Can I leave my skimmer off......

[steveoutlaw]

Can I leave my skimmer off for 3 days while I'm out of town? I don't want the collection cup to overflow......that will just give my wife another thing to @$%#& about.

[Grav]

I wouldn't.

 

Set it to run very very dry. Leave the top of the foam well below the collection cup, and when you get back you will find that it has reached the top. This will have minimal effect on the amount of protein pulled out.

 

phil

[flowerseller]

Keep it running, just open the outflow more so the water is lower in the column.

 

Skimming is a side advantage of a protein skimmer.

The main advantage is airation, which super saturates the water with oxygen and helps maintain higher more stable PH.

[steveoutlaw]

My problem is that I haven't quite gotten the water level in my sump to stay the same. I have my skimmer set to skim dry but if the water level in my sump rises too much the skimmer gives me some wet skim. I don't have any problem with 1 days worth but 3 days worth will definately overflow the cup.......if the water level in my sump is too high. Thoughts?

[Guest Leishman]

Turn it off for 3 days!

[unninair]

Please ensure that you have other means of aerating the water (air line to power head etc) if are are going to turn off the skimmer - or leave the cup out altogether if the skimmer is in your sump. As mentioned by "flowerseller", aeration is one of the functions of skimming.

 

Unni

[HowardofNOVA]

Steve,

Do you have anyone watching the tank?

3 days is a long time for disaster to creep up?

I would have someone stop in for day 2?

Drop a little food in the tank, check on evaporation and dump out skim container.

Howard

[JMsAquarium]

I've done it for 10 days once. When I came back, every thing was fine. If you do not have air pumps, make sure that the water at the surface is flowing/agitated. My understanding is that most of the oxygen exchange is done at the surface. Hence the greater the area the more oxygenated your water is. For example, in a standard size 20 gal tank the water will have more oxygen than ina a 20 gal high (which has a smaller footprint).

[HowardofNOVA]

Jean Marie'

10 days!

I would lose 15% of water to evaporation in my tank.

I'm trying to setup my topoff valve, because I'm worried about losing 2g over a couple of days in my sump.....a bit of technical design error :(

Howard

[JMsAquarium]

Jean Marie'

10 days!

I would lose 15% of water to evaporation in my tank.

I'm trying to setup my topoff valve, because I'm worried about losing 2g over a couple of days in my sump.....a bit of technical design error :(

Howard

31899[/snapback]

 

 

Hehe,

 

Yes of course. But there is an alternative, decrease your light period somewhat around 30%, and the evaporation is lesser. Again it's a trade-off, hence one of the reasons I don't stock much my tank with sensitive/delicate corals and fish. The lesser the bioload the more the tank can sustain itsef for a longer period.

 

:P

[Ghazanfar Ghori]

Modify the collection cup so that it drains into a bottle once muck reaches

close to the top.

[Grav]

What would cause the water level in the sump to go up?

[davelin315]

I've done it for 10 days once. When I came back, every thing was fine. If you do not have air pumps, make sure that the water at the surface is flowing/agitated. My understanding is that most of the oxygen exchange is done at the surface. Hence the greater the area the more oxygenated your water is. For example, in  a standard size 20 gal tank the water will have more oxygen than ina a 20 gal high (which has a smaller footprint).

31898[/snapback]

 

I have heard the same thing that skimming doesn't supersaturate the water with oxygen before. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but it would seem to me that once you're at the top, you're at the top. Without a pressurized situation, you can't really add more oxygen to the water than it is willing to accept.

 

Anyway, if you're worried, just turn it on higher. If it's in the sump and is going to overflow anyway, just let it do so. You'll keep the water well agitated and not have to worry about it overflowing as it will anyway. No difference in effect from you turning it off except you're still keeping water moving through it with bubbles.