How do you clean your skimmer cup/tower?

[bach2pilot]

I have a Euro reef RC-135 that works extremely well. But after I clean it, it wants to overflow the collection cup about 2 times before the water level drops and works normally. So after this happened about 20 times, I think to myself - "hey, this only happens after I clean it - maybe I need to clean it differently".
So, how do you clean your skimmer? All I do is rinse it out with warm fresh water and wipe it all down with a sponge.
Should I use some vinegar or rinse it out with salterwater? Both? (BTW, I don't use any soap - that's good right?)

[tonyf]

I run the bubbles quite high in the neck to get slightly dry skimmate and deposits of skim mud easily accessed. This allows me to scrape out the skim mud every other day with a credit card (get the connection :) ) and then the cup assembly gets a bath once a fortnight or so ... when it really starts to stink.

Tone :cool:

[Toddrtrex]

I can bring it over to the bath tube and rinse it out with running water and an old tooth brush.

Shot in the dark, but try doing it without wiping it down with the sponge, perhaps there is something on the sponge that is effecting it.

[Jim_S]

Try to get one of their air valves. If you pinch the air on RC style skimmers, it will lower the foam level in the body.

You can throttle back the air back for however long, then just take it off.

I just take my cup off and rinse it with gloves and a brush. Actually, the water level drops in my skimmer after I clean it. Weird :)

[bach2pilot]

Yeah, maybe it is the sponge...I'll try the brush. I do like the credit card idea.

[BurntOutReefer]

I use my tongue....

[CaptainCoral]

I use my tongue....

:crazy1:

For the cup I use this (http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/2439) .

For the drain tubing and elbow (which I clean every time I clean the cup), I use this (http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/2438) .
I just use tap water that feels the same temperature as my tank water. Since I use an AquaC ev skimmer, I use old socks to wipe out the foam tower.

[RWillieK]

If you go to the automotive section in Walmart, they have a wheel brush for cleaning rims........thats what I use....it works pretty well- fits perfectly between the inner cone, and outer wall of the skimmer cup.

Robbie

[bach2pilot]

Awesome. I think everything in this hobby should be available at Walmart. I'll look next time I'm there...

[glxtrix]

I get in there with my hands and wipe it all out, I'm not scared of a lil fish poo.

[buddah001]

I second that hands are the best

[flat broke]

I pull the cup and run it under hot water while using my hands to clean it. I'm pretty careful about not getting lotion or soap on my hands an hour or so before I do anything with the tank. I'm sure there is some oil in my hands, but since I use hot water, the likelyhood of the oils being rinsed out is probably decent. I've never had a problem with the skimmer over foaming after a cleaning, so I guess that's a good thing.

Chris

[Scuba Dog]

I disasemble the colection cup, remove the flanges and wash them down with the high pressure garden hose outside. MRC4

[frank2926]

Am I crazy or have you all not heard of paper towels?

[carlso63]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11852282#post11852282 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by frank2926
Am I crazy or have you all not heard of paper towels?

I just wad up a couple of paper towels and use a chopstick to push it through the riser tube... this way my hands never touch the inside of the skimmer and I don;t have to worry about skin oils messing things up skimming-wise

[IPT]

I also just use my hands and running hot water. I clean it daily (most of the time) when I feed. The foam/water level usually drops so I just pop off the collection cup (leaving the skimmer running - it overflows some but not much (it's into the sump anyway)), clean, and then reattach. Pretty soon foam builds again and we're good to go.

[glxtrix]

I'm wondering if the people who are "afraid" to touch their skimmer cup have beckett skimmers. Washing the collection cup with your finger and water then followed by a quick paper towel dry has never set me back from no skimming....then again I run a NW.

[ginger7286]

I clean my skimmer one a week on Friday (my time alone with my finned freinds) I completely clean everything but the skimmer is last (always save the best for last). I bought a pack of the white terry cloth towels at HD, washed them in hot water only, then I use those for cleaning the skimmer, shining the glass etc. I wad up the towel and wipe out the tower of the skimmer and clean the top section under runnning hot water with another towel. I have never had the overflow problem , but I agree with the air value. I can adjust a lot more than water levels with this. I can also control the bubble size in the tank. I third the motion hands are the best tools for cleaning fish poo! hehe

[Amphiprion]

I rarely actually "clean" the cup, since the performance really drops, then. I usually just run a toothbrush around the edge and scrape the stuff out--the skimmer is up and active after only a minute or so.

[Scuba Dog]

It's not a matter of bing afrade to clean with a finger, its a matter of whats the quickest method for me....a presure water hose is instanious....and besides a big beckett takes a whyle to clean.....the skimmer body has to be done with several paper towels....From start to finish it takes me about 30 minuits to clean my skimmer.

[CaptainCoral]

It's not a matter of bing afrade to clean with a finger, its a matter of whats the quickest method for me.

Right on! Not only are the brushes I use faster than hands. There are places that hands do not fit. :)

BTW, I sometimes wipe the inside of the riser with my finger just to stare at the mass of poo and say to myself....wow. :eek2:

[Medicine Man]

Baby bottle brush is the best that I have found. Cheap too.