it needs to be rinsed out periodically anyway, so I now remove the foam block for rinsing at the same time that I feed the D.T.s, which is every other evening. That way I can leave the main system pump running. Before that I was turning off the system pump for 20 minutes or so every time I fed the tank with phytoplankton.

[tendar]

I over skim my tank but I dont turn off the skimmer when I dose DdT's. To lazy I guess to reach back there and fiddle with cords and plugs.

[MasterBlaster]

I over skim my tank but I dont turn off the skimmer when I dose DdT's. To lazy I guess to reach back there and fiddle with cords and plugs.

Me too. Thats why I just remove the cup. Ninong, I wish my skimmer was producing that much foam(or do I?). I have a Bak-Pak that I've souped up with an airstone. I get maybe 1/2 to 3/4 cup of skimmate daily outta my 46 bow.