Having problem w/ my euro reef skimmer.

[jilet]

I have es6-2 euro skimmer with sedra 3000 and its not skimming very much. Its in a 30gal sump with 75gal display. Its mix reef with 6 fish all under 4in. I upgraded my tank from 55gal about 3months ago. The skimmer is producing bubbles but not enough to fill up the collection cup, barely any. Anyone know whats going on with this?

[Cheekymonkey]

Make sure salt creep hasnt blocked the air line, and that the pump intake is not blocked in anyway..

[jilet]

I checked and cleaned everything, but still no improvement. Maybe i need a bigger pump?

[Tennsquire]

Put a Sedra 5000 on there, and you'll be surprised at how much better it skims. I think the CS skimmers were pretty much underpowered. I run a 5000 on my 6-1, and it's a night/day difference from the pump it came with.

[jilet]

Thats what i was thinking, how much skimate you getting a week with the sedra5000 and how much did you get when you had the 3000?

[scotmc]

I am running a 135 with a Sedra 5000, this is what has been produced after four days, I going though an alage bloom.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/...IMG_1836_1.jpg

[jilet]

I not getting anything near that, wondering why the skimmer comes with 3000 and not 5000?

[Tennsquire]

Originally posted by jilet
Thats what i was thinking, how much skimate you getting a week with the sedra5000 and how much did you get when you had the 3000?

The 3000 never did much. I replaced it with another 3000 thinking it was the pump. Nope, it was that the 3000 was undersized on my skimmer, which is the same diameter but 4 inches shorter than yours. I asked ER if a 5000 could be added to it, and they said "no, it's too much pump." Also suggested I buy another ER skimmer (which seemed a little fishy).

Several board members told me that they added a 5000 to the 6-1. I added the 5000, a gate valve on the output, and an airvalve on the air intake line, and it is an entirely different skimmer. I skim fairly dry, and still fill approx. half the collection cup every 4 days or so. I just added a goby and a pistol shrimp, and the skimmer is pulling more now that these two new additions are digging in the sandbed so much and stirring it up.

PS, there was a model with the 5000. It was the CS6-2+.

[jilet]

How do you think it wil skim with just the pump upgrade and not the gate and air valve?

[Tennsquire]

You'll still see a huge improvement. The gate valve makes it easier to adjust the water level in the skimmer, and also makes the skimmer much quieter (more a convenience item than a performance item).

The benefit with the air valve (and they're less than $5) is that it decreases the size of the bubbles in the skimmer and makes it more efficient. Also helps decrease the turbulence some.