Protein Skimmer and Skimmate Quality
I have a 20 gal reef tank that contains about 15 lbs of live rock, a clown a damsel and a wrasse, and about 10 soft corals. Phosphates are zero and nitrates about 10 ppm.
Reef is doing great! I’ve been able to keep phosphates and nitrates low by doing several water changes a week. Yesterday I decided to buy a skimmer even though my original plan was to keep this reef going without one. Nonetheless I’m now a skimmer, I’m getting a nice foam, apparently of the right consistency (between wet and dry – just right), billions of bubbles in the tower and up into the cup. However, the foam is white and the skimmate is clear.
Is my skimmate clear because my nitrates and phosphates are too low to produce dark foam and dark skimmate?
Any explanation, either simple or complex is appreciated.
Go here to see the original:
Protein Skimmer and Skimmate Quality