Filter Floss = No Skimming

[Tang and Chips]

Skimmer not producing the goods..!

I use a large amount of filter floss in my first sump chamber which keeps my tank clean and also helps keeps the noise down from the water coming into my sump. I change the floss weekly and it is always covered in gunk, however, stops my skimmer working by catching all the gunk.

I have taken out the floss to test this and my Deltec MCE 600 has produced nearly a weeks skim in a day. (About 2cm which is not loads in the angled cups)

I am currently dosing which requires good skimming. Would the filter floss effect this?

What is better...using filter floss and no skim and have gunk in tank for a week?
Or skimming it out straight away and not using very effective filter floss?

 

[Tang and Chips]

Any help would greatly be appreciated.

 

[Wonton Soup]

Fine filter floss will work very well at removing particulate matter from your tank as you have observed.
However, it costs money (even if only a little) as you have to replace it. A skimmer pump is significantly cheaper over a period of time and it's free to empty the collection cup.

Also, the way these two different filtration methods operate means that they remove dissolved particulate matter differently. A skimmer's bubble chamber creates more of an emulsion-like effect which can pick up fine dissolved particles that might otherwise pass through even the finest of filter floss.

The filter floss can be placed so that literally all of your tank's water must pass over it and so you are getting a broader collection of particles versus a skimmer which only acquires water near the intake of the pump. So skimmers aren't quite as effective for broad filtration.

In the end, I would consider using both. I have used both and, for me, the filter floss becomes too much of a maintenance issue while the skimmer can be checked every few days and the collection cup easily emptied.
Personal preference I suppose.

 

[slief]

If you are hell bent on using both, raise the sump level so that your skimmers foam level height in the skimmer body is increased. That should help with the lack of skimmate production when you have the floss in. What's likely happening is that when you remove the floss, there is more microbubbles in the water which is causing the amount of the foam in your skimmer to increase via increased air in the water. The filter floss tends to decrease the amount of micro bubbles in the sump which can have a direct impact on the skimmer. It can also change the surface tention of the water which will also impact the skimmer performance. Personally, I like filter socks but floss is an option and either will help reduce detritus in the sump which is always a good thing. They key is changing the floss out frequently enough.

So, in your situation, I'd raise the foam level in the skimmer either by making some adjustments to the skimmer itself or raising the water level in the sump or lowering the skimmer assuming it's elevated on some sort of stand. Raising the foam level will cause it to skimmer wetter which will get it to produce much more consistently and more like what you are seeing when you remove the floss.

 

[Tang and Chips]

Thanks for all your replies. Not to sure how this will affect carbon dosing as it requires good skimming?

I have considered raising the water level in my sump and will do so. However, according to the user manual of my skimmer it should not effect performance? I will give it a test.

I do have a filter sock but the flow was to powerful for the sock I used.