Do aquarium loses salt from skimmer?

Essentially, yes. With that said, depending on how wet or dry you're skimming will affect the amount you're losing. The wetter your skimmate is, the more salt you're losing, but depending on the size of your tank/skimmer, chances are that it's a negligible amount. If you're only cleaning it once a week, it's probably pretty dry.
I tend to skim a little on the wet side, but I also have a 5 gallon jug that my skimmer drains into, so I only clean the cup once a month, and pour the skimmate in the yard. (Which is apparently a great fertilizer, my plants love it.)
 
MurphyLong said:
Essentially, yes. With that said, depending on how wet or dry you're skimming will affect the amount you're losing. The wetter your skimmate is, the more salt you're losing, but depending on the size of your tank/skimmer, chances are that it's a negligible amount. If you're only cleaning it once a week, it's probably pretty dry.
Click to expand...

This.

That is why it is important to check your salinity often and calibrate your device just as often.
 
MurphyLong said:
Essentially, yes. With that said, depending on how wet or dry you're skimming will affect the amount you're losing. The wetter your skimmate is, the more salt you're losing, but depending on the size of your tank/skimmer, chances are that it's a negligible amount. If you're only cleaning it once a week, it's probably pretty dry.
I tend to skim a little on the wet side, but I also have a 5 gallon jug that my skimmer drains into, so I only clean the cup once a month, and pour the skimmate in the yard. (Which is apparently a great fertilizer, my plants love it.)
Click to expand...
" but I also have a 5 gallon jug that my skimmer drains into,"
Would it be possible to show with pic how this setup looks like. Interested in the idea but not sure how to implement it.
Thanks.

Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk
 
MurphyLong said:
Essentially, yes. With that said, depending on how wet or dry you're skimming will affect the amount you're losing. The wetter your skimmate is, the more salt you're losing, but depending on the size of your tank/skimmer, chances are that it's a negligible amount. If you're only cleaning it once a week, it's probably pretty dry.
I tend to skim a little on the wet side, but I also have a 5 gallon jug that my skimmer drains into, so I only clean the cup once a month, and pour the skimmate in the yard. (Which is apparently a great fertilizer, my plants love it.)
Click to expand...

That's interesting because any tank water I dispose of is too salty and kills everything. In fact I dump it in my gravel driveway for weed control.
 
If you dose 2-part I think you also gain a little salinity. Prob not as much as skimmer loses.

Mainly you want to periodically check salinity with a calibrated device. I check display tank when I do a water change.
 
jgln said:
That's interesting because any tank water I dispose of is too salty and kills everything. In fact I dump it in my gravel driveway for weed control.
Click to expand...


Yea I dont think you want to use saltwater in gardens/yards. Didnt people in the olden days salt fields to screw their enemies.
 
I don't like using my phone for the forums. I am an old fart and still use the pc or my lap top so pic upload from phone to google and I get the link.
 
jgln said:
That's interesting because any tank water I dispose of is too salty and kills everything. In fact I dump it in my gravel driveway for weed control.
Click to expand...

mako61 said:
Yea I dont think you want to use saltwater in gardens/yards. Didnt people in the olden days salt fields to screw their enemies.
Click to expand...

Well, I've been pouring my skimmate in the same spot for years, and the elephant ears there grow like CRAZY. The ones a few feet away, not so much. The small amount of salt dispersed through there when it rains is negligible, in fact I did a controlled test years ago when I was growing peppers, and I sent in peppers from soil I had added salt to, and soil I hadn't, the salted soil yielded hotter peppers. (They measured a higher concentration of capsaicin.)
 
MurphyLong said:
Well, I've been pouring my skimmate in the same spot for years, and the elephant ears there grow like CRAZY. The ones a few feet away, not so much. The small amount of salt dispersed through there when it rains is negligible, in fact I did a controlled test years ago when I was growing peppers, and I sent in peppers from soil I had added salt to, and soil I hadn't, the salted soil yielded hotter peppers. (They measured a higher concentration of capsaicin.)
Click to expand...

What you are seein might be the result of the salt water changing the ph of the soil where you pour it. I know nothing about agriculture but have heard that different plants respond better to certain ph soils.

And, plants would like any NO3 or PO4 that might be in the water. That's what fertilizer is. What are your levels?
 
Epsom salt does wonders for many vegetables and plants. It takes a lot of salt to make the land barren


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hkgar said:
What you are seein might be the result of the salt water changing the ph of the soil where you pour it. I know nothing about agriculture but have heard that different plants respond better to certain ph soils.

And, plants would like any NO3 or PO4 that might be in the water. That's what fertilizer is. What are your levels?
Click to expand...

I've never checked the levels in the skimmate... but I imagine it's pretty high lol. I don't pour straight saltwater on them, just the soupy skimmate.
 
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