Wet Skimmate Water Changes?
- Thread starter JMBoehling
- Start date
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
think about this:
would you use water from your overflow to set up another aquarium or...
would you rather use wet skimmate to set up another aquarium?
reefer31
New member
How can you get so much wet skimmate? My skimmer is skimming pretty wet as is and im not sure if it would be able to do 10-15 gallons a week! I know I have an under rated skimmer for my tank, asm g1 on a 120, and hopefully getting to be able to upgrade to octo ex 200 soon :lol: But anyways, is the water level in the skimmer like less than an inch from the top? Mine is right where the skimmer cup sits, so about 2-3 inches from top of skimmer?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
you basically raise the water level inside the skimmer neck so water is spilling freely over into the collection cup. Need a faster water change... how big is the drain on your collection cup?
MAKE IT LARGER
.
mobert
Active member
I wet skim and top off with salty water for my water change also. My skimmer cup has a drain to house sewage and my top off container has an automatic dispenser to add salt: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=5163+5309+14436&pcatid=14436
I just added the Koi feeder filled with salt so hopefully it won't clog or rust.
I don't miss that 50 gallon Rubbermaid container that used to sit in front of the tank for water changes!
I just added the Koi feeder filled with salt so hopefully it won't clog or rust.
I don't miss that 50 gallon Rubbermaid container that used to sit in front of the tank for water changes!
mobert
Active member
I actually do check my salinity every few days and adjust the salinity of the top off water accordingly. I have been doing it this way for three years and it gets predictable. For instance after a heavy feeding, I can expect the skimmer to be more active and I would add more salt to the top off container. Not hard to do and I feel that wet skimming has helped control my nitrates.
Yes, all my top off is salty water.
OCEAN SIZE
BACK REEFIN'
mobert - you rock on so many levels.
I was considering this potential... and of course you've already done it.
What about using a controller (I'm thinking of getting a ReefKeeper Elite) to monitor salinity, then turn on the salt Koi feeder if it gets too low?
I was considering this potential... and of course you've already done it.
What about using a controller (I'm thinking of getting a ReefKeeper Elite) to monitor salinity, then turn on the salt Koi feeder if it gets too low?
mobert
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14100508#post14100508 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OCEAN SIZE
mobert - you rock on so many levels.
I was considering this potential... and of course you've already done it.
What about using a controller (I'm thinking of getting a ReefKeeper Elite) to monitor salinity, then turn on the salt Koi feeder if it gets too low?
I don't mind checking the salinity with the hydrometer. I have gotten away from using probes----my ph and orp probes have long ago stopped working (needed cleaning or replacement much too often). The Koi feeder has a similar interface as the Eheim fish food feeders. You can adjust it to feed once or four times a day with one or two drops each feeding. It drops 1/2 cup of salt each time. So I can adjust it to drop 1/2 to 4 cups of salt per day.
Thanks for the compliment!
I'm going to try it! thanks
do you allow your skimmer to drain directly from the cup to the sewer line? or to a container with auto shut off? I've alway been afraid to allow it to drain without a shut off mechanism since skimmers can go nuts and drain too much, although if you are replacing with salt solution it mitigates the risk. hmm, I'm currenly using Kalk to top off, I don't think it mixes with salt very well...
JMBoehling
Premium Member
I turn off my Kalk top off when I use this method to do my water change. It takes me approximately 4 hours to get 10 gallons of very wet skimmate. I do it when I know i'll be around the house. It would be cool to set up a auto topoff, maybe with a dedicated skimmer on a timer and multiple float switches to do the water changes for you.
Later,
Jim
Later,
Jim
mobert
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14102056#post14102056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Elliott
I'm going to try it! thanks
do you allow your skimmer to drain directly from the cup to the sewer line? or to a container with auto shut off? I've alway been afraid to allow it to drain without a shut off mechanism since skimmers can go nuts and drain too much, although if you are replacing with salt solution it mitigates the risk. hmm, I'm currenly using Kalk to top off, I don't think it mixes with salt very well...
I actually use a few safety measures.
The drain is restricted to a 1/4" polyethelene line. If the skimmer were to go crazy, the excess skimate overflows back into the sump but before it does that, the venturi intake for the skimmer pumps would suck the extra back through the pump and in the skimmer again.
The top-off water which comes directly from the RO filter is controlled by two float switches in the sump. In addition, there is a John Guest 1/4 valve that only allows a slow drip through the RO fill tube. There is a Kent float valve in the top-off water mixing container and another one in the sump.
So, worse case scenario is the the skimmer goes crazy and sump gets low on water and air bubbles are blowing in the tank from the return pump. The tank does not turn into a fresh water tank.
My top off water also goes through a Kalk container before it gets to the top off container. I'm not sure how effective this but my Calcium levels are acceptable.
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mobert
Active member
A few pictures worth a thousands words:
excuse my mess:
The drain container is like a toilet tank. It doesn't empty until it is full and then drains to the bottom of the drain tube so the 1/4" drain line does not get clogged.
Probably only a mild kalk solution as there is no automatic mixing. I only fill it once a year or so.
excuse my mess:
The drain container is like a toilet tank. It doesn't empty until it is full and then drains to the bottom of the drain tube so the 1/4" drain line does not get clogged.
Probably only a mild kalk solution as there is no automatic mixing. I only fill it once a year or so.
mobert
Active member
It works by siphon and the siphon does not start until the water height/pressure is near the top of the container. You can see the 1/4" tube with the blue valve on it near the middle of the container. The end of the tube is a few inches off the bottom so it leaves the thick sludgy stuff that settled in the container. I rather do this than risk the 1/4" drain getting plugged.
The tube from the skimmer cup to the container has to be cleaned while the tube from the container to house sewage is perfectly clear.
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