Underwater...

[reef_mini]

Hello,
I have a Tunze 9002 skimmer in my sump, and when I do water changes I turn my return pump off so that some of the water in the display tank back-flows into the sump. Although I do remove the collection cup, this puts my skimmer running completely under water for about 20 min.

1) Does this have any effects on the skimmer's performance after I restart the return pump and the water level in the sump returns normal?

2) Would you recommend me removing the skimmer next time I do a water change?

Thanks

 

[rvitko]

The only drawback can be water will enter the air intake and result in a gurgling noise and reduce performance for a short time. Within a couple hours performance should be back to normal and the noise will be gone in a few days usually.

I probably wouldn't remove it just because of the hassle, you could however start draining the tank before unplugging the return so the sump water level runs lower.

 

[reef_mini]

Thanks for the reply!
Where is air taken into the skimmer from? Is it from the where the blue dial is? So, as long as the water level remains under the blue dial, the skimmer should not be sucking in water right?

 

[rvitko]

The air is taken in at the blue dial, however the pump raises the internal water level a bit so with the skimmer running the water level needs to stay about 3/4" below the blue dial to avoid having water taken in.