skimmer on a controller

[Gary Majchrzak]

why would one do this?

more importantly... how? Unless setting up the skimmer to turn on/off at predetermined time intervals.
But you want a skimmer to run 24/7, right?

 

[backdraft79]

I was going to put mine onto the ACjr. But i think keeping it running would be good for the pump and the tank.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

me too.

But does anybody reading this use a controller on their skimmer?
How and why?

 

[Conesus_Kid]

me too.

But does anybody reading this use a controller on their skimmer?
How and why?

I do! :wave:

I'll give you the "why" first, then the "how":

When I feed Coral Frenzy to the aquarium, I use the Feed Timer on the AC3. This shuts off the return pump and skimmer, since I don't want the Coral Frenzy to go straight to the filter socks.

I have the feed timer set to keep the return pump off for 15 minutes.

I'm running the MSX-250 skimmer, (which is an in-sump model) in a Rubbermaid trough without baffles. If I shut off the return pump, the water level in the sump rises several inches. If the skimmer is running when this happens, it will "go nuts" and overflow.

As for the "how": When I cycle the feed timer, both the return and skimmer turn off. I've programmed the AC3 to wait 5 minutes after the return pump powers up before restarting the skimmer, to avoid those overflows. This also comes in handy if there's a power outage or if I need to turn off the return for some reason. The skimmer always waits that 5 minutes.

Now, I can't remember offhand the exact command I used to do this, but I could dig it up if you're interested.

Hope this makes sense! :wildone:

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

makes sense!

makes sense!

thanks, Scott. No need to post the exact command.

 

[waldomas]

I have heard of some recommending not to do this but...
I run my skimmer opposite my display lighting for a few reasons:

- I don't run a chiller and just about any submersible skimmer pump adds
at least a little heat to the water.

- Figured the additional oxygenization of the water would help offset a dipping
PH at nite.

- If nothing else, perhaps I'll give a little less to the local power company.
The lowered noise level durung the evening hours is nice too!

These are just my thoughts. I am far from an expert and am open to recommendations.

I am unconvinced that skimming half the time results in less skimmate. Quite often through the day, my skimmer seemed to sit idol producing little to no skimmate anyway.
It actually seems as though skimming is better at nite! I think one argument is, that is
when most of what is being skimmed out, is good stuff like benificial fauna / food.

I still wonder if I'm doing the right thing.

I believe this topic to be underrated, and would normally just read along to this type of thread, hoping to learn something along the way.
But after I have read alot of threads that you have visited Gary, and having respect for your experience and knowledge, decided it was the perfect time to ask for advice or at least some thoughts. Please feel free to comment on my ideas!

 

[belgian_waffleman]

I have my skimmer on a controller it only turns off with the feed cycles. It waits about an hr before it restarts after feeding.

Other than that, it is always on.

Waffleman

 

[Capt_Cully]

.

I am unconvinced that skimming half the time results in less skimmate. Quite often through the day, my skimmer seemed to sit idol producing little to no skimmate anyway.
It actually seems as though skimming is better at nite! I think one argument is, that is
when most of what is being skimmed out, is good stuff like benificial fauna / food.

I still wonder if I'm doing the right thing.

I'm intrigued. I think you need to see how your inhabitants look. If growth, colors, polyp extension is good, you might be on to something.

One thing I've learned is that there is more than one way to skin a cat. If it's working for you stick with it. There is no right and wrong, only what works and what doesn't.

I mean reefs are heavily nourished and have high turn over, right? If you're keeping your nutrient level high during the day and stripping off DOC's at night is this mimicing what happens on a natural reef to some extent??? I don't know. Crazy enough to work?

 

[waldomas]

I hope that additional nitetime skimmate is not from benificial fauna, but from the additional activity of crabs and other nocturnal critters that stir detritus from the cracks and crevaces, putting into the water column to be skimmed out.

As far as the time of day affecting the productivity of a skimmer....
way too many factors IMO to make a conclution. Feeding schedules, type of food, water parameters (not to exclude temperature), maintanance schedules, even who is viewing the display can influence skimmer production to a degree I suppose?

Anyway, I agree with you Capt. One should base decisions (to a degree) on the condition of their inhabitants. All tanks are different and there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Additionally, your comment on "turnover" got me thinking. Does it make a difference what you are skimming as long as its something? Even if its benificial fauna, won't this be easily replaced / regenerated if conditions haven't changes much? After all, don't these fauna blooms / hatches correspond to nutrient levels?

 

[waldomas]

After rereading this, I must appologize for my apparant hi-jacking (and with poor spelling to boot!), but I do run my skimmer off my controller. Yes!

 

[StashuDave]

I do it too......

I do it too......

Well my reason is quite simple.... my Solana is in my bedroom and I turn the skimmer off at night because I can't take the noise. The skimmer is basically on for 12 hours/ off for 12 hours and my AC Jr. does all of this automatically for me. ( It kinda makes a great backup alarm also when the skimmer turns on a 9AM it wakes me right up)

Dave

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I have heard of some recommending not to do this but...
I run my skimmer opposite my display lighting for a few reasons:

- I don't run a chiller and just about any submersible skimmer pump adds
at least a little heat to the water.

- Figured the additional oxygenization of the water would help offset a dipping
PH at nite.

