Do you put your skimmate back into your tank?!

[Juiceman]

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?!

[George Monnat Jr]

I have plenty of issues with dino, cyano and GHA, so I don't do it.

[mFrame]

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?

[victoly]

I sweep my floors and throw the dirt up in the air.

[+KimP]

I sweep my floors and throw the dirt up in the air.

Lol!

I think this is crazy too. And kinda gross...

[jestep]

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

[Timfish]

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

[+brian.srock]

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.

[jestep]

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.

[innate1]

I use the skimmate as plant food

[esacjack]

i put it in my ramen noodles.

[+Capt. Obvious]

I bathe with it

[victoly]

I AM THE SKIMMATE

[Planeden]

i put it in my ramen noodles.

it probably improves the taste.

[Planeden]

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.

[Juiceman]

Yal are so Dumb! LOL

[kingjames]

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

[mFrame]

I sweep my floors and throw the dirt up in the air.

[+Mitch]

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.

[innate1]

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.

[Planeden]

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.

[George Monnat Jr]

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.

[+Mlaw]

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.

[innate1]

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.

[George Monnat Jr]

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.