Noob ?'s about my skimmer. (New/first tank setup)

Radioheadx14 · 09/26/2007, 11:23 PM

Ok, so i have been cycling my tank for a week with live rock and finally got my skimmer ready for use... few questions:

I have a turboflotor t1000, a oceanrunner 2700 pump and a smaller pump to supply the skimmer with water. My question is, how do i know if i have it running right? I set the supply pump to keep a constant water about 3/4 full, then turned on the ocean runner on (according to the directions.) Bubbles fill the entire base but they only go to the bottom of the collection cup (the base of the bottle neck.) Is that how its suppose to be if i don't have a large bioload producing waste?

I guess im having trouble knowing if i have the thing set up right... This is my first saltwater setup and first experience with a skimmer.

Burbs · 09/27/2007, 12:00 AM

from your post sounds like your running it right

Radioheadx14 · 09/27/2007, 12:20 AM

every once and a while it will bubble over and the cup will gain some water... is that normal?

Burbs · 09/27/2007, 12:24 AM

dirty or clean water and how much?

Radioheadx14 · 09/27/2007, 12:31 AM

looks clean, and the cup filled about half way within an hour or so.

Burbs · 09/27/2007, 12:53 AM

shoud be dirty looking water kinda brownish filling the cup

Radioheadx14 · 09/27/2007, 06:55 AM

it did look a tin of yellow... i thought the cup was supose to take a long time to fill though?

BangkokMatt · 09/27/2007, 07:01 AM

Sounds like your set up is ok. Skimmers can take a few days to settle in, particularly when new. Just monitor it. Everything seems right at the moment.

hwttdz · 09/27/2007, 07:06 AM

Some skimmers take even longer to break in, mine took something like 2-3 weeks. Also you're right about it not producing lots of skimmate while your tank is nearly empty. You are eventually going to want to set the water level a little lower such that the cup fills every day to 5 days. The lower limit is wet skimming, the skimmate will be wet, which removes more waste but is higher maintenance. The upper limit is dry skimming, and you can kind of tune the skimmer the way you prefer.

Radioheadx14 · 09/27/2007, 08:08 AM

now the cup fills in a period of 10-15 minutes... The manual said to use a feed pump between 100-200gph and i have 160gph, but it fills the base completely, the only way i can prevent it from filling completely is if i turn the valve almost completely off so no water gets in. Is it normal to fill that fast?

Radioheadx14 · 09/27/2007, 10:43 AM

bump

BangkokMatt · 09/27/2007, 11:43 PM

It shouldn't fill that fast. You have set it to high. Try and maintain a steady stream of bubbles going half way up the final chamber, before it spills over into the cup. It will look like it is to low but over a few hours the bubbles with protein on will be pushed over the top. I collect about an inch of skimmate in my cup a day. Aim for that, get used to how it works and then adjust to how you would like it.

09/26/2007, 11:23 PM	#1
Radioheadx14 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,601	Noob ?'s about my skimmer. (New/first tank setup) Ok, so i have been cycling my tank for a week with live rock and finally got my skimmer ready for use... few questions: I have a turboflotor t1000, a oceanrunner 2700 pump and a smaller pump to supply the skimmer with water. My question is, how do i know if i have it running right? I set the supply pump to keep a constant water about 3/4 full, then turned on the ocean runner on (according to the directions.) Bubbles fill the entire base but they only go to the bottom of the collection cup (the base of the bottle neck.) Is that how its suppose to be if i don't have a large bioload producing waste? I guess im having trouble knowing if i have the thing set up right... This is my first saltwater setup and first experience with a skimmer.

09/27/2007, 07:01 AM	#8
BangkokMatt Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Krung Thep Posts: 3,100	Sounds like your set up is ok. Skimmers can take a few days to settle in, particularly when new. Just monitor it. Everything seems right at the moment. __________________ I've spent a lot of money on booze, women and fish. The rest I just squandered. Current Tank Info: 150g sps Reef (now FOWLR after a devastating crash due to chiller) , 2x400w MH (Icecap ballast, Lumenmax 2, Reeflux 12k SE), Deltec AP701, Grotech Tec III, Chiller, 2 x Tunze 6101, 1 x 6205 (+ m/c), bla bla

09/27/2007, 11:43 PM	#12
BangkokMatt Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Krung Thep Posts: 3,100	It shouldn't fill that fast. You have set it to high. Try and maintain a steady stream of bubbles going half way up the final chamber, before it spills over into the cup. It will look like it is to low but over a few hours the bubbles with protein on will be pushed over the top. I collect about an inch of skimmate in my cup a day. Aim for that, get used to how it works and then adjust to how you would like it. __________________ I've spent a lot of money on booze, women and fish. The rest I just squandered. Current Tank Info: 150g sps Reef (now FOWLR after a devastating crash due to chiller) , 2x400w MH (Icecap ballast, Lumenmax 2, Reeflux 12k SE), Deltec AP701, Grotech Tec III, Chiller, 2 x Tunze 6101, 1 x 6205 (+ m/c), bla bla

09/27/2007, 12:00 AM	#2
Burbs Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Charleston,SC Posts: 324	from your post sounds like your running it right

09/27/2007, 12:20 AM	#3
Radioheadx14 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,601	every once and a while it will bubble over and the cup will gain some water... is that normal?

09/27/2007, 12:24 AM	#4
Burbs Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Charleston,SC Posts: 324	dirty or clean water and how much?

09/27/2007, 12:31 AM	#5
Radioheadx14 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,601	looks clean, and the cup filled about half way within an hour or so.

09/27/2007, 12:53 AM	#6
Burbs Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Charleston,SC Posts: 324	shoud be dirty looking water kinda brownish filling the cup

09/27/2007, 06:55 AM	#7
Radioheadx14 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,601	it did look a tin of yellow... i thought the cup was supose to take a long time to fill though?

09/27/2007, 07:06 AM	#9
hwttdz Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: NY, NY Posts: 105	Some skimmers take even longer to break in, mine took something like 2-3 weeks. Also you're right about it not producing lots of skimmate while your tank is nearly empty. You are eventually going to want to set the water level a little lower such that the cup fills every day to 5 days. The lower limit is wet skimming, the skimmate will be wet, which removes more waste but is higher maintenance. The upper limit is dry skimming, and you can kind of tune the skimmer the way you prefer.

09/27/2007, 08:08 AM	#10
Radioheadx14 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,601	now the cup fills in a period of 10-15 minutes... The manual said to use a feed pump between 100-200gph and i have 160gph, but it fills the base completely, the only way i can prevent it from filling completely is if i turn the valve almost completely off so no water gets in. Is it normal to fill that fast?

09/27/2007, 10:43 AM	#11
Radioheadx14 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,601	bump