Skimmer point of no return??

[mojoreef]

Ok so is their a point where you have nothing left to skim?? Anyone hit this point?? if what happened?

Mike

 

[bradreef]

raise the level and start skimming water or add a couple of fat tangs.

 

[gehidore]

Ok so is their a point where you have nothing left to skim?? Anyone hit this point?? if what happened?

Mike

Protein or Surface?

 

[moonpod]

I kinda doubt it. It's not really a "closed" system. You always add "something". I think you can get to very nutrient poor with very little to skim, but I doubt there's a point of nothing unless you're talking a tub of sterile salt water.

 

[NaH2O]

I don't know if in a closed system there would be a point of nothing left to skim long term, BUT, I think it may be possible short term. I thought I read somewhere that if you hook a skimmer up to water from the ocean, it doesn't skim anything? Please correct me if this is wrong. So, if you have a skimmer that is really really efficient, I think it could reach a point where it has skimmed everything it can out of the water. Maybe there wouldn't be anything to skim because there is a perfect balance with everything in the tank (bioload to rock to other filtration). All the processes are working well within the system, that there aren't any DOCs left to be skimmed out. However, IMO, there would be a change eventually, such as: the tank getting fed (or even more than usual), which may create more fish waste; something dies; the LR start spitting out more detritus; algae dies back, etc. Something would eventually upset the balance. Even a water change with poor quality salt or an unexpected big shift in something like temperature, may create a change in environment to where there would be more to skim. Basically, long term no, short term possibly.

 

[mojoreef]

Good points, Nikki I think I tend to agree. About 4 days ago the skimmer stopped pulling out stuff, I just completed my annual WC and turned the skimmer back on, it has not skimmed anything since, no rim or build up of organics on the tube, nothing just very white small amounts of foam.
Tank looks great, still has very clear water, no parameter changes, ditritus is stil circulating and the corals are growing as normal.

MIke

 

[jlehigh]

Mike: In my experience I have not seen the point where NOTHING is skimmed but I have gone from 1 gallon a week down to about 3 cups (with circulating detritus). I too have not see any negative effects. I did however see a shift in coral coloration in my purple digitata, purple tiped tri-color acro, and purple/yellow fungia over the course of 3 weeks (for the better)... Normally it takes months for me to see color changes, so that was interesting. I assume this is tied to the nutrient levels available to the Zoox.

I too just performed a water change (35 gal) last week for the first time, and saw another noticable dip in skimming. Just a thought on your skimmer: Have you confirmed you are circulating the same amount of water through the skimmer? I often forget to do the simplist things after toying around the tank..

"circulating detritus" is the bain of my tank for me.. I am so tired of seeing it all over. None on the bottom, all in the water colum..

 

[jlehigh]

One more thought. Niki talked about skimming ocean water and the lack of skimmate... I was just thinking about the nasty foam that often washes on beaches and clings to rocks.. It's almost like wave action performs skimming in the ocean! Granted nutrient laden nasty things are taken ashore by the tide.. So I guess it makes sense that natures skimmate is on the beach and inland..

just thinking aloud..

 

[mojoreef]

. Just a thought on your skimmer: Have you confirmed you are circulating the same amount of water through the skimmer? I often forget to do the simplist things after toying around the tank..

Oh yea, its doing about 2000gph full open and draws the water right from the tank.

Mike

 

[dnjan]

Ok so is their a point where you have nothing left to skim?? Anyone hit this point?? if what happened?

Mike

I don't think it is possible, unless there is nothing alive in your tank. If there is anything alive, it will be giving off nutrients. And your skimmer should be competing with other live things in your tank for those nutrients.

Mike - I think you have done something that is making your skimmer less competitive than the tank inhabitants for the nutrients that are there. Normally, nutrient production excedes nutrient absorption by the tank inhabitants, and we use a skimmer (among a number of available methods) to take care of the difference. Even if your nutrients are low, a skimmer should be able to grab some of them. But skimmers are affected by so many things - slight change in water chemistry, temperature, bio-film inside the skimmer, etc. The minor water chemistry change from your water change may have caused the blip.

 

[mojoreef]

Dnjan, I here ya. The WC probibly changed a few things, but tother then that all is the same.

If there is anything alive, it will be giving off nutrients. And your skimmer should be competing with other live things in your tank for those nutrients.

I dont know, yes as a broad statement but I dont think so once it get to small amounts. A skimmer is going to process water that s given to it, the water come from the water column, most of the biological/bacterial life forms are on and or near the surfaces of the lr and other things in the tank. These areas are nutrient sponges as the bacteria here wants it for food source. The balance of the water column gets it nutrients from food and waste, which doent stay thier very long before dropping onto the rock or other surfaces. I think have reached a point where the water still has some organics in it, but because of the amount of water its pretty dilluted in inconsequencal. I am sure it will come back soon.


Mike

 

[dnjan]

Did your skimmer output gradually taper off, or was it kind of sudden with the water change? Assuming it was more sudden than gradual, and assuming that your water change was significantly less than 100%, I would still bet on water chemistry affecting the skimmer.

Plus, you have enough water movement that I don't think you can really say that most of the food and waste drops onto the rocks (and stays there!) - some must be in the water column that ends up feeding the skimmer. (and if that isn't true, please tell the rest of us how you have potty-trained your fish to only dump on select rocks! )

 

[mojoreef]

Did your skimmer output gradually taper off, or was it kind of sudden with the water change?

Yes for sure I think the WC definately put it over the top. I just would think this long.

Plus, you have enough water movement that I don't think you can really say that most of the food and waste drops onto the rocks (and stays there!)

No your right, thier is a percentage but no where close to most. I was trying to relate it to when thier is very little orgnic's in the tank as a whole


Mike

 

[dnjan]

I still think you must have potty-trained your fish. And I want to know the secret.

 

[dnjan]

Hey Mike - has your skimmer kicked back in yet?

 

[mojoreef]

Yes don it came back online last weekend and is back to what it was doing prior.

Mike

 

[dnjan]

Good to hear. Want to make sure your tank is running well for the next tank tour. I haven't seen your skimmer in action yet.

 

[mojoreef]

Its still blowing pretty clean foam Don, thier is a little bit of sludge coming out with it and seems to be increasing as time goes by.

The door is always open

Mike

 

[dnjan]

Thanks! I would like to make it down there sometime, but it will probably take an event like a tank tour to motivate me to fight the south-end traffic. Amazing how a 10-minute bus ride to work spoils a person!