how often do u clean the protein skimmer cup
- Thread starter neupane00
- Start date
Sisterlimonpot
Premium Member
I give it a good cleaning when it's about half full. That way I don't forget about it and it starts to over flow back into the tank......
loosecannon
New member
A man brother . I had it spill out one time to many.
Mopar Reefer
New member
Check it twice a week, clean it once a week and give it the good ol'scrub with a paper towel.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
It's really going to depend on the skimmer - some do best with a totally clean neck, others seem to do OK (or even better) with some slime built up. I've had skimmers where I would empty the cup every few days, but only really clean it out once a month.
And, I've had other skimmers that really needed to have the cup scrubbed clean a few times a week.
So, you'll have to experiment. Certainly, the only hard and fast rule is to empty it before it overflows!
And, I've had other skimmers that really needed to have the cup scrubbed clean a few times a week.
So, you'll have to experiment. Certainly, the only hard and fast rule is to empty it before it overflows!
abulgin
Premium Member
Allowing any slime/organic gunk to build up on the contact chamber walls or bubble chamber can reduce the efficiency of your skimmer considerably, maybe even 100% if the build-up is significant. Obviously, dumping the cup is important to prevent overflows, but it's super important to clean the other parts so you maximize skimmer performance.
really??? shoot. i thought all i had to do is take the cup and dump the water out. Do i need to take the whole skimmer out and clean every week??? what parts should i clean and with what?? I have a nano style tank and skimmer is fitted pretty snugly. And to take it out completely and fit it back in snugly is a major pain the the a**.
I usually skim wet, so I need to empty the cup daily, and then I just wipe the cup down with a paper towel after rinsing it out. I did not realize the whole skimmer needed to be cleaned so often (?), even my AC Remora instructions do not go into any details about breaking down the unit and cleaning... just cleaning the cup and its foam tower on a daily basis if possible is what they recommend.
abulgin
Premium Member
I didn't say the entire thing needed to be cleaned so often--I just said the foam tower, because that's where/how the foam is produced. If your foam tower is covered in shmutz, the foam won't form (or less of it will form). You do not need to break the whole thing down and clean every week. I try to pull everything out and clean once every 1-2 months. And, don't forget the air inlet that's in contact with water - these get clogged with calcium and other mineral deposits over time and air flow becomes significantly restricted.
Whys
New member
I generally check it every day, but it isn't usually more than a third full even after a few days. So I empty it about every 3 or 4. If you notice a lot of gunk buildup on the walls of the reaction chamber, its important to clean it out for good skimming. It's also important that you not use your fingers as finger grease will also have a negative impact.
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