Wade Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Gonna be out of town for two weeks. We've got house sitters so keeping the fish fed won't be an issue. The skimmer cup! Now there's an issue. The only thing I don't like about my SWC skimmer is that the adjustment knob is right next to the cup. If I happen to bump it while cleanng the cup, I'm there to dial it back in. House sitters? Not so much. So here's the question: Turn the skimmer off for two weeks or let it run without cleaning it for two weeks? I don't think it will overflow at it's current setting, but the neck of the cup is sure going to be nasty. What would you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Capt. Obvious Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 leave it on, if there is an option for remote collection of skimmate, route it to a gallon or 1/2 gallon jug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted April 1, 2013 Author Share Posted April 1, 2013 yeah there's a hole that's plugged in the bottom of the cup. I forgot it was there unti you mentioned it. I can run it to a gallon water jug. Cool. Thanks man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 +1 for leaving it on... if you know for sure it will not fill the cup, leave it be else dial it back some so it's not as wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 remote collection cup for sure, or maybe cheap super glue to put a little "tack weld" and secure the dial knob while your gone so they can not bump it at all. but removing that might require acetone, I've done it before with my tunze before modding it. Barely any acetone on a paper towel will eat the glue off and evap so fast it didnt touch my water at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 If you do a remote cup make sure it can't overflow or put it in a bucket or tub or something. I had a major spill due to an overflowed external collection cup. Otherwise I would just let it be, adjust it so you're skimming a little lighter than normal just in case, but you don't want someone not familiar with running a reef tank messing with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesreyn Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Turn it off. You don't need it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Don't make any major system changes like turning off a skimmer before you leave... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Don't make any major system changes like turning off a skimmer before you leave... Yeah thats how you start a disaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesreyn Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 You think turning your little skimmer off for 2 weeks is going to cause a major disaster? I would be much more afraid of what leaving it on could do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingjames Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 1+ on leaving it on, i would think that a rapid depletion of co2 would shock some of the live stock, and fluctuate your ph levels, JMO though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Don't make any major system changes like turning off a skimmer before you leave... Making any major changes right before a trip has burned me a few times. Heck, even minor ones like a big water change have gotten me (forgot to plug ATO pump back in after it). Doh! Sounds like the tube from the collection cup is your solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 You think turning your little skimmer off for 2 weeks is going to cause a major disaster? I would be much more afraid of what leaving it on could do. I never said major disaster. But rule of thumb by most hobbyist is to not make large changes before going on extended vacation, I personally have my skimmer in my sump so worst that would happen is it overflows and isn't skimming but still oxygenating my water. It won't flood anything because it just dumps right back into the sump? What scares you about leaving a skimmer on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted April 3, 2013 Author Share Posted April 3, 2013 My skimmer is also in my sump. I'm going to leave it on and run a tube to an external container. I'll dial it back a bit too so the worst that happens is it doesn't skim all that well, but continues to oxyginate the water. Thanks all for your suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 My skimmer is also in my sump. I'm going to leave it on and run a tube to an external container. I'll dial it back a bit too so the worst that happens is it doesn't skim all that well, but continues to oxyginate the water. Thanks all for your suggestions. Keep in mind if you go to remote container, if possible while on vacation leave that container in the sump also. Would hate to hear you put it to a remote container and it overflowed out of the remote container. (Saw it happen, and then had to clean 2 inches of water out of a warehouse, 200 gallons of SW is nasty.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 My skimmer is also in my sump. I'm going to leave it on and run a tube to an external container. I'll dial it back a bit too so the worst that happens is it doesn't skim all that well, but continues to oxyginate the water. Thanks all for your suggestions. Keep in mind if you go to remote container, if possible while on vacation leave that container in the sump also. Would hate to hear you put it to a remote container and it overflowed out of the remote container. (Saw it happen, and then had to clean 2 inches of water out of a warehouse, 200 gallons of SW is nasty.) That's what I did a few months back as well. Not that much volume but enough to ruin some things. I would put the collection cup in a tub or bucket or make it high enough it can't continuously overflow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Making changes before going on vacation isn't a good idea but as far as turning off a skimmer every time I've removed one I haven't seen any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Why not make your remote container something large like a big plastic tub or something? No rule that says it HAS to be an empty milk jug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted April 21, 2013 Author Share Posted April 21, 2013 Well we got back home from our first two-week vacation last night. Everything is still living, but the tank is a mess. I think the skimmer stopped skimming after it got a good slime-coat in the tube or maybe I had it dialed back too much. Other than a 20% water change with a substrate vacuum for good measure, what's my best course of action? Just leave it to the snails or what? Suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 Water changes is what my solution was when this happened to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 water change, substrate vacuum, change all sponge media, change carbon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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