AskReefDudes: How often to Clean your Skimmer Cup

Roy writes in and asks "Some protein skimmer manufacturers say clean the collection cup weekly, and some say every 2 to 3 months. what are your thoughts on this."

I personally clean mine weekly as letting too much gunk build up on the neck can decrease performance. You could get away with a longer gap in maintenance if you use a neck cleaner to help keep things clean.

As for the cup it self, most cups have a port and hose on the bottom so you could let it drain into a storage container if you planned on being out of town or away from the tank for an extended period of time.  if you go down this route i would also recommend looking into a neck cleaner.

A neck cleaner will likely be a future DIY project for me..however, for now.. a simple rinse in the sink does wonders.

So how often do you guys clean your skimmer?

 

https://youtu.be/S9EkuN_e0do