Skimmers are gross… how long since you cleaned yours?

[Formulator]

Noticed my skimmer wasn’t collecting much lately so I took a peek…. Probably been 2 years since I cleaned the neck. I know, I know, it should be part of my regular maintenance, but I just hate doing it and my tank doesn’t seem to mind too much.

Anybody else a chronic skimmer neglector? What are the consequences of doing this (even if not immediately apparent by looking at the tank)?

 

[felda001]

About 10 minutes ago as it happens....

 

[felda001]

I'm assuming not cleaning it causes problems as they make head cleaners for the skimmers. But I have no idea if it actually causes problems. I had an overflow 15 years ago from my skimmer and so I keep a careful eye on it these days

 

[Idech]

I cleaned mine 2 days ago. It was the first time since I put it on the tank 5 months ago and it made a difference in it’s performance. I can’t imagine 2 years…

 

[Formulator]

I cleaned mine 2 days ago. It was the first time since I put it on the tank 5 months ago and it made a difference in it’s performance. I can’t imagine 2 years…

I didn’t really intend or even realize it had been that long until I really thought about it, but ya - not recommended!

 

[t5Nitro]

Mine seems like it gets cleaned with each tank move so far. So maybe once or twice.

 

[ladz]

Clean the neck once a month as it became a chore dialing it in every time the days following.

 

[ca1ore]

I have used an avast neck cleaner for many years, and skimmate drains into a tub with a pump in it, so ‘cleaning’ just involves switching on the pump for a few minutes to send the fluid to drain. Every six months or so I have to clean the neck cleaner. Maybe somebody can make a cleaner for the neck cleaner.

Some Uber fancy skimmers have a wash down feature that strikes me as a more elegant solution ….. more expensive as well.

 

[Gtinnel]

I rarely ever clean the body and pump, but I take the cup and clean it off at least once a week, and often twice a week.
I didn’t realize people went so long without cleaning their necks. IME being clean makes the skimmer work much better.

 

[Formulator]

I have used an avast neck cleaner for many years, and skimmate drains into a tub with a pump in it, so ‘cleaning’ just involves switching on the pump for a few minutes to send the fluid to drain. Every six months or so I have to clean the neck cleaner. Maybe somebody can make a cleaner for the neck cleaner.

Some Uber fancy skimmers have a wash down feature that strikes me as a more elegant solution ….. more expensive as well.

How do you like the avast neck cleaner? I’ve heard mixed reviews with some people saying it just knocks the crud back down into the skimmer body so its not really doing any good.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Noticed my skimmer wasn’t collecting much lately so I took a peek…. Probably been 2 years since I cleaned the neck. I know, I know, it should be part of my regular maintenance, but I just hate doing it and my tank doesn’t seem to mind too much.

Anybody else a chronic skimmer neglector? What are the consequences of doing this (even if not immediately apparent by looking at the tank)?

The cup or the body?

The cup gets cleaed everytime it is emptied which is about weekly

The body, maybe twice a year.

 

[ca1ore]

How do you like the avast neck cleaner? I’ve heard mixed reviews with some people saying it just knocks the crud back down into the skimmer body so it’s not really doing any good.

I have been using it for many years. It’s one of the very few skimmer ‘tweaks’ that actually makes a substantial difference. Folks who make that claim haven’t fully thought things through. As long as you run it regularly, it just returns the foam that adheres to the neck to the foam that overflows the neck. Yes, if you ran it, say, once a week, it probably would be dumping skim paste back into the water column. I run mine for 10 minutes every 6 hours. No paste.

The only challenge is making sure the unit is centered and that the squeegee contacts the entire circumference of the neck. Recent versions used a dual squeegee for this reason.

The only reason I can think of to clean the flooded reaction chamber is if stray light causes algae growth.

 

[JAS927]

There’s things thriving inside of mine it’s so neglected lol

 

[BeanAnimal]

I have been using it for many years. It’s one of the very few skimmer ‘tweaks’ that actually makes a substantial difference. Folks who make that claim haven’t fully thought things through. As long as you run it regularly, it just returns the foam that adheres to the neck to the foam that overflows the neck. Yes, if you ran it, say, once a week, it probably would be dumping skim paste back into the water column. I run mine for 10 minutes every 6 hours. No paste.

The only challenge is making sure the unit is centered and that the squeegee contacts the entire circumference of the neck. Recent versions used a dual squeegee for this reason.

The only reason I can think of to clean the flooded reaction chamber is if stray light causes algae growth.

If the crud (or the stuff that makes the crud) is not building up on the neck, where is it going? It has to be going back into the water to be skimmed back out and then scraped back in to be skimmed back out….. sure it keeps the neck clean but reduces substantially what is skimmed out.

I would like to see two skimmers run with the same tuning side by side in the same system, one with and one without the neck cleaner.

 

[randomfishdude]

About a month since I last emptied it. Jt dosnt seem to be working good.
Don't understand how tho. My phos has spiked and something is going outta wack in tank. Just had 2 torch die of bjd 2 months apart.

 

[VintageReefer]

I read efficiency increases by 30% when the neck is cleaned. It’s less resistance and smoother surface making it easier for foam/bubbles to rise

 

[VintageReefer]

That said I found my skimmer stays cleaner significantly longer by leaving it unplugged. It’s been 2 years now and it’s still clean inside

 

[BeanAnimal]

I read efficiency increases by 30% when the neck is cleaned. It’s less resistance and smoother surface making it easier for foam/bubbles to rise

I skim very dry. The cup takes weeks to fill and does so at a steady rate. The neck is caked with 1/2 of crud when I do clean it. I honestly don’t think it makes much difference, at least the way that my skimmer is tuned.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I probably clean mine every month or two. However, mine is just a small one that came with my tank, so it isn't too much of a hassle to clean.

 

[ca1ore]

If the crud (or the stuff that makes the crud) is not building up on the neck, where is it going? It has to be going back into the water to be skimmed back out and then scraped back in to be skimmed back out….. sure it keeps the neck clean but reduces substantially what is skimmed out.

I would like to see two skimmers run with the same tuning side by side in the same system, one with and one without the neck cleaner.

If you run the squeegee regularly, there is no paste buildup on the neck walls. Any foam that is prevented from adhering simply stays as part of the foam head. Ok, paste does build up on the neck cleaner itself, requiring periodic manual removal, but I have not observed it falling back into the water column.

Interesting question though about what depresses skimmer performance more. The use of a neck cleaner, or poor husbandry of skimmers without them?