Replacing Water Lost From Skimmer?

[princer7]

I have been running my skimmer more on the wet side lately. The R.O. top-off water runs through a Kalk reactor. Can you help me determine at what point I need to replace the R.O. with saltwater?

I am not sure at what point (gallons of water lost) I need to start to worry about a change is specific gravity. My tank is 250 gallons water volume.

Thanks :)

[OwenInAZ]

I'd just watch it for a while and see how fast your salinity drops. That should give you an idea of how fast it depletes.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If you know how much skimmate you are removing, then each time you dump it, just add that much new salt water to the tank. :)

If it is running down a drain or some such thing, then you'll need to track the actual tank salinity.

[TScripa]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14236423#post14236423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
If you know how much skimmate you are removing, then each time you dump it, just add that much new salt water to the tank. :)

If it is running down a drain or some such thing, then you'll need to track the actual tank salinity.


That is essentially what I do. I have a waste container that my collection cup drains into. When I do my weekly water change, I also add back an amount of saltwater equal to what I empty from the waste container.

[therealfatman]

If you want to get really tight about it shut off your ATO system the night before you plan to add the salt water to your tank for skimmate replacement so that the mixed salt water your adding to replace your skimmate water is added instead of your normal ATO's RODI water. After you add that mixed water turn the ATO system back on then just handle your water change on a one to one basis on your regular weekly basis. With a collection cup I would do the skimmate replacement more often than once a week especially if you are pulling out a lot of skimmate as is usually the case with wet skimming. It depends on the amount of skimmate you are removing as to the salinity changes you are going to be experiencing between water changes, but remember the changes you make at the time of the water change are not going to happen over a period of a week but within minutes after your water change by your current method, however it still merely depends on the amount of skimmate water your removing what the impact will be.