edkruzel March 9, 2008 March 9, 2008 The test run is very inaccurate and proves little. The recommendation of drying the skimmate and weighing it will provide a bit more insight, but without a nifty high tech lab like Eric's in Houston, you really can't be positive. There have been numerous test as your's and it's even been done with identical skimmers and they've had mixed results as you're getting now. To complete a laymen test without true scientific but honest results you'll need two same sized tanks (maybe 40gal). First make up enough saltwater to fill them both so that each are equal in salinity and run them both at the same temperature; add a small powerhead for circulation. The tanks will need to be clean and without life or any decor. Second you should have collected a large amount of skimmate (maybe from a LFS) (lets say a gallon). Divide the skimmate in half and add to each tank. Clarity or lack there of should be equal; run some basic test such as for ammonia, nitrate, etc... start both skimmers simultaneously and compare how long and which skimmer clears which tank fastest. Conduct further test every 15mins to see the reduction on nutrients. Good luck...
jamesbuf March 9, 2008 Author March 9, 2008 (edited) The test run is very inaccurate and proves little. The recommendation of drying the skimmate and weighing it will provide a bit more insight, but without a nifty high tech lab like Eric's in Houston, you really can't be positive. There have been numerous test as your's and it's even been done with identical skimmers and they've had mixed results as you're getting now. To complete a laymen test without true scientific but honest results you'll need two same sized tanks (maybe 40gal). First make up enough saltwater to fill them both so that each are equal in salinity and run them both at the same temperature; add a small powerhead for circulation. The tanks will need to be clean and without life or any decor. Second you should have collected a large amount of skimmate (maybe from a LFS) (lets say a gallon). Divide the skimmate in half and add to each tank. Clarity or lack there of should be equal; run some basic test such as for ammonia, nitrate, etc... start both skimmers simultaneously and compare how long and which skimmer clears which tank fastest. Conduct further test every 15mins to see the reduction on nutrients. Good luck... blah, blah, blah. I never said it was a scientific test. I know its not a scientifc test. Did you read through the thread?? Its a simply drag race to see which I believe is pulling out the nastier skimmate. Whichever pulls more stuff out of the tank is the one I'm gonna keep. I know its a judgment call on my part, but who cares. Jeez. Nice that your 10th post is long and drawn out to criticize someone. Go have a beer and chill out. For example, when I first got my GSA I was using an ASM G3 on my tank. I ran a similar test between the two. The thick green **** the GSA skimmer got out was much better than the brownish tea colored skimmate I got out of the ASM, so I sold the ASM. I was hoping that I would be able to visually see/compare which skimmate was better this time around, but both skimmers are so good that its proving difficult. Either way, I've shown that a $600 locally made skimmer can hang with a $1200 German made "super skimmer". And for the record I did try drying out the skimmate so I could weigh it. These are some of the pics I got: You can't really tell from the pics, but there are salt crystals formed within the skimmate after letting it dry. I don't see how you could weigh the skimmate and get an accurate account of the weight if there are differing ammounts of water (salt) in each sample. Edited March 9, 2008 by jamesbuf
jamesbuf March 9, 2008 Author March 9, 2008 Taste is what matters. Which one tastes worst? I tried to get my brother to taste the new tea I brewed. For some reason he turned his nose up at it.
edkruzel March 10, 2008 March 10, 2008 I wasn't criticizing, I was attempting to help you get a more accurate opinion. A drag race as you put it can be best done with the two sterile containers as I describe. And yes that was my tenth post here, but don't let that fool you into thinking I'm new to the hobby, just new to WAMAS. There is apparently more to skimmate than you realize and if you'd like to discuss it further, come find me at the next meeting; See you there, happy reefing...
jamesbuf March 10, 2008 Author March 10, 2008 I wasn't criticizing, I was attempting to help you get a more accurate opinion. A drag race as you put it can be best done with the two sterile containers as I describe. And yes that was my tenth post here, but don't let that fool you into thinking I'm new to the hobby, just new to WAMAS. There is apparently more to skimmate than you realize and if you'd like to discuss it further, come find me at the next meeting; See you there, happy reefing... Sounds good man. I'll see you there. Who new skimmate was so complex?
ErikS March 10, 2008 March 10, 2008 Informative link - Skimmer Principles Take note of the last bump on the thread
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now