- If nothing else, perhaps I'll give a little less to the local power company.
The lowered noise level durung the evening hours is nice too!

These are just my thoughts. I am far from an expert and am open to recommendations.

I am unconvinced that skimming half the time results in less skimmate. Quite often through the day, my skimmer seemed to sit idol producing little to no skimmate anyway.
It actually seems as though skimming is better at nite! I think one argument is, that is
when most of what is being skimmed out, is good stuff like benificial fauna / food.

I still wonder if I'm doing the right thing.

I believe this topic to be underrated, and would normally just read along to this type of thread, hoping to learn something along the way.
But after I have read alot of threads that you have visited Gary, and having respect for your experience and knowledge, decided it was the perfect time to ask for advice or at least some thoughts. Please feel free to comment on my ideas!

there's a couple of things that would concern me about shutting off a skimmer for an extended period of time:
The first and foremost concern is 'stale' water inside a skimmer getting pumped relatively quickly into the display. This is what happened in my aquarium many years ago. The output of my skimmer was directed to the intake of my main circulation pump. We had an extended power outage. Although nothing in the aquarium died DURING the outage as soon as the power came on and the skimmer water got pumped rapidly into the display everything started reacting in an extremely negative manner (ie: corals closed up, fish started breathing rapidly etc.). Later on I learned it was possible the stagnent water inside my skimmer harbored harmful bacteria that could have multiplied rapidly while it was shut down. Ever since that day I design my systems so the output of the skimmer gets diluted with water in the sump before getting pumped into the aquarium.
Nowadays I don't worry too much about my skimmer being down for an extended period of time.
I'm sure that many people have noticed their skimmer tends to get more active at night. I don't know why it's so. (Perhaps lower ph? Good question for the chemistry forum!)
Noise factor is legit concern. What good is a reef aquarium if it keeps you awake at night?

As always, intelligent discussion isn't a hijack. Thanks for bringing up your views.

 

[museumguy]

I'm sure that many people have noticed their skimmer tends to get more active at night. I don't know why it's so. (Perhaps lower ph? Good question for the chemistry forum!)

I was told that the oils that are naturally present in basically everything we feed the tank work against skimmer efficiency and it takes about 6-8 hours on average for them to get broken down to a point that they don't interfere as much. Most people feed in the mornings and evenings so that could be one reason why you tend to get the most stuff out of the skimmer at night?

 

[mr86mister]

Wow, super topic here. Something I have never thought of and I'm intrigued on the idea and specifics of everything. I will be following this thread for sure. Some great points so far. Hope to see more. I'll sit back and soak in the information!

 

[captain7359]

The first and foremost concern is 'stale' water inside a skimmer getting pumped relatively quickly into the display.

did you have any movement in your sump or was it part fuge as well? Just trying to differentiate between a stale sump and a stale skimmer/reactor.

would shorter off periods be better than one long period? 4 on 4 off? is there any startup/breakin that occurs when a skimmer is off for a few hours that affects it's performance for a period of time?


Conesus_Kid, do you have any start up issues with the sicce pumps?

 

[Conesus_Kid]

Conesus_Kid, do you have any start up issues with the sicce pumps?

Only when they need to be cleaned! :hammer:

Actually, there was a stretch of about 8 months that I didn't clean the pumps, and one wouldn't restart. Fifteen minutes in some muriatic acid and it was as good as new.

 

[captain7359]

Only when they need to be cleaned! :hammer:

Actually, there was a stretch of about 8 months that I didn't clean the pumps, and one wouldn't restart. Fifteen minutes in some muriatic acid and it was as good as new.

Be careful with the acid strength as I've blown two up with too strong of a solution using muratic.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

did you have any movement in your sump or was it part fuge as well? Just trying to differentiate between a stale sump and a stale skimmer/reactor

stagnant skimmer water would be a much different beast than stale reactor or stale sump water because it contains dissolved/collapsed skimmate that can quickly feed a bacterial bloom. When the power goes out there's no movement in any of these things.

FWIW I remain convinced that running a skimmer 24/7 is best for a reef aquarium.

 

[waldomas]

Thank you for your reply Gary. It seems to me I've recently read a thread about someone forgetting to turn his skimer back on and when he finally did, suffered the stagnant skimmer water syndrome you described. My skimmer effluant is almost on the opposite end of my sump from my return pump and I've never noticed any adverse affects.

Hopefully by running my skimmer more wet these days, collapsed skimmate wont be as much of a factor. Perhaps you discovered another benefit of running it wet!

As far as the noise, what reefer needs a loud skimmer to stay awake?
When I first discovered this hobby, I spent countless hours peering into my aquarium with a flashlight !

 

[tmz]

Nice ideas.
I run 24/7 except when I'm feeding small particle feeding food. Then I turn it off for an hour. I would be concerned about turning it off longer in terms of a bacterial bloom in stagnant water and even hydrogen sufide. I think running it at night may be even more important than during the day since many tanks get a bit hypoxic at night due to the end of photosynthesis and respiration of CO2 and the skimmer oxygenates well. I backfushed the venturi daily by turning it of with a timer for 15 minutes each day in the past but found that by moving my kalk dosing point I no longer needed to sinceteh airin take no longer clogged..