Help me with my protein skimmer

i3oosted · 11/29/2012, 06:26 PM

Well, I'm still a noob and so this is my first protein skimmer. I bought a Reef Octopus BH-1000 HOB which has lots of good reviews. My tank is still new with a low bioload. 75g with some inverts and a pair of clowns.

Everyone is pulling black/brown skinmate from their skimmers but I just get light yellowish tinted skinmate.

It does overflow from time to time, not talking during feeding time. I go to work and before the bubbles would be about halfway in the cylinder, and when I come home it has flooded the cup.

I can't seem to get where to set the cup and where the bubbles should be reaching.

How often are you dumping your cup of skinmate?

rhinonm · 11/29/2012, 06:40 PM

You dont seem to have much of a bio load. Typical symtoms is having a hard time keeping foam in the riser. Add some stuff and wait for new tank cleaness to wear off.

i3oosted · 11/30/2012, 01:26 PM

Anyone else with some tips on using it?

benfinley · 11/30/2012, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i3oosted

Well, I'm still a noob and so this is my first protein skimmer. I bought a Reef Octopus BH-1000 HOB which has lots of good reviews. My tank is still new with a low bioload. 75g with some inverts and a pair of clowns.

Everyone is pulling black/brown skinmate from their skimmers but I just get light yellowish tinted skinmate.

It does overflow from time to time, not talking during feeding time. I go to work and before the bubbles would be about halfway in the cylinder, and when I come home it has flooded the cup.

I can't seem to get where to set the cup and where the bubbles should be reaching.

How often are you dumping your cup of skinmate?

I'm in the same situation. New tank; same skimmer. I read great reviews on it too. I know that it doesn't have much to pull out yet but the dang thing seems so touchy. Every time I take the collection cup off the water level almost overflows. I've come home to an almost full cup of clear water several times even though when I leave the bubbles are really low in the "foam tube".

benfinley · 11/30/2012, 02:12 PM

I just bought it a week ago. I'm hoping as it breaks in these issues go away. I haven't had any issues with microbubbles though; seems like every other skimmer I've owned had an issue with that.

downbeach · 11/30/2012, 02:16 PM

Many skimmers take some time to run in, so I'd give it a week or two. Make sure your cup isn't too low in the chamber. Also there are some chemical additives that will make your skimmer go crazy, i.e. chlorine treatments, red slime removers, etc.

DerekFF · 11/30/2012, 02:17 PM

Leave the foam at/near the bottom of the tube. Its definitly the break in period for these. You can always turn them off when you empty the cup and turn them on again to prevent overflow

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DerekFF · 11/30/2012, 02:20 PM

Is the cup height adjustable? (Im assuming it is.) You can even leave the cup slightly above waterlevel to get a drier skim instead of at water level for a while.

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i3oosted · 12/02/2012, 06:43 PM

So I'm starting to get to a sweet spot with the skimmer now. It's been going for about a month in my empty tank but only a couple weeks with some livestock now.

Skim is getting better and darker with no overflowing now.

I like this unit, it's very quiet and no microbubbles. I get more bubbles from my AC110 than my skimmer.

azjohnny · 12/02/2012, 07:50 PM

it can take up to 3-4 weeks for a reef octopus skimmer to break in

11/29/2012, 06:26 PM	#1
i3oosted Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 87	Help me with my protein skimmer Well, I'm still a noob and so this is my first protein skimmer. I bought a Reef Octopus BH-1000 HOB which has lots of good reviews. My tank is still new with a low bioload. 75g with some inverts and a pair of clowns. Everyone is pulling black/brown skinmate from their skimmers but I just get light yellowish tinted skinmate. It does overflow from time to time, not talking during feeding time. I go to work and before the bubbles would be about halfway in the cylinder, and when I come home it has flooded the cup. I can't seem to get where to set the cup and where the bubbles should be reaching. How often are you dumping your cup of skinmate?

11/29/2012, 06:40 PM	#2
rhinonm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Rio Rancho NM USA Posts: 302	You dont seem to have much of a bio load. Typical symtoms is having a hard time keeping foam in the riser. Add some stuff and wait for new tank cleaness to wear off.

11/30/2012, 01:26 PM	#3
i3oosted Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 87	Anyone else with some tips on using it?

11/30/2012, 02:12 PM	#5
benfinley Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 37	I just bought it a week ago. I'm hoping as it breaks in these issues go away. I haven't had any issues with microbubbles though; seems like every other skimmer I've owned had an issue with that.

11/30/2012, 02:16 PM	#6
downbeach Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Smyrna, Delaware Posts: 3,767	Many skimmers take some time to run in, so I'd give it a week or two. Make sure your cup isn't too low in the chamber. Also there are some chemical additives that will make your skimmer go crazy, i.e. chlorine treatments, red slime removers, etc.

11/30/2012, 02:17 PM	#7
DerekFF Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 219	Leave the foam at/near the bottom of the tube. Its definitly the break in period for these. You can always turn them off when you empty the cup and turn them on again to prevent overflow Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

11/30/2012, 02:20 PM	#8
DerekFF Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 219	Is the cup height adjustable? (Im assuming it is.) You can even leave the cup slightly above waterlevel to get a drier skim instead of at water level for a while. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

12/02/2012, 06:43 PM	#9
i3oosted Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 87	So I'm starting to get to a sweet spot with the skimmer now. It's been going for about a month in my empty tank but only a couple weeks with some livestock now. Skim is getting better and darker with no overflowing now. I like this unit, it's very quiet and no microbubbles. I get more bubbles from my AC110 than my skimmer.

12/02/2012, 07:50 PM	#10
azjohnny Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Gold Canyon Posts: 2,914	it can take up to 3-4 weeks for a reef octopus skimmer to break in