Wet skimming is a protein skimming technique where you adjust your skimmer to produce a thinner, more frequent skimmate.
According to the provided reference, wet skimming is essentially running your skimmer so the foam head is right up near the top of the neck. This setting results in skimmate (the liquid pulled out by the skimmer) falling into the collection cup at a much faster rate than normal.
Understanding Wet Skimming
Protein skimmers remove organic waste from aquarium water by creating a column of bubbles. Waste particles stick to these bubbles and rise into a collection cup.
In a wet skimming setup:
- The water level inside the skimmer body is typically higher.
- The amount of air mixed with the water might be adjusted.
- The goal is to push the foam column very high into the neck of the skimmer.
This higher foam level means less "drying time" for the foam before it overflows into the collection cup.
How It Works
- Higher Water Level/More Air: Adjusting the skimmer's water level or air intake pushes the foam upward aggressively.
- Foam Head near Neck Top: As stated in the reference, the key is having the foam head right up near the top of the neck.
- Rapid Overflow: The less dense, wetter foam quickly overflows into the collection cup.
- Faster Skimmate Collection: Consequently, the collection cup fills up with skimmate at a much faster rate than normal.
Advantages & Considerations
Wet skimming pulls out more water along with the waste, resulting in a lighter-colored, less concentrated skimmate that accumulates quickly. This can be beneficial for removing dissolved organics rapidly or maintaining stable water parameters in certain situations.
However, because more water is removed, you will need to replenish evaporated or skimmed water more frequently using an automatic top-off (ATO) system or manual additions.
Adjusting Your Skimmer for Wet Skimming
To achieve a wet skim, you typically need to adjust your skimmer's settings. This usually involves:
- Increasing the internal water level of the skimmer.
- Sometimes, slightly increasing the airflow (though this varies by skimmer design).
Caution: Follow your specific skimmer's manual for detailed adjustment instructions. Over-adjusting can lead to microbubbles in the tank or overflow.
