Skimmate Question

Hey, does anybody know what consistancy your skimmate should be? I have an AquaC Remora with a Maxijet 1200 on my 20G tank. The skimmate I get, pretty much wherever I move the rubber band, is a light brown liquid. Now when I had a 55G tank with a venturi style skimmer, the skimmate was all foam. What should that thing be pulling out, and does anybody know what to do to adjust it & make it work right?

Thanks!!

RM

 

depends upon the hobbiest, and there maitenence schedule. i like a coffee colored skimmate. i dont like the sludge as it will make you gag from across the room

 

If you raise the skimmate collection cup higher up, you will get a dryer foam consistency!

 

So far it looks more like a weak tea. Do you know how I would go about getting it darker? I've tried raising the cup like coral reefer suggested and it almost doesn't seem to be working at all when I do that. I just get about a teaspoon of foam every few days that way, and am concerned that the skimmer isn't pulling enough out of the water. I have a hard time imagining my water condition is THAT good. Do you think I'm just over reacting or that there's something wrong with the skimmer?

 

Yes, overreacting...
How long has the skimmer been up and running?
Possible that the water is not terribly high as far as nutrients and waste is concerned just yet...

 

Ditto; I have the same skimmer on a 50g, was well over a month before I started getting a thicker skim.

 

It's been going since October while I was cycling, and I put some fish in Saturday before last, (the ones in my sig). I've noticed increased output in the last week, but still very wet. I'll try raising the cup and just be patient. Thanks for the responses!

 

I prefer to wet skim just because it doesn't stink so much. I have a DIY overflow, so that is utilized instead of the collection cup.

 

I am with the wet skim group. When I had my first whiff of black skimmate, I about passed out. From that point. I decided to lower the cup and get a more watery skimmate. Having to clean the cup out with thick skimmate with a toothbrush was one of the worst things I have ever experienced, the smell was HORRIBLE!

 

I have the HOB Aqua C and I keep the cup as low as possible. This way you are skimming the best that you can. Dont worry about the color this can be from the level of nutrients in your tank. The only reason you might want to raise the cup is if you are going away for some time and can not empty the cup in so many days so this way you don't have to worry about any overflow. If you feed fairy light and use RODI water then you might not have a lot to empty in your size tank