DT's_Reef
New member
The thread you mentioned was about cleaning the entire skimmer (e.g., soak it in vinegar), rather than about how often the neck/head should be cleaned.
Someone menioned, "The recommendation is to clean the riser and collection cup AT LEAST once a week to maintain efficiency". Someone else said that their skimmer doesn't produce for some time after cleaning.
The cleaning frequency "problem" seems to come from how long it takes the skimmer to be able to skim again, and this varies from skimmer to skimmer.
Because mine skims immediately after cleaning, I assume it is able to build up organics sufficient to produce a thick enough foam to spill over into the cup or cling to the insides of the neck.
Once a bunch of "crap" is built up in the neck, I really don't want that stuff staying in contact with my water (e.g., source of bacteria, organics...bad suff), so I clean it. This happens every couple of days in my system.
If a skimmer were to take hours or a day or two to really begin skimming again, this would give me the impression it may not be able to concentrate enough waste to get proper foam.
Why might this be true? Perhaps the skimmer isn't performing like it should.
Or, some might say their skimmer is so sufficient, and the water is so nutrient poor that there's nothing in the water to skim. My feeling is that this is likely more an issue of denial (e.g., My skimmer is an absolute angel! I paid a lot for it!). Closed systems typically have a good amount of crud to skim.
Someone menioned, "The recommendation is to clean the riser and collection cup AT LEAST once a week to maintain efficiency". Someone else said that their skimmer doesn't produce for some time after cleaning.
The cleaning frequency "problem" seems to come from how long it takes the skimmer to be able to skim again, and this varies from skimmer to skimmer.
Because mine skims immediately after cleaning, I assume it is able to build up organics sufficient to produce a thick enough foam to spill over into the cup or cling to the insides of the neck.
Once a bunch of "crap" is built up in the neck, I really don't want that stuff staying in contact with my water (e.g., source of bacteria, organics...bad suff), so I clean it. This happens every couple of days in my system.
If a skimmer were to take hours or a day or two to really begin skimming again, this would give me the impression it may not be able to concentrate enough waste to get proper foam.
Why might this be true? Perhaps the skimmer isn't performing like it should.
Or, some might say their skimmer is so sufficient, and the water is so nutrient poor that there's nothing in the water to skim. My feeling is that this is likely more an issue of denial (e.g., My skimmer is an absolute angel! I paid a lot for it!). Closed systems typically have a good amount of crud to skim.
