Skimmer Acting Up...or maybe not!?!

megs1 · 01/12/2007, 07:48 AM

I have a 75 gallon tank and I have a AquaC Remora skimmer. I got everything for free so that's why I am using this equipment. I bought the pre-skimmer so now my pump fits into an overflow box and the water drains back into it. Anyway, I noticed last night that I have some kind of film all over the surface of my water. Is my skimmer not working properly?

Sometimes the surface looks good and some days it doesn't. There's really no rhyme or reason to it. Also I have lots of bubbles on the surface. The pre-skimmer also came with a bubble eliminating sponge but that never stays in place and unfortunately I don't have a small piece of LR to put down in there to keep it in place, but I don't think that should have anything to do with it.

Any ideas what is going on?

Thanks!

stewie24 · 01/12/2007, 07:58 AM

Its just surface scum. If you have another power head laying around throw it in the tank and point it at the surface of the tank to help break up the protiens. This in turn will cause your skimmer to pull out better stuff.
Stewie

rustybucket145 · 01/12/2007, 08:33 AM

I'm confused, shouldn't the overflow box suck in all the water from the surface of the tank? Also you said 'it' drains back into the overflow box. Are you saying that the skimmer itself drains back into the overflow box?

If everything is setup right there shouldn't be any surface skum b/c of the overflow box.

megs1 · 01/12/2007, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rustybucket145
I'm confused, shouldn't the overflow box suck in all the water from the surface of the tank? Also you said 'it' drains back into the overflow box. Are you saying that the skimmer itself drains back into the overflow box?

If everything is setup right there shouldn't be any surface skum b/c of the overflow box.

It's not necessarily an overflow box, but it's got the grooves at the top that the water falls into.

My powerhead is in the box (supposedly) sucking the water in. It then goes through the skimmer and flows back into the right side of the box which is seperated from the left side where the water is being sucked into. It flows down and out of the bottom of the box back into the tank.

I've got it set up like the directions show. There's no way to adjust the skimmer and the box is just that, the box. I have 4 powerheads in the tank and one is pointing up and moving the surface water.

It seems that the surfaces water looks fine except when I top up, then it seems that my skimmer is just not working as well and that's when the crap hangs out on the surface for a few days.

stewie24 · 01/12/2007, 08:45 AM

When you top off, it takes a while for the freshwater to mix with the saltwater. This will cause your skimmer's bubbles output to decrease. Perhaps an auto topoff unit that doses water slowly into the tank would be a better option.
The "overflow" box is actually a surface skimmer for the remora. However on a large tank like that, there might not be enough flow on the other side of the tank. I know in my 55 i have dual overflows on the right going to the sump/fuge but on the right side in order to get max surface agitation I have to use a mj1200 with the flow aimer pointed directly at the surface to make sure everything gets broken up.
Stewie

megs1 · 01/12/2007, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stewie24
When you top off, it takes a while for the freshwater to mix with the saltwater. This will cause your skimmer's bubbles output to decrease. Perhaps an auto topoff unit that doses water slowly into the tank would be a better option.
The "overflow" box is actually a surface skimmer for the remora. However on a large tank like that, there might not be enough flow on the other side of the tank. I know in my 55 i have dual overflows on the right going to the sump/fuge but on the right side in order to get max surface agitation I have to use a mj1200 with the flow aimer pointed directly at the surface to make sure everything gets broken up.
Stewie

My skimmer is on the left side in the back of my tank and you're right, I didn't really have a lot of flow on the right side, but I've had a powerhead aimed at the surface for at least a month to a month and a half.

stewie24 · 01/12/2007, 09:08 AM

Just make sure for the powerhead on the right side that you can actually see it moving the top of the water. That should help.
Stewie

megs1 · 01/12/2007, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stewie24
Just make sure for the powerhead on the right side that you can actually see it moving the top of the water. That should help.
Stewie

Oh yeah, it's moving it.

I'm just concerned because I've been running this thing for months now so I don't think I should have all this scum on the top.

stewie24 · 01/12/2007, 09:17 AM

How many gph is the pump aimed at the surface? Perhaps you might need a stronger one or else add another?
Stewie

megs1 · 01/12/2007, 09:28 AM

I'll have to check when I get home tonight. I have 4 powerheads in there so I'm not sure what the gph is of the one I have aimed at the surface.

Thanks for the help.

stewie24 · 01/12/2007, 09:37 AM

No probelm. Get back at me with how many gph. If you do have access to a maxijet 1200 w/ the flow aimer thingey try that, it worked well for my 55. The mj1200 is 295 gph and it doesn't disrupt the surface a whole heck of alot. Perhaps yours is somewhere around 200 or less.
Stewie

rustybucket145 · 01/12/2007, 10:02 AM

Hey, what pump do you have running the Aqua-C? have you taken it apart and cleaned the impeller? If memory serves the Aqua-C Remora uses the pump (usually mag 3) to shoot a stream of water and create bubbles. If the pump is clogged or kinda-clogged you are not getting what you need to be getting out of it.
Just a thought, you probably already cleaned it though.

megs1 · 01/12/2007, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rustybucket145
Hey, what pump do you have running the Aqua-C? have you taken it apart and cleaned the impeller? If memory serves the Aqua-C Remora uses the pump (usually mag 3) to shoot a stream of water and create bubbles. If the pump is clogged or kinda-clogged you are not getting what you need to be getting out of it.
Just a thought, you probably already cleaned it though.

