<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12205516#post12205516 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by swilcoxen
I'm going to tag along on this post as I'm curious to hear what others have to say as well.
Of course, I'll also share my experience. I setup a 65 gallon tank back in February and installed an Octopus NW200. I wanted to keep SPS and also wanted to stock a bit on the heavy side, so I figured the extra skimming capacity would be good.
At this point, I've had the system running for a month and a half. I have two Clark Clowns, a Lawnmower Blenny, and a Foxface in the tank now (trying to give you an idea as to bioload). Generally speaking, the skimmer foams up nicely, but takes an extremely long time to fill the collection cup. In fact, I can go a week or so and might only get an inch of skimmate in the cup. I've tried to dial it in so that it skims more wet, but then I end up overflowing the collection cup. Where it is set now seems to work the best. I attribute the lack of skimmate to clean water. My nitrates and phosphates both read 0 using both Seachem and API test kits.
Also, I feed my corals with Coral Frenzy once or twice per week. I turn the skimmer off, mix 1/4 teaspoon or so with some tank water, and dump it in next to a power head. 30 minutes to an hour later I turn the skimmer back on. At this point, my skimmer produces quite a bit of skimmate for a while before settling back down. This makes sense as there is something in the water to skim out. It also reinforces my belief that the lack of skimmate at all other times is due to clean water.
Let's see if someone else that's had one of these babies for more than a few months has a different opinion.
