Do I need a new skimmer?

[kentwo]

I'd try and figure out why your chaeto died off. That stuff is a crazy growing weed

I'd do a 50% wc to get your nitrates down. It's also possible that your nitrates are coming from the DSB. Do the big wc and see what you read after. If it reduces them considerably then I'd do a 50% wc say 3 weeks in a row and then drop to 20% and see where you are then.

Not sure. One batch grew like crazy, so I kept removing some.
Eventually it started to get overtaken by some slime looking algae and died off.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I started running my sump lights 24/7 and it grows like crazy with led's on it, these are just el cheapo led's for plants. The lights do need to run IMO for at least 12 hours a day.