how often should i clean my skimmer?

I mean i clean the cup about once a week or every 2 weeks. when ever it gets about half full i empty the cup and completely clean it. But what about the skimmer itself? I have a lot of algae growth on mine. Not that i mind because it is in the sump. But is it necessarily to ever take it out and clean it?

 

You have algae inside your skimmer body? If that's the case I would clean it out immediately, and darken the area that the skimmer is in. While I dont know what your skimmer looks like, I would believe that having growth inside the body could be breaking some of the bubbles you rely on for foaming. The skimmer body and neck should be a fairly smooth area to allow the bubble column to easily rise.

 

i believe it is on the outside. But yea. haha i just meant does the internal pump ever need to be cleaned? or should it be ok? minus the cup?

 

oh, i suppose its not a bad idea to clean out the pumps from time to time... No clue on frequency though. Haven't done mine in forever although come to think of it my skimmer pump is brand new due to the old one dying. Hmmm...

 

I pull out my skimmer and clean the whole thing (pump especially) every 3 months. Along with all my other pumps and powerheads.

 

I empty and clean the cup weekly.
Approximately every 6 months I clean the housing and pump, sooner if something gets in the intake of the pump i.e. bubble algae, small snail.
To clean it I put the assembly in a tub with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. I run the pump for a couple hours then turn it off and let it soak over night. In the morning turn it back on for a min or so then disassemble completely. Scrub all parts with a soft bristle brush then rinse off with water. I then reassemble and put it back into the tub with ro/di water only and run for a few mins to flush it.
When back in the sump it takes me a couple days to get it tuned back in to where I like it.