Reef octopus tuning...

[Speedfreak95]

Hello everyone like the title says... I have a reef octopus nwb 150.. Having a hard time tuning it.. I have very fine bubbles in the neck and have a good amount of larger bubbles forming higher in the cup. Doesn't seem like anything (bad stuff) is overflowing in the cup instead the neck of the cup gets very dirty and the cup stays mostly dry. I clean the neck every few days to maximize skimming.

The skimmer is sitting roughly in 8 1/2 inches of water. I have an ato so the water level sits very constant. The skimmer has been running about 3-4 weeks.. The first few days however I had it set filled half of the cup with dark black skimmate. I was thrilled then after I cleaned the cup and turned it back on the bubbles started overflowing into the cup I then adjusted the level of air so it wouldn't over flow and haven't been able to retune it and get any good skimate since.

[RocketEngineer]

What kind of bioload is on the skimmer? If there is minimal fish/corals in the tank you won't get much production as the skimmer has very little to remove.

[Speedfreak95]

I have miscellaneous hermits, peppermint shrimp, 1 emerald crab, skunk shrimp, 2 clowns, jawfish, fire fish, flame angel and a royal gramma.

I was planning to add possibly 2 more fish and 2 anenomes then started to see some cyno around the tank and put it on hold. I used to feed everyday switching from flake food to pei meisis. Now since I've seen the cyno I've cut it down to once every other day

[fartman36]

I have had the same problem with mine for the past several years. I have a medium bio load on my 90g. I've tried everything possible from reading this forum and taking with Coralvue. My nitrates hover between 15-40. I started carbon dosing two days ago. I've had the best results by doing the following: the outlet pipe needs to be above the water line, the outlet pipe should be downstream from the skimmer intake, the internal water level is very tricky-try having pea size bubbles start ware the collection cup attaches to the main body. I hope this helps. I will be following this thread to see if anyone has input.

[Speedfreak95]

At the moment the way my skimmer sits in the sumo 90% of the outlet tube is under water. Should I raise the skimmer? By doing so wouldn't the level of water in the skimmer be lower sittinf at 7 1/2 inches than how it sits now at 8 1/2? I was even recommended to put more water in my sump around 9 - 9 1/2 inches and might see better results

[fartman36]

Yep, the outlet has to be above the water line otherwise the back-pressure will decrease the output. I know the math doesn't add up regarding the recommended water depth vs output tube. The opening below the gate valve needs to be just above the water line. I have a pvc elbow that directs the water down out of the main opening and cuts down on the noise.

[Speedfreak95]

Okay I'm gonna look for so,etching to raise the skimmer and see what happens. Any chance you have any pictures of how you'res is set up?

[fartman36]

Sure, I'll post a pic tonight when I get home. I'd like to see if any one else has pics. My skimmer isn't living up to the hype.

[president89]

I'm having the same exact issue. Following this thread.

[Speedfreak95]

Well just got dome raising the skimmer.. The outlet is sitting about 1/2 inch above the water line.. You can deff hear the flow now might shoot to Home Depot and buy an elbow to aim it down seeing a lot of water splashing.. I've watched Atleast every YouTube video trying to compare the outlet levels did the best I could do gonna monitor it for a few days

[Speedfreak95]

Well since I have no patients I've been keeping an eye on it the past 2 hours.. I readjusted the skimmer height so the bottom of the outlet is sitting on the water level.. As far as the skimmer itself I adjusted the bubbles to be fine in the neck. I've noticed instead of it staying constant the neck seems to purge now?? The bubbles are very fine and it like burps and the bubbles get a lil big then begin to get fine again??

