Am I getting enough Skimmate?

[Parker22]

Hey guys I have a IM Nuvo 38 with a Hydor Slim Skim Nano. I am concerned my skimmer may not be preforming up to par. I get about a quarter inch of skimmate 1 to 2 times a week. It is never super dary but has some good color most times. I also run in IM media basket in one chamber of my aquarium.

My bioload: 2 OC clowns, 1 Diamond Goby, 1 (very small) pygmy angelfish, 5 blue leg crabs, 4 turbo snails.

Feeding: I feed 2 small pinches of New Life Spectrum and approximately half a "cube" of Mysis Shrimp. This is across 2 different feedings. Sometimes I feed a little bit more sometimes less. I usually hold the cube in the water and let it melt and let them eat what they can, then put it back in until 1 or 2 min has passed (sometimes they may get closer to an entire cube) Am I feeding enough, not enough?

Are there any modifications I can do to my Hydor Slim Skim Nano? How sensitive is it with the water level? LFS always says my water quality is great but I just want to be sure it is preforming up to par.

Thanks!

 

[Fightingirish]

I am having a heck of a time trying to get my IM skimmer to skim properly on my IM 30g. How high do you have your skimmer sitting in your back chamber? I constantly seem to have to fiddle with mine but still not pulling much out at the moment.

 

[Parker22]

I will take a picture and show you where I keep mine (not that I know if it is right)...

Pictures Added*

I can't really raise it any more. Maybe if my water level was a quarter inch or so lower it would work better, but I don't like to have it too low. One time after cleaning I had some GHA block both of my overflows and my water level was lower than usual and the back of my aquarium started to not get enough water through and the rear chamber was down a few inches compared to the front. It was about to be a serious problem... (any way to combat that issue???)

 

[Mr. Bill]

4 smallish fish in a 38g is not a large bioload (the hermits and snails are CuC). Any skimmer can only remove DOCs that are generated by the system, so you won't get much skimmate from your tank.

FTR, I have no skimmer at all on mine, and do not have problems with high nutrients.

LFS always says my water quality is great...

And that's what you go by to determine skimmer performance.

 

[Fightingirish]

Is your water level covering all of your baffles in the back chamber?

 

[Parker22]

Is your water level covering all of your baffles in the back chamber?

Yes, it is roughly 1/4" above the highest chamber.

 

[Fightingirish]

I was told by IM that the middle chamber should be 3-4 inches below the second baffles. My water really improved when I did this.

 

[ddavies564]

Definatly want to run your water levels lower in the back that way the level is consistent every where but the middle chamber. That alone would make the skimmer work way better. I run the inovative marine skimmer on the 30 gallon Nuvo and have to dump the cup every 4 days. I have one clown, Little six line wrasse and a yellow watchman goby.

 

[Fightingirish]

Are you running your two side baffles at same level or media chambers a little higher than two other side ones?

 

[Parker22]

Wound someone mind taking a picture of how the water level should be on this tank? Thanks!

 

[ddavies564]

Here's the set up on mine. It's supper hard to see because of the leds but might help out. You can see the water level in the first compartment is a little more then an inch below the the top of the baffle. The ato keeps the water in the middle compartment about 1/2 inch under the baffles on Each side.

 

[SSFiero]

I wasn't getting much either. then I noticed my air inlet wasn't all the way open. I assumed it was. Opened it up and getting some results.