Hob Skimmer Cleaning

[Shooter000]

Alright I know you should clean the body of the skimmer every so often, couple months, or whatever, but what if there is so much life going on in the back of it, it's almost not worth killing what's going on in there, I've got so many sponges, shrimps, pods, dusters, I've got a piece of foam that come with my reef octopus and have wedged it in sideways so it doesn't block the flow, now there's so many sponges and such living in it, and below, I'm even getting crazy amounts of pods in my carbon pads and filter floss when I take them out to be changed, it's kinda nuts!!, there very little to NO detritus build up in the skimmer body, what should I do??

Leave it and hope it stays this way as it's kind of acting like a fuge?

Or keep the sponge life, rinse the skimmer body out and start all over?

What shall i do?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿

 

[Chef G]

Sounds like you need\want a sump lol Thats crazy you got it to work like that! I dont see the harm as long as you keep an eye on it.
Someone else on here will prolly have a better answer tho. Prolly get a hold of you next month for some more frags

 

[EricTMah]

I'd say if you're keeping up on the pump maintenance and it's not effecting the performance of the skimmer. Then let them be

Sony Xperia Z3

 

[Shooter000]

Ive only cleaned the pump once and it seems to be running fine still, that was my only worry was the pump, don't really want it to get all cruddy, but no other way to keep the life alive in the body of the skimmer if I take off the pump?¿

 

[Shooter000]

Sounds like you need\want a sump lol Thats crazy you got it to work like that! I dont see the harm as long as you keep an eye on it.
Someone else on here will prolly have a better answer tho. Prolly get a hold of you next month for some more frags

Sounds good buddy, stop by for a visit somete lots on the racks , shut down the frag tank so the DT's are filled with frags again...

 

[EricTMah]

What skimmer is it?

Sony Xperia Z3

 

[Shooter000]

Reef octopus BH-1000

 

[EricTMah]

Why don't you just pull the pump for maintenance?

Sony Xperia Z3

 

[Shooter000]

If I did that wouldn't that drain most the water out of the skimmer until it reached the curved bubble trap area, I e got sponges growing way above that point almost to were it says reef octopus on the skimmer:0

 

[EricTMah]

If I did that wouldn't that drain most the water out of the skimmer until it reached the curved bubble trap area, I e got sponges growing way above that point almost to were it says reef octopus on the skimmer:0

Take the skimmer off the tank. Find a bucket that it fits in. Fill it with tank water. Pull the pump and soak the skimmer in tank water until you're done cleaning it.

Sony Xperia Z3

 

[Shooter000]

Take the skimmer off the tank. Find a bucket that it fits in. Fill it with tank water. Pull the pump and soak the skimmer in tank water until you're done cleaning it.

Sony Xperia Z3

I was just thinking something like that, 5 gallon should do the trick, thx Eric

 

[Luke.]

I know i like to about once every 6 months i take a few pails (not circle onces) and fill it with the hottest water I can And use slot of vinegar and I'll let that run for an hour or 2 and then but those sticks with a brush and try to clean. A bit of algee from the light ,

I came home to my skimmer backing up and about 2 gallons on saltwater on the upstairs hard wood -.- left a wee stain downstairs but the skimmer had massive chuncks all in it and it had to be done .
But mine didn't have any life like yours but I agree 100% with Eric if the pumps fine leave it,
IMO when you go to list the soimmer off the tank it's going to drain the the chamber cylinder so watch out for the water good luck man .

This is for a psk100 e shop skimmer

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

Yu don't want to use hottest water to clean plastic as it will warp them and stretch o rings and rubber peices