Juiceman Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I just go done having a conversation with someone who was told to let his skimmate be poured right back into his tank and only use his skimmer for aeration purposes. I think it's crazy, but does anyone else do this?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Monnat Jr Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I have plenty of issues with dino, cyano and GHA, so I don't do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I just go done having a conversation with someone who was told to let his skimmate be poured right back into his tank and only use his skimmer for aeration purposes. I think it's crazy, but does anyone else do this?! If you were going to do that, why spend hundreds of dollars on a skimmer when an airstone or powerhead can more cheaply do the same thing? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post victoly Posted April 17, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted April 17, 2013 I sweep my floors and throw the dirt up in the air. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KimP Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I sweep my floors and throw the dirt up in the air. Lol! I think this is crazy too. And kinda gross... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I sweep my floors and throw the dirt up in the air.You should try that with a vacuum cleaner bag some time. Or with the bagless ones, you can just remove the collection container and vacuum as normal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 That's funny this should come up. last week I had a discussion with one of my clients about the low nutrient levels and as a compromise the skimmer was left to drip back into the tank. The phosphate, P, was less than .008 ppm (.024 ppm PO4 with Elos, unreadable with Slifert) and nitrates less than .2 ppm (unreadable with salifert). If it was up to me I would have just shut off the skimmer as uneccessary but there was discussion about how it was oxygenating the water so it was left running with the skimmate dripping back into the tank. While the skimmate is disgusting and smelly stuff I would point out it contains a lot of stuff that is essential for corals to grow themselves and to grow their zooxanthellae. Many people use skimming to remove excess levels but let's not forget these nitrients are important limiting nutrients (ie: if too low the coral dies). Here's some links if any one is interested in further reading: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/2/aafeature Elemental analysis of skimmate http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0025024 Coral uptake of phosporus and nitrogen negatively affected by simultaneous changes in temperature and pH http://www.mendeley.com/catalog/nitrate-uptake-scleractinian-coral-stylophora-pistillata/ Nitrate uptake in Stylophora pistillata (Rose Stylophora) http://jeb.biologists.org/content/214/16/2749.full Phosphate uptake in Stylophora pistillata 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 I now run skimmerless. My skimmer was doing more harm than anything since I was not able to fully remove the collection cup due to the size of my sump and instead drained everything into a 1 gallon container. Needless to say when i finally did the switch and was able to remove the cup it was bad. I now run 2 phosban 150 reactors running carbon and phosphate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 I definitely don't debate running without a skimmer if you plan out the tank that way. Just that running a skimmer without the cup is a waste of money and electricity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innate1 Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 I use the skimmate as plant food Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esacjack Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 i put it in my ramen noodles. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Capt. Obvious Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 I bathe with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 I AM THE SKIMMATE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 i put it in my ramen noodles. it probably improves the taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 I sweep my floors and throw the dirt up in the air. just have to say, this is still giving me a chuckle a day later. well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted April 18, 2013 Author Share Posted April 18, 2013 Yal are so Dumb! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingjames Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 did he tell you his purpose for doing this, to me this concept would be the same a running a skimmerless tank because the collected nutrients isnt being taken out anyway, if that makes sense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 I sweep my floors and throw the dirt up in the air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 I use the skimmate as plant food Can you expand on your use for plants? I've been thinking about doing this recently. We started composting, so I had thought about including it in there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innate1 Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 The skimmate has two of the big three in fertilizer n-p. So when I clean the skimmer I pour the skimmate into a plastic bottle. When I feed the plants I pour that into a feeder attachment on the hose and spray it on the plants. My tomatoes and squash love it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 The skimmate has two of the big three in fertilizer n-p. So when I clean the skimmer I pour the skimmate into a plastic bottle. When I feed the plants I pour that into a feeder attachment on the hose and spray it on the plants. My tomatoes and squash love it. maybe i should pour it into my planted tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Monnat Jr Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Does skimmate include any of the salts from the saltwater? I'm wondering how much wet skimming reduces salinity and if skimmate would harm plants with salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mlaw Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 I'm also really curious about this. I have the option to run my skimmate out of the skimmer and drain it under the deck in the backyard. Not sure about the smell but what about the salt? Probably won't do it but just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innate1 Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 There was a thread on here about what people did with their water from a water change and everyone was worried about the salt on their grass. I dump mine in the same spot every time and that's where the grass grows fastest and greenest. As far as feeding the plants the feeder sprayer adds fresh water so I think the salt issue is pretty mute here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Monnat Jr Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 There was a thread on here about what people did with their water from a water change and everyone was worried about the salt on their grass. I dump mine in the same spot every time and that's where the grass grows fastest and greenest. As far as feeding the plants the feeder sprayer adds fresh water so I think the salt issue is pretty mute here. My question also asked how much wet skimming drops tank salinity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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