Skimmate color

[chrisyew]

Can I say that the protein skimmer is to skim off protein and other organic waste in the tank?

- May I know what causes the skimmate to be coffee black in color and what is these coffee black stuff actually - protein or just organic waste?

- If the color in the collection cup is yellowish in color, does it mean that it only skims off the protein but not the organic waste? And in this case, does it mean that the skimmer is not effective as it doesn't skim off the organic waste too?

Thank you.

[Eric]

Can I say that the protein skimmer is to skim off protein and other organic waste in the tank?

- May I know what causes the skimmate to be coffee black in color and what is these coffee black stuff actually - protein or just organic waste?

- If the color in the collection cup is yellowish in color, does it mean that it only skims off the protein but not the organic waste? And in this case, does it mean that the skimmer is not effective as it doesn't skim off the organic waste too?

Thank you.

Set the water level of your skimmer lower and comfirm you will get dark skimmate in due time.

Eric

[chrisyew]

Set the water level of your skimmer lower and comfirm you will get dark skimmate in due time.

Eric

Hi Eric,

Thanks for the advise.

Do you mean the water level below the collection cup? Setting it lower also means raising the skimmer higher right?

Mine is the cheap cheap one - those with air pump driving a wood block to bubble type. Will such cheap skimmer still give coffee black skimmate?

[Alvin Tan]

air driven skimmer are not as effective as venturi driven ones...so i dun tink a air driven skimmer can give u a result as it can be compared to a venturi one..

my 2 cents worth..

[madmac]

Can I say that the protein skimmer is to skim off protein and other organic waste in the tank?

I think the term protein was coined along the lines of nutrient, and organic waste are the same meaning in this context... so yes would be correct.

- May I know what causes the skimmate to be coffee black in color and what is these coffee black stuff actually - protein or just organic waste?

Dry skimming can be concentrated froth or diluted and black, try feeding them to your potted plants and see what happens... you won't be disappointed. It was found that black dry skimmate contains a very high of N and P, something like in 4500 ppm N and 250 ppm P

- If the color in the collection cup is yellowish in color, does it mean that it only skims off the protein but not the organic waste? And in this case, does it mean that the skimmer is not effective as it doesn't skim off the organic waste too?

Thank you.

If yellow-green, or brownish, its likely the skimmate is wetter... such skimmate contains phyto(greenish) and bacteria flock(brownish), you are still removing nutrients, except that these nutrients are stored in the bacteria and phyto. You are making your tank cleaner by "harvesting-and-exporting" these living things. Thus allowing newer bacteria-eating-nutrients to grow in place of those removed.

Wet skimming also allows you to remove tiny particles(POC) in the water column, because the skimmate is 'fresh', it doesn't smell as bad as dry skimmate. It is debatable, which is more effective. To me, wet skimming is a more efficient method of skimming if you are able to attain a high tank/flow turnover, causing more of the water vol to be churn in the skimmer.

[chrisyew]

I think the term protein was coined along the lines of nutrient, and organic waste are the same meaning in this context... so yes would be correct.

Dry skimming can be concentrated froth or diluted and black, try feeding them to your potted plants and see what happens... you won't be disappointed. It was found that black dry skimmate contains a very high of N and P, something like in 4500 ppm N and 250 ppm P

If yellow-green, or brownish, its likely the skimmate is wetter... such skimmate contains phyto(greenish) and bacteria flock(brownish), you are still removing nutrients, except that these nutrients are stored in the bacteria and phyto. You are making your tank cleaner by "harvesting-and-exporting" these living things. Thus allowing newer bacteria-eating-nutrients to grow in place of those removed.

Wet skimming also allows you to remove tiny particles(POC) in the water column, because the skimmate is 'fresh', it doesn't smell as bad as dry skimmate. It is debatable, which is more effective. To me, wet skimming is a more efficient method of skimming if you are able to attain a high tank/flow turnover, causing more of the water vol to be churn in the skimmer.

Thanks bro for the detail infos.

Sorri, but there is something that I still dun quite understand - hope you dun mind;

1. You mentioned "black dry skimmate contains a very high of N and P, "; So if my skimmate is wet - does it still skim off the Nitrate and Phosphate (if N and P mean Nitrate and Phosphate)? Though it may not be as much as dry skimmate.

2. Wet skimming also allows you to remove tiny particles(POC) - May I know what POC stand for?

Thank you.

[madmac]

N = nitrogen

P = phosphorus

sometimes ppl believe that when you dose phytoplankton, you'll have to turn off the skimmer as the skimmer skims of these things. Phyto, consumes N compounds, incl. ammonium, NO3 and PO4, these nutrients are taken up by them, phyto and bacteria... they get skimmed out... An indirect way to rid your tank of nutrients is thru' wet skimming.

When you skim dry, you actually remove the N compounds, they require more energy (powerful skimmer pump), and time (as the bubbles are smaller). What remains to be seen is how full you sink is to really test and thats quite difficult to determine... read as, you can never clean enough.

POC, particulate organic compounds, e.g. detritus.

[chrisyew]

N = nitrogen

P = phosphorus

sometimes ppl believe that when you dose phytoplankton, you'll have to turn off the skimmer as the skimmer skims of these things. Phyto, consumes N compounds, incl. ammonium, NO3 and PO4, these nutrients are taken up by them, phyto and bacteria... they get skimmed out... An indirect way to rid your tank of nutrients is thru' wet skimming.

When you skim dry, you actually remove the N compounds, they require more energy (powerful skimmer pump), and time (as the bubbles are smaller). What remains to be seen is how full you sink is to really test and thats quite difficult to determine... read as, you can never clean enough.

POC, particulate organic compounds, e.g. detritus.

Thanks bro, that's really a great help and good infos.

[XPeriment 626]

Dry skimming can be concentrated froth or diluted and black, try feeding them to your potted plants and see what happens... you won't be disappointed. It was found that black dry skimmate contains a very high of N and P, something like in 4500 ppm N and 250 ppm P

erm, isn't this stuff going to harm your plants because of the high sodium content? not sure if you can just dump it on normal garden plants...

[madmac]

Dryier/dark skimmate, worked great for me... bloomed, flowered and fruited.