Someone out there help haha

[fartman36]

Sorry for the delay. It was a late nite at work. I'm attaching a link to a youtube link that I just made. The video isn't the best (tank doesn't look like windex) with the Iphone but you will get the idea of what I was talking about. I've tried every water depth imaginable and every internal adjustment and waited days to see if each tweak worked. I've tried different sump return pumps ranging from 300 to 1300 gph (including head loss) to see if the sumps turnover rate was impacting the skimmer. I'm really close to pulling the trigger on a Aquamax Co2. This skimmer should be enough for my tank and I know some people have had great success. Maybe were all missing something?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPHM...ature=youtu.be

[Speedfreak95]

From you're video looks like you're slimmer is really high out of the water? I'm eyeing it from the outflow. Also not sure if you did but for the elbow did you drill a hole on the bend or ontop? I know that helps with back pressure. Try to lower you're skimmer a little.. In only a few hours I noticed a huge improvement with the outflow (with the extension they give) just hovering over the sump water level

As for me seems the level I have the skimmer at is close to being right if not right. While messing with the skimmer I performed a water change which may have messed up what I was trying to achieve. But before I changed the water in about 2 hours the cup started collecting some black skimmate and the top of the cup was filled with yellow brown bubbles.. Ofcoarse after the water change when I turned it all back on the water level in the skimmer rapidly raised so I quickly turned it down to avoid over flow into the cup. I'm slowly trying to find the sweet spot once again to set over night

[fartman36]

The bottom of the outlet pipe is about 1" above the water. It looks higher in the video. I may try lowering it down this weekend. Yep, I drilled a hole on the elbow to release the air. I was getting a lot of bubbles.

I have found this skimmer is very sensitive. If I feed or dose it doesn't produce any bubbles for hours (breaks surface tension). If I turn off the skimmer and turn it on sometimes it doesn't skim for a day and sometimes it massively overflows. I think my skimmer is bipolar

[mathman7728]

i have a diablo 250xs and have the same issues….this skimmer is a big pain in the you know what…problem is that i spent so much on it i have to make it work

[Speedfreak95]

Agree^ I was told by a few friends go full out refugium and skip the skimmer.. Looking at how flawless their tanks are thinking I wasted money

[Speedfreak95]

So.. Now the skimmer seems to be right where it needs to be.. Fine bubbles in the neck and a nice purge that should create some sort of gunk collection.. For 2 days it's been that way.. It was about a month before I performed a water change after the change only 5-6 gallons and now feeding every other day could it be my water isn't as dirty as when I first got the skimmer and fed every day with water due for a water change??

This doesn't seem to be rocket science what am I missing here

[mathman7728]

sorry but is there a gate valve on your skimmer? you could adjust to wide open which may overflow the skimmer but at least you would know it works. Then slowly close the valve until you get the skim you want.

I did change emails with the folks that sold me the skimmer and they said i should be in 6-8in of water with 8 being the best…..

[fartman36]

I rebuilt my skimmer stand and lowered it another inch. The outlet pipe is touching but not underneath the water. I'm crossing my fingers. If this doesn't work it's time for a Aquamax co-1 or co-2.

[Speedfreak95]

Seems that the skimmer is pulling some nasty stuff not as much as I'd like but it's starting to work after the adjustments.. Seems it's more sporadic now as the neck is filled with bubbles on moment and the next it's empty and the level is low? The neck is still getting overly dirty?! trying to keep it clean..

Only part whay doesn't make sense is at 8 inches deep the outlet would be under water? My sump water level is 8inches deep but with the adjustments to put the outlet above the water line it isn't sitting all the way in 8 inches

[fartman36]

Your right, the math doesn't add up. The manufacturers recommended water depth puts the outtake below the water line. I've let the skimmer sit since this weekend. It's skimming dry but I do have foam coming out from the neck. I'm going to let it sit for the rest of the week and see if it changes.

Here is a pic from yesterday. This morning the skimmer made bubbles all the way down to the bottom of the collection cup.

[Speedfreak95]

Turn it down a bit you're getting close.. Not sure why mine seems more sporadic but ever since I adjusted the skimmer it seems to be working better guess I just need to find that sweet spot.

I know the cleaner you keep the neck the better it skims trying to keep on top of that as well

[fartman36]

I clean the cup out once a week so hopefully that's enough. So you think I should lower the bubble level. It starts about one inch below the black rim that attaches the collection cup to the body. Wouldn't it make it skim dryer? I notice a "burp" every 15 seconds or so but the bubbles mostly stay on the side walls and in the neck.