Skimmer Maintenance

I recently purchased two Reef Octo Skimmers - one NWB-110 and an NWB-200.

They are both working great and I could not be more satisified with their performances.

My questions are pertaining to the maintenace of the skimmers.

I have attached a picture of the NWB-200 that has just been started one week ago today.

The question is: when I remove the upper collection cup, should I be cleaning out the upper part of the bubble column that is attached to the inside of the bubble column? (Called out by red cloud on drawing)

Also, I have marked my current bubble level in the top of the bubble collar. What is the proper level for these bubbles? Should they be at the rim? Should they be 1" below? I understand that the further down the neck the bubbles stop - the thicker/darker the skimmate - but what is the suggested norm?

Thanks for your help!

 

hey M, I'm tagging along on this. I've been running my NW-110 for about a week and a half and also am wondering do I need to clean the gunk that has collected in the upper area of the neck right before the collection cup separation. I'm loving the skimmer, nice little footprint but is starting to pull some skim nicely.

 

from the pic it looks like you are wet skimming. I do clean mine weekly

 

Troyboy - you are right - it was set up for wet-skimmate. I am SLOWLY dialing the gate valve back for a thicker skimmate - so you clean the inside of the removable neck weekly? Just to be clear I am not talking about the actual collection cup itself, but instead the neck that the bubble column is in on the INSIDE of the cup - that's what you are cleaning? If so what are you using if anything to do so?

Thanks again for any help!

 

I believe that your height is right. Mine is about the same elevation. I clean my cup and only the cup about every four or five days.

 

Yeah my 110 has been up for about a month - and man has it pulled some nastyness outta the tank already - the neck/cup are starting to accumulate serious gunk and I am wondering if it should stay as some say it's the "slime" layer that helps the bubbles form and eventually expell the waste in the top section of the skimmer - while other say a spotless skimmer is the key to good skimming . . .

Can someone weigh in on this that has experience with it?

 

oh ok, I'm starting to get it, I do normally clean out the neck that is connected to the collection cup when I take it off, I was referring to the gunked up lower neck you can see in my pic the lower area I've squared off. So I shouldn't keep cleaning the neck extension that conects to the cup or that area?

 

I have a different skimmer brand than you but I clean the neck (where you have squared off in the pic) weekly. Leave the chamber alone and just clean the neck, it's a pretty important factor in maintaing the skimmer's function. Use a brush scrub and then use a dry towel and wipe it clean. The waste that collects in the neck makes it more difficult for bubbles to rise up. A new slime coat is established within a day.

 

I just clean the cup weekly. But monthly i will take it apart and clean the pump, column.

 

Ok, thanks, that's what I've been doing, just cleaning the neck extension connected to the collection cup. I haven't touched the gunk buildup in the lower neck though, so I guess I won't.