Low-bioload tank skimmate production

[kaybee]

Does anyone have a low-bioload or lightly stocked med/large tank?

If so, what type of skimmate is your protein skimmer producing? I'm trying to figure out if my protein skimmer is underperforming or performing as it should.

I've got a 65gal reef tank occupied by:

- 4 small fish (a 2.5" royal gramma is the largest fish and largest species in the tank)
- 1 scarlet-legged hermit crab
- 1 blue porcelein crab
- 1 small fighting conch
- 2 mexican turbo snails
- 1 purple/maroon serpent star
- about 6 or 7 astrea snails (relocated from another tank for their own safety rather than for clean up crew duties in this tank)
- a myriad of corals

I feed the fish a pinch of tiny pellets once every 2 days, and feed my corals the equivalent of two cubes of mysis shrimp every 7-10 days.

While the skimmer does pull out some darker crud (present in the throat and bottom of the collection cup), skimmate is never darker than apple juice. It produces about a cup or two a day.

Is this because my skimmer (a Remora AquaC) is sub-par or because of the relatively light bioload?

Does anyone else have a similarly lightly-stocked tank but are pulling out dark tea/black chunky coffee type skimmate?

Additional info: my system is undrilled and sumpless so I can only use a hang on back skimmer (which is why I went with the skimmer that I have; I realize there are better sump-positioned skimmers out there).

I'm also doing a year-long observation of heavy carbon-use in a reef system and am running a canister filter containing copious amounts (as in several cups' worth) of high-grade carbon, so it's possible the adsorbtion qualities of that media is competing with protein skimmer.

[oldhead]

How long has the tank been set up and running? And how long has the skimmer been going? AquaC is a pretty good brand, most people recommend them for HOB applications. So I wouldn't think that it's the skimmmer right off hand.

[Halelorf]

I have a 15 gallon reef tank with 1 ocellaris clown, several scarlet hermit crabs, 2 turbo snails, 1 mythrax crab, and tons of cerith and nassarius snails. I have a aquac nano remora skimmer for mine. I lost the o-ring that goes on the skimmer cup so unless I put a thick rubber band on it it sits all the way in the skimmer. Mine produces skimmage that will look like a weak green tea with some very dark brown solids on the sides sitting all the way in the skimmer. If I put a rubber band on the cup and have it elevated it get brown solids. AquaC is a pretty good brand so I wouldn't think it's your skimmer. You may have hit it already with your heavy carbon experiment. Try placing the skim cup at a higher level and see what it gets. Also mine has a overflow preskimmer attachment that I got from this website, it seems to make the skimmer preform much better. http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~protein_skimmers_aquac_r emora_pro.html

[kaybee]

Old post for sure but I've got an update.

But to respond to some unanswered questions in this thread:

(to oldhead): At the time of the initial post the tank had been set up for nearly 2 years with the AquaC Remora being on it from nearly the beginning.

(to Halelorf): I had the cup set slightly up to avoid very wet skimmate (which would only resemble slightly cloudy tank water). The results of the skimmate at its best was similar to your description, somewhat green tea in color with a lot of dark brown solids in the throat of the collection cup. I also had the overflow pre-skimmer attachment.

(Fast forwarding to the present as this thread was created last summer): Well, a couple of weeks ago (after never really getting any serious skimmate from the Remora) I decided to get an Octopus hang on back skimmer (the 800S model), and moved the Remora onto my 75gal fish only tank which has a much larger bio-load (larger fish fed larger portions of food more often).

While I've only had the Octopus for a couple of weeks, it is definately out performing the Remora I had on the tank:

Skimmate from the AquaC Remora (75gal fish only system w/four well-fed 4"-7" fish). On the 65gal the skimmate would seldom get any darker than this, frequently it was lighter.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a259/y2kenny19/Saltwater2009/remoraskimmate.jpg

Skimmate from the Octopus 800S (65gal reef system, w/four sparsely-fed 2"-2.5" fish), and this skimmer is still breaking in.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a259/y2kenny19/Saltwater2009/octoskimmate2.jpg

The Octopus is definately pulling out a lot more than the previous skimmer, even with the light-bioload. Additionally, while my Remora's skimmate smells simillar to used-filter media or perhaps cured live rock, the skimmate from the new skimmer smells horridly evil :surprised: (way worse than decomposing marine snails which had been the worse thing I ever smelled from a SW tank, up to now).

So far, I'm definately impressed with the Octopus HOB skimmer!

[AABatteries]

Wow, big difference.

I have an ultra low bioload for my 20g. 2 red leg hermits, 4 blue leg hermits, 5 atrea snails, 2 cerith snails, 2 nassarius snails, and 1 emerald crab, just the CUC. And I run a CPR BakPak, which barely pulls out any skimmate with such a low bioload. But, for the the first few days after it was broken in, it was pulling out loads, with a slightly heavier bioload.

So, if you hadn't got that new skimmer, I'd say it was the low bioload.

[oldhead]

Great difference! I love my Ocot and will be going with them for my in sump skimmer once I start my larger tank build.