Does wet skim effect my salinity ?

[tbub1221]

My skimmer on my bc29 isn't the most efficient but it does work.
I use an aquatic life 115 compact skimmer. It fits in chamber #1 with everything closed up in place.
Iv never read a review that said anyone gets these making dry skim so I'm not chasing it , just wonder how it could negatively affect my water.
Honestly I could more than likely do away with the skimmer , I do 20% weekly wc , but I like knowing its there , and the waste it pulls is proof enough.
But last week I discovered my salinity off a little and started me wondering , if its wet skim could it be carrying my salt and minerals with it ?
I have ato so i wondered if the skimmer and ato together could be the culprit .

 

[ralph atl]

yes it could.....

 

[acroholic]

Any liquid your skimmer pulls will have some salt in it. If it is pulling enough to lower your SG, do something simple like mix your WC water SG .001 units higher that the tank water, like if tank SG is 1.025, mix your WC water at 1.026 . If doing this once a week is too much (raises SG too high), then alternate it every other week, or every third week until you strike a balance that keeps your SG constant.

 

[tbub1221]

Acroholic;904615 wrote: Any liquid your skimmer pulls will have some salt in it. If it is pulling enough to lower your SG, do something simple like mix your WC water SG .001 units higher that the tank water, like if tank SG is 1.025, mix your WC water at 1.026 . If doing this once a week is too much (raises SG too high), then alternate it every other week, or every third week until you strike a balance that keeps your SG constant.

I did this today to see how it works out , Thankyou for the idea , I think it will help probably every other w/c

 

[acroholic]

Tbub1221;904795 wrote: I did this today to see how it works out , Thankyou for the idea , I think it will help probably every other w/c

Happy to help. I suggested this method for you because of the limited system volume you have. On larger systems with sumps, I would have suggested just dumping salt into a filter sock if you had it. In my 100 gallon and 465 gallon reef systems, if I need to adjust salinity up, I just dump salt straight into a filter sock, and it dissolves and goes into the system dilute enough to not hurt anything. If I needed to adjust salinity down, I would just pour RODI into the sump, let it mix for an hour or so, then drain out the excess. Never too much of anything at once. Slow adjustment up or down as needed.

 

[acroholic]

He only has a BioCube 29 gallon AIO tank, and probably has only a 24 gallon net volume in the first place. He could easily alter SG quickly with water changes.

 

[acroholic]

Well, SG will drift downwards if you are pulling wet skimmate, however you look at it. Main thing is to monitor SG and adjust it however he wants.

 

[indecloudzua]

Ditch the aquatic life skimmer before it catches fire

 

[tbub1221]

Ditch the aquatic life skimmer before it catches fire[/QUOTE

What would you suggest I use in its place since your so knowledgeable on the matter . I'm not familiar with another skimmer that would fit my system without loosing my hood which defies the purpose of purchasing an aio system.

 

[indecloudzua]

The tunze 9002 will fit if you also get the aftermarket intake skim collector..

Edit: Look at mediabaskets.com . they've got super fast shipping and great customer service. He refunded my aquatic life and just told me to throw it away since he probably wouldn't carry them any longer