I'm not running the one that came with it because it was broken. I have a powehead on it and I'll have to check and see which one is running it. Yeah, the propeller is clean.

rustybucket145 · 01/12/2007, 10:57 AM

Needs to be a pretty beefy powerhead. Mag 3 or equiv is suggested. Have you tried to adjust the skimmer via the screw on the water jet?

megs1 · 01/12/2007, 11:05 AM

No, I haven't. I'll check that tonight. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe my powerheads not powerful enough.

megs1 · 01/12/2007, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rustybucket145
Needs to be a pretty beefy powerhead. Mag 3 or equiv is suggested. Have you tried to adjust the skimmer via the screw on the water jet?

The one that came with that skimmer was a Maxi-Jet 1200. Like I said, I'm not sure which one I'm running on it. I may need to buy something stronger.

megs1 · 01/12/2007, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by stewie24
How many gph is the pump aimed at the surface? Perhaps you might need a stronger one or else add another?
Stewie

Ok, I have 4 powerheads in my tank. The gph for each one individually is:

106
230 - this is the one aimed at the surface
270
400

I can't tell what the one in the skimmer is but it's not very big so it's probably less than 200gph which means I need to get a bigger one.

I think you all helped me to see the problem.

Thanks!

01/12/2007, 07:48 AM	#1
megs1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 66	Skimmer Acting Up...or maybe not!?! I have a 75 gallon tank and I have a AquaC Remora skimmer. I got everything for free so that's why I am using this equipment. I bought the pre-skimmer so now my pump fits into an overflow box and the water drains back into it. Anyway, I noticed last night that I have some kind of film all over the surface of my water. Is my skimmer not working properly? Sometimes the surface looks good and some days it doesn't. There's really no rhyme or reason to it. Also I have lots of bubbles on the surface. The pre-skimmer also came with a bubble eliminating sponge but that never stays in place and unfortunately I don't have a small piece of LR to put down in there to keep it in place, but I don't think that should have anything to do with it. Any ideas what is going on? Thanks!

01/12/2007, 08:33 AM	#3
rustybucket145 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: valdosta, ga Posts: 3,707	I'm confused, shouldn't the overflow box suck in all the water from the surface of the tank? Also you said 'it' drains back into the overflow box. Are you saying that the skimmer itself drains back into the overflow box? If everything is setup right there shouldn't be any surface skum b/c of the overflow box. __________________ 400gals of various tanks in the same system. Current Tank Info: 2 175w MH, 2 VH0 Actinics, Lots of Live Rock, tons of copepods, a Fat Mandarin Goby, Niger Trigger, Yellow Tang, Falco Hawkfish, Bi-Color Pseudo, numerous soft, SPS and LPS Corals

01/12/2007, 10:02 AM	#12
rustybucket145 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: valdosta, ga Posts: 3,707	Hey, what pump do you have running the Aqua-C? have you taken it apart and cleaned the impeller? If memory serves the Aqua-C Remora uses the pump (usually mag 3) to shoot a stream of water and create bubbles. If the pump is clogged or kinda-clogged you are not getting what you need to be getting out of it. Just a thought, you probably already cleaned it though. __________________ 400gals of various tanks in the same system. Current Tank Info: 2 175w MH, 2 VH0 Actinics, Lots of Live Rock, tons of copepods, a Fat Mandarin Goby, Niger Trigger, Yellow Tang, Falco Hawkfish, Bi-Color Pseudo, numerous soft, SPS and LPS Corals

01/12/2007, 10:57 AM	#14
rustybucket145 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: valdosta, ga Posts: 3,707	Needs to be a pretty beefy powerhead. Mag 3 or equiv is suggested. Have you tried to adjust the skimmer via the screw on the water jet? __________________ 400gals of various tanks in the same system. Current Tank Info: 2 175w MH, 2 VH0 Actinics, Lots of Live Rock, tons of copepods, a Fat Mandarin Goby, Niger Trigger, Yellow Tang, Falco Hawkfish, Bi-Color Pseudo, numerous soft, SPS and LPS Corals

01/12/2007, 07:58 AM	#2
stewie24 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northwestern PA Posts: 824	Its just surface scum. If you have another power head laying around throw it in the tank and point it at the surface of the tank to help break up the protiens. This in turn will cause your skimmer to pull out better stuff. Stewie

01/12/2007, 08:45 AM	#5
stewie24 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northwestern PA Posts: 824	When you top off, it takes a while for the freshwater to mix with the saltwater. This will cause your skimmer's bubbles output to decrease. Perhaps an auto topoff unit that doses water slowly into the tank would be a better option. The "overflow" box is actually a surface skimmer for the remora. However on a large tank like that, there might not be enough flow on the other side of the tank. I know in my 55 i have dual overflows on the right going to the sump/fuge but on the right side in order to get max surface agitation I have to use a mj1200 with the flow aimer pointed directly at the surface to make sure everything gets broken up. Stewie

01/12/2007, 09:08 AM	#7
stewie24 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northwestern PA Posts: 824	Just make sure for the powerhead on the right side that you can actually see it moving the top of the water. That should help. Stewie

01/12/2007, 09:17 AM	#9
stewie24 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northwestern PA Posts: 824	How many gph is the pump aimed at the surface? Perhaps you might need a stronger one or else add another? Stewie

01/12/2007, 09:28 AM	#10
megs1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 66	I'll have to check when I get home tonight. I have 4 powerheads in there so I'm not sure what the gph is of the one I have aimed at the surface. Thanks for the help.

01/12/2007, 09:37 AM	#11
stewie24 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northwestern PA Posts: 824	No probelm. Get back at me with how many gph. If you do have access to a maxijet 1200 w/ the flow aimer thingey try that, it worked well for my 55. The mj1200 is 295 gph and it doesn't disrupt the surface a whole heck of alot. Perhaps yours is somewhere around 200 or less. Stewie

01/12/2007, 11:05 AM	#15
megs1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 66	No, I haven't. I'll check that tonight. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe my powerheads not powerful enough.