Protein Skimmer Goo

**cocoa_pleco** · 05-28-2008, 04:10 AM

Originally Posted by Halelorf

Mine has been a dark tea color to a greenish algae water color. Just depends on what is there in the water to take out I guess.

yeah, its probably whats in the water. Ive always gotten coffee, unless i set the flow too high, which means it gets more diluted and looks like tea

**Dave66** · 05-28-2008, 04:38 AM

Folks,
The skimmate should be nearly dry, medium brown, and stink to high Heaven. It should be in no way wet. If so, your air-water mix is too rich and you need to retune your skimmer to get proper skimmate. If your skimmate is wet or worse wet and runny, you're not getting all the organic waste out of your tank.
By the way, coach, your skimmate is green due to a proliferation of floating algae cells. You may not see any green water in your tank, but the skimmate sure indicates they are there. If you've a microscope, put a clothespin on your nose, take a drop of the green goop, and take a look. You'll see the cells.

Dave

**coachfraley** · 05-28-2008, 04:50 AM

Dave is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have missed you around here!

So if the skimmate is very watery, the skimmer needs to be turned down (less air)?

I am new to skimmers, so I am pretty confused about how to tune mine. I followed the factory directions, and the skimmer was producing very little skimmate, but it was thick, dark stuff. I assumed that I wasn't producing enough, so I opened up the valve to increase the volume. Now it is green tea.

BTW, I am using a Tunze 9002

**cocoa_pleco** · 05-28-2008, 05:02 AM

Im using the needle-wheel 65g coralife skimmer, and you cant turn down the air (and the instructions say not to), so to get less watery skimming. i would imagine you would turn down the flow knob a bit, so you get more concentrated skimming

**Dave66** · 05-28-2008, 05:12 AM

Originally Posted by coachfraley

Dave is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have missed you around here!

So if the skimmate is very watery, the skimmer needs to be turned down (less air)?

I am new to skimmers, so I am pretty confused about how to tune mine. I followed the factory directions, and the skimmer was producing very little skimmate, but it was thick, dark stuff. I assumed that I wasn't producing enough, so I opened up the valve to increase the volume. Now it is green tea.

BTW, I am using a Tunze 9002

Thanks coach for the welcome back :)

Had to look up your skimmer to find out how it was constructed and how to tune it, as it's for smaller tanks. How long has it been running? Takes weeks for one to break in to produce the proper skimmate. I saw were the air-water mixture control is. You'll have to do gradual changes until the bubbles burst pushing the nearly dry brown stuff up the throat of the cup into the collection. Takes a while for a skimmer to break in, and it can take even longer to tune it properly. It should be thick and dark but almost dry for a while until it settles in and produces the proper medium brown skimmate. And if you think the stuff you're getting smells bad, a whiff of the proper skimmate will curl your nose hairs for sure.
When I say medium brown and nearly dry, if you've let a frosty from Wendy's defrost and dry out, that's what the skimmate should look like.

Dave

**cocoa_pleco** · 05-28-2008, 05:15 AM

Originally Posted by Dave66

if you've let a frosty from Wendy's defrost and dry out, that's what the skimmate should look like.

HAHA, that actually came to mind for me too, its gross how bubbly and thick frosties get after a while

**coachfraley** · 05-28-2008, 05:20 AM

The skimmer has been running for about 3 and 1/2 weeks now.

Based on your description, I have it "turned up" too high. I will try adjusting it down gradually.

Thanks Dave!

**jimpierce** · 05-28-2008, 05:26 AM

smell like crap? I think thats an understatement. Here is a shot of mine. Tomorrow is cleaning day. Not sure I can ever have a Frosty from Wendy's again now. Bad enough working a sewer treatment plant when I was 15 ruined chocolate pudding for me.
What do you think? Look about right?

**Dave66** · 05-28-2008, 05:48 AM

Nah, Jim, too liquid. Looks like you're mixture is far too rich. Try dialing back the air a click, let it run like that a few days, then another click, another few days, until its nearly dry foam. Only descriptive analogy I could think of to describe proper skimmate was a dry frosty, sorry. You'll get considerably more organics out of your tank with proper skimmate. Downside is not only will the smell peel paint, you'll be emptying the cup more often, usually daily.
At my house my Emily goes outside and the cats vamoose to the great outdoors when I empty skimmer cups. As I stopped gagging every time years ago, the smell just makes my eyes water now days.
Got to convince your head that chocolate pudding and frostys are just fine, Jim, your stomach doesn't care.

Dave

**sailor** · 05-28-2008, 01:13 PM

Cocoa mentioned on an earlier post he was cleaning his protein skimmer.
Is there a symptom or indication that this needs to be done, and how often?
Thanks in advance.