How many of you only run your skimmer part-time?
- Thread starter NeveSSL
- Start date
crumbletop
New member
I run mine 24/7.
DMBillies
Active member
Having as light of a bio-load as I do in my tanks, I have often thought of putting mine on a timer and not running them for about 8 hours per night. I've started to take notice of a lot more people thinking about running this way.
I would tend to believe that theoretically it would work, but only if you're actually "over skimming" enough that your skimmer is able to process all of your water in the shorter amount of time and you have enough flow in all parts of your tank that stuff that isn't skimmed out right away does not settle and begin to break down.
Since I've dramatically increased flow in my 90 and only currently have 1 fish in there, I've definitely thought about giving this a go. I'd love to see other opinions, links, etc.
I would tend to believe that theoretically it would work, but only if you're actually "over skimming" enough that your skimmer is able to process all of your water in the shorter amount of time and you have enough flow in all parts of your tank that stuff that isn't skimmed out right away does not settle and begin to break down.
Since I've dramatically increased flow in my 90 and only currently have 1 fish in there, I've definitely thought about giving this a go. I'd love to see other opinions, links, etc.
fallinapart
Premium Member
Yea, your right Brandon, I only run mine part time I turn it off at 9pm until 3am and that is mostly because some of the coral food suggests running the skimmer while feeding them deminishes the food for the corals. since I feed cyclopeze & cyclopz (frozen cube cyclopeze, wanna be) and DT's (not all at once
) .
Norman
) .Norman
ocd_mariner
New member
Whats the benefit to only running it part time? (Besides normans use of turning it off during feeding)
DMBillies
Active member
Chuck- Two reasons I can think of.
1) Corals and other filter feeding tank inhabitants actually benefit from the food supply of a certain amount of fish poo, food remnants, and eggs/larvae from the fauna in the tank... as long as those things are still removed before they break down into compounds that the corals cannot as readily use as a food source. Idea being that you leave the water a little "dirtier" for a certain amount of time per day, but then clean it back up before the stuff can build up in your system and start to break down into ammonia/nitrate/phosphates/etc.
2) Energy (and a rise in temperature) will be reduced. Temperature even more so if your skimmer down time is during the hottest part of the day into the evening. Most skimmer pumps are relatively big pumps.
1) Corals and other filter feeding tank inhabitants actually benefit from the food supply of a certain amount of fish poo, food remnants, and eggs/larvae from the fauna in the tank... as long as those things are still removed before they break down into compounds that the corals cannot as readily use as a food source. Idea being that you leave the water a little "dirtier" for a certain amount of time per day, but then clean it back up before the stuff can build up in your system and start to break down into ammonia/nitrate/phosphates/etc.
2) Energy (and a rise in temperature) will be reduced. Temperature even more so if your skimmer down time is during the hottest part of the day into the evening. Most skimmer pumps are relatively big pumps.
NeveSSL
Got tubes?
Personally my biggest reason is the thought that you're not only skimming bad things, but you're potentially skimming good things as well. Which is pretty much what Brian said. 
But personally, my skimmer needs to be cleaned so bad, its really like running it part time right now.
Brandon
But personally, my skimmer needs to be cleaned so bad, its really like running it part time right now.
Brandon
Mikeyjer
New member
I run mine 24/7 Mine gets dirty real quick so it's like running part time after 2 weeks from cleaning day. BUT when it does run properly, my tank sparkles!!! I stop feeding my tank, because I feed my fish twice per day so they get enough from the fish waste and left over food. But when I do feed DT's, I turn off my overflow pump so nothing goes into the fuge, just the display tank water circulating. I leave it like it for half an hour before I turn it back on. I didn't see any difference in my corals rather I feed DT's or not, so I just stop feeding it.
HowardCath
New member
I don't have a skimmer, but I have mostly softies and LPS. Not that I know what I'm doing, but it's what I'm doing (or not). Sort of a grand (a grand is what it could cost me if it all crashes) uncontrolled experiment.
NeveSSL
Got tubes?
Very cool. Thanks for the replies!
My tank has lots of particles of things floating around at the moment. I think its because I need to clean my skimmer BADLY. I mean the whole thing. The things that stinks about it (other than the skimmate) is that I have to shut my whole tank down and slide my sump out to get my stinkin' skimmer out! I think I'm just going to do the pump... the body isn't dirty (other than some feather dusters growing in it, oddly enough). I also may start using some sock filters. We'll see.
Thanks!
Brandon
My tank has lots of particles of things floating around at the moment. I think its because I need to clean my skimmer BADLY. I mean the whole thing. The things that stinks about it (other than the skimmate) is that I have to shut my whole tank down and slide my sump out to get my stinkin' skimmer out! I think I'm just going to do the pump... the body isn't dirty (other than some feather dusters growing in it, oddly enough). I also may start using some sock filters. We'll see.
Thanks!
Brandon
DMBillies
Active member
At least you can get your sump out if you need to...
That would mean a whole tank tear down for me.
Not really sure why they don't build doors into the sides of all sumps. If I ever have the luxury of building my own from scratch, doors in the side is the first thing that will be on the plans.
That would mean a whole tank tear down for me.
Not really sure why they don't build doors into the sides of all sumps. If I ever have the luxury of building my own from scratch, doors in the side is the first thing that will be on the plans.
devonjevon
New member
Never thought about running the skimmer part time. It would definatly help with heat issues.
Well I run Ozone threw my skimmer so Im not sure If I want my O2 levels to swing so much.
Hmmm is their such thing as a Ozone reactor?
Well I run Ozone threw my skimmer so Im not sure If I want my O2 levels to swing so much.
Hmmm is their such thing as a Ozone reactor?
Pickupman66
New member
I run mine when I remember to clean it. hadnt been on in a month
sandalscout
New member
devonjevon, yes, there are Ozone reactors... I don't know much about them, but I have stumbled across them.
NeveSSL
Got tubes?
Since this is my own thread, I'll hijack it.
I finally decided this weekend to clean my skimmer (very, very sadly for the first time for the whole thing!
). And while I'm at it, I'm thinking I had just as well do the mesh mod since I got some enkamat from Angela almost a year ago! 
Maybe this will keep me from replacing this CSS65 with an Octopus... and then again, maybe not.
Brandon
I finally decided this weekend to clean my skimmer (very, very sadly for the first time for the whole thing!
). And while I'm at it, I'm thinking I had just as well do the mesh mod since I got some enkamat from Angela almost a year ago! Maybe this will keep me from replacing this CSS65 with an Octopus... and then again, maybe not.
Brandon
