unclejed

Hello gang, I need opinions about letting the skimmer keep running or shutting it down when I go on vacation. After a recent episode of it producing excessively (per the post "skimmer overproduces") I am leery now of running it when I am away. It will only be 1 week. I left it running when I went away a couple of months ago, but the more I think about it, if the person watching the tank for me only comes once a day and the skimmer over flows in the morning.....well, you know. It is in the sump too and we don't want all that junk going back into the tank. What do you all think?

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"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions."
Albert Einstein

Nereaga

Hey Jed,

IMO, shut it down if you are worried... One week without won't kill anything and you won't be worrying about it the whole time you are gone...

Brad

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75g Mixed Reef w/ Fish

unclejed

Thanks Brad, kind of thinking along those lines.

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"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions."
Albert Einstein

Rychek

I agree with Brad on this one. If in doubt, shut it down.

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90 gal Mixed Reef

las4444

I would shut it down also. I have been running the new denitrifier for two weeks now with great success. It takes daily attention early on until I match the output to the production of my tank. I'm leaving for vacation in a week or so and am not going to risk a disaster. I like to sleep at night.

For my skimmer, I leave it run but turn it all the way back so there is little chance of overproducing. This way my water still gets the gas exchange.

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Tank: 75 Gallon Reef, 20 gallon wet/dry, Quiet1One 4000 pump, 250 watt heater, Milwaukee PH monitor, Coralife 125 skimmer, Coralife 260 watt light.

Fish: Golden Wrasse, Sailfin Tang, Convict Gobbie, Tomato Clown, and Foxface Rabbit, CCStar, BTA, Colt coral and a cleanup crew including a camel shrimp.

Nereaga

Good piont Las, about aeration/gas exchange....

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75g Mixed Reef w/ Fish

unclejed

Yes, thanks las, totally forgot about the gas exchange and aeration. This is precisely why we have forums!

__________________
"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions."
Albert Einstein

las4444

I'm glad you got the gist. After I read my response I said crap. Shut it down-leave it on-avoid disaster! "Turn it all the way back, let it gas exchange and have a great vacation", would have been much better that the garbled first attempt.

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Tank: 75 Gallon Reef, 20 gallon wet/dry, Quiet1One 4000 pump, 250 watt heater, Milwaukee PH monitor, Coralife 125 skimmer, Coralife 260 watt light.

Fish: Golden Wrasse, Sailfin Tang, Convict Gobbie, Tomato Clown, and Foxface Rabbit, CCStar, BTA, Colt coral and a cleanup crew including a camel shrimp.

unclejed

No problem las, as a bowling coach I have a knack for deciphering what people are trying to say (har, har).

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"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions."
Albert Einstein

Andyoybna

One thing that you can do to prevent a skimmer scum overflow, AND keep your skimmer running while you are away, would be to drill a small hole in the collection cup about two thirds of the way up, and to run some airline tubing down to another container. I've never done this personally, but I have seen it done before.

IMO if the person watching your tank knows little to nothing about aquariums, the best option would be limiting their duties to LIGHT feeding, and topping off the water, and if you could possible set aside RO/DI water for them to use beforehand, and show them where it is, and exactly what you want the water level to be in your sump, you should be okay.
LOL... I could see someone adding water to the main tank waiting for it to get full while the sump overflows onto their feet...

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