Skimmer Maintanence?

[disciple]

Hey here is a question. When do yall clean out your collection cup?

Also is it important to clean out the bubble chamber? I have lots of little sponges and coraline growing on the wall. Does this affect performance?

 

[nanojg]

I clean the collection cup weekly and the body, bubble plate, etc. whenever I get around to it, maybe once or twice a year. I believe they both affect performance.

 

[jrlim]

Collection cup - Empty it when it is half full or do it when you want to.

Skimmer maintenance - Every 6 months

 

[mark54321]

I clean collection cup every Saturday and body every 6 mos.

 

[disciple]

Does it skim better when its clean or are we slowing it down by cleaning it to often? By cleaning it we are removing the slimy film that helps the bubbles rise up the column.

I'm not having problems just curious my deltec is doing great. I just want it to do better

 

[innate1]

The cleaner the better, the slimy film actually makes it less effective. I have a baby bottle brush that I clean out the riser tube every three days.

 

[disciple]

Thanks innate1. So do you completely clean it with the brush every three days?

I think I'm going to start cleaning it as soon as it starts to show some build up.

 

[RichK]

My collection cup has a drain, so I don't need to empty it. I do clean the riser and cup twice a week though. I just wipe it down with a damp sponge. ETSS 1000 by the way.

 

[mchud]

Cup every other day or so and the body every couple months but do reach in with my hand with a rag and wipe the inside of the body down as good as i can.

 

[lbaldrey]

Cup twice a week....

neck once in two days with a flat pedicure kind of brush...looks like a 3 inch toothbrush head...
i do not dismantle anything just scoop up the gunk in the neck as the skimmer is running...it ends up looking like brown toothpaste on the brush which i then sometimes proceed to offer to family members

I always get more gunk collected when the neck is clean. Two maybe three times as much.

body, you'll just know when you have to clean the body...lol

 

[ctenophors rule]

btw, some skimmers, like my IO seaclone, are impossible to take apart and clean.

solution.

leave them to seep in vinegar water for a few days, then pick it up and shake it while their is water inside. this nocks all the gunk off.

and go figure, i see decresed efficiency when i clean the collection cup. I think it has to do with the bubbles having to pass over the semi moist glass, or the very moist gunk. Bubbles will break if they touch a dry surface, you can test this out yourself. try and put your dry finger through a bubble. it pops. now try it with a wet finger. Its magic!

 

[koranAngel]

my cup has a drain which is attach to a 15lt water bottle so i dont need to clean the cup having said that its a god damn pain to get the cup out, very tight area,

ive just cleaned the whole system 2weeks ago first time since i got the new skimmer (got it 5mount ago) and the amount of slime attached to the neck n body was roughly 1in thick hench y wasnt doing a great job.

i lil slime coat makes it work better to much make it fail (was told by reef octo dept)
have a reef octopus classic 1500 can seperate the whole body making it easy to maintain n clean