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View Full Version : how often do you empty your skimmer cup?


jminick2
06/15/2015, 12:13 AM
as the title says.....

mine is filling up very slow, didn't know if there was a rule of thumb in this.
I guess I should say this one is filling up much slower than my old one. is it because this one is better quality? the bubbles are right at the bottom of the cup.

scooter31707
06/15/2015, 06:17 AM
Once it is about to overflow which about 1 once a week. I have a good size collections cup on my skimmer.

MaccaPopEye
06/15/2015, 08:17 AM
Mine drains externally into a 2L bottle but I still empty about 3cm of black liquid out of the bottle about once a week. I used to clean the neck once a week too but recently epoxied a squeegee to the lid of my skimmer so I manually spin that around for a few rotations every day as the cleaner the neck is the better it works. Only had it on for a couple of days yet but I dont think it is effecting skimamte production.

Wazzel
06/15/2015, 08:35 AM
As needed, I do not like to let it get over half full. It varies from a few days to no more than a week.

snorvich
06/15/2015, 09:38 AM
Once per week.

slief
06/15/2015, 10:09 AM
Mine holds about 2 gallons. I drain it once a week when it's about half to 3/4 full.

Mark426
06/15/2015, 10:26 AM
I can make it a week. However, I skim very dry in order to make it last that long. I know that skimming wetter might be more beneficial but ............

jminick2
06/15/2015, 01:47 PM
well I'm doin something wrong then mine takes a lot longer than a week. Thanks guys

ryeguyy84
06/15/2015, 02:05 PM
is it very dark? almost black?

if so you might just need to raise the bubble level to shim more wet. or if it isn't a problem just leave it alone haha

brettandlyndis
06/15/2015, 02:16 PM
every 2-3 days for me

ca1ore
06/15/2015, 02:48 PM
well I'm doin something wrong then mine takes a lot longer than a week.

Not necessarily. I run a big skimmer on my pretty heavily stocked 265 and I get about a gallon of dark tea colored skimmate monthly. How much your tank produces depends on a lot of things, including how much and what you feed your fish, what kinds of corals you keep (always got more skim on softies tanks than SPS), and what other kinds of export you employ. At the end of the day, if your phosphate and nitrate levels are fine than it doesn't really matter how much crud the skimmer is removing.