Skimmate question

dizzyg

Red Sea Max 250
Joined
30 Oct 2009
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Durban, S.A
Hi Guys

silly thing to do but I thought id give the skimmate a sniff from my work tank, Iv never really gotten a big whiff of it but I thought it didnt smell as strong because of the large open factory. What I found is that the skimmate smelled of plants and it wasnt a bad smell at all, which is COMPLETELY the opposite of my home tank which smells of raw sewerage and makes me heave sometimes!

I clean each about once a week so its not like one is being cleaned more often allowing it to smell less.

Both tanks get fed the same type of food, my home tank I feed less due to less fish though. Both tanks are 250l, Home skimmer is a red sea skimmer that comes with the RSM tank and the work skimmer is a hang on back reef octopus.

What would cause such a difference in smells from the skimmate?
 
Hi DizzyG - this depends on what fish you have in the 2 tanks..... and some other processes.
BUT, it could also be because the ReefOctopus hang-on skimmer is skimmer far more wet, than the one at home....
 
@ Jacquesb - I wouldn't say there is a massive difference between the fish other than work tank having more, I thought this would result in the work skimmer smelling worse but this is not the case, could it be one skimmer is "better" than the other?
I haven't had the chance to sniff anyone else's skimmate before so nothing to compare with :p
 
I think the differeance is due to wet and dry skimming. What is the fluid like, same colour? Or the one that stinks more, darker in colour?
 
Stinky Skimmate is darker in colour, the major diff between the 2 systems is one is 5 months old and the other is 2 years old, the mature system has the less smelly skimmate.
 
Stinky Skimmate is darker in colour
There is your answer
Dry skimming compared to wet skimming. Takes longer to fill the cup, so you leave it there longer. And the removed stuff inside is actually more after longer period.

To really compare both skimmers. Clean them both today, and sniff both Friday. At about same time.
 
Could be the surface gunk??
Does this skimmer you speak of suck in water from the surface of the water? maybe its just not getting that oily layer that develops at the water's surface, just a thought :whistling:
 
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