Vertex Skimmer club

[mojo~]

that is crazy you are the second one that has had hazing in the cup. weird. Never seen or heard of this in a new skimmer before.

[Jeremy B.]

Jen D -

Just sent an email over to you. This is the second one we have come across, however that has been spread over a large amount of skimmers, so I don't believe the issue is wide spread.

Thanks,
Jeremy

[mojo~]

Oh btw I got my skimmer and many other things from PA and the personal attention you get is awesome. Thanks .

[rackmsukr]

I've had my IN 250 running for 4 day now on my 150 gal. Right now I have a light bioload with only 4 small fish, 1 small coral, some hermits and snails. I seem to be having trouble getting a consistent skimmate out of it. Its not pulling out anything really dark or nasty yet, just some lighter colored foam. Then every once in a while it will overflow into the cup and I have to empty water out of it. Do I need to keep the foam head set a little lower and just let it alone for a few days? Does it take a while to break in or am I doing something wrong? Skimmer is in my 55 gal sump in 8 inches of water. This is my first skimmer so I'm not really sure what to expect from it or how to fine tune the adjustment. Lots of ?'s here but I'd appreciate any feedback.... Thanks!

[FishF00d]

Originally posted by Whyireef
My IN-100 has a bit of trouble at 6" - it works, but it does much better at 7"

I have a new Impeller coming from MD - My original stopped once and I had to "un-freeze" it; since, it's been good and the skimmer is a gem. Certainly the best buy of my entire $5500 tank set up (works better, for this tank, than my Deltec did).

Well I just got mine yesterday and set it up. I think I can adjust the float to my ato to get it up to 7 inches easier than putting in a new baffle. I'm getting a really wet skimmate at this point.

How do most of you have your intake set at. When first set up I had it at almost fully open to get the foam up the tube. I cut it back to about half way open last night before bed and it died back a little this morning. In order to get good skimmate at this point i need it open more which is creating a wet skimmate. I can't get a dry skimmate yet but I know my tank is filthy. Maybe that extra inch will help.

[jck9]

rackmsukr is your water level in the skimmer section consitanly at 8' or does it fluctuate. when it fluctuates it will cause the skimmer to overflow.

[Whyireef]

How do most of you have your intake set at. When first set up I had it at almost fully open to get the foam up the tube. I cut it back to about half way open last night before bed and it died back a little this morning. In order to get good skimmate at this point i need it open more which is creating a wet skimmate. I can't get a dry skimmate yet but I know my tank is filthy. Maybe that extra inch will help. [/B]

When you ask about the "intake" do you mean the output? The intake is the gray pvc coming into the skimmer from the pump, which should be situated so it just enters the skimmer chamber (not quite 1/4"). This part isn't very adjustable, so to speak.

I think you may mean the output, which is also a gray pvc and includes the long up-pipe that is adjustable by turning it from "open" to "close" or anywhere in-between. Once the skimmer breaks in a bit (mine only took several hours), you should be able to adjust (or "turn") this tube so your bubbles come within a couple inches of the top lip of the inner skimmer chamber top (in other words, just a couple inches before the bubbles spill over into the cup). Once this level of bubbles is maintained, after a while the real junkie/gunkie stuff will rise and spill over.

I think you may have the adjustment tube set so your bubbles are too high and too close to spilling over, creating a wet skim. I suspect if you adjust your top "bubbles" level down a bit a wait a while, you'd start to see a froth and then a junkie/gunkie froth which will naturally rise to spill over, producing a deep, dark skim (the dark skim will still be "wet" after a while, but only because the junkie foam broke down inside the collection cup).

Hope this helps.

[mojo~]

A good thing to do on any new skimmer is to just let it run with the water level low for the first day or so. with a new tank there isnt much to skim at first. So no worries on the 250 . After a day or two set your level so the bubbles are breaking about half way from the bottom of the collection cup and the top of the tube of the skimmer. Then let it sit as the rest of the tube will fill up with a thick foam head.and from there its just a slight adjustment.

[gorey]

Merry Christmas vertex owners!!!

[JACOXVIII]

so i have a 155 with a 30gal sump/fuge soon to be a 75
should i get a in 180 or a in 250

my skimmer now is a cl ss knock off

[EvMiBo]

Originally posted by JACOXVIII
so i have a 155 with a 30gal sump/fuge soon to be a 75
should i get a in 180 or a in 250

my skimmer now is a cl ss knock off

If you have the room.. I'd definitely go IN250 (30" tall). www.premiumaquatics.com has the 25% off of these skimmers until 12/31 I believe so I'd jump on it. The IN250 is usually $320, but right now its $240!

Premium Aquatics - Vertex Protein Skimmers

[Labman48076]

thinking about ordering a 100 from P.A. for my frag tank which will have a 50 main tank and about 30 of water no fish except maybe a corris wrasse but I have read allot of people having pump and impeller trouble shortly after getting it. this is my only debate I guess worse case I can replace the pump with a better one. but please lmk what you guys think.

[EvMiBo]

labman id get it. honestly, ive heard more good than bad with these pumps. PA will take of you if theres a problem as well.

[frenchie]

i love mine cleaned pump and skimmer cup this evening, notice wasn't producing well and pump was sound a little lound so took it apart and found my pseudochromis stuck inside of pinwheel impellar making it off balanced, dang fish anyway. was checking stuff out like thickness of acylic which is 3/16 thick, even cup is that thick and heavy built. Don't have to worry much about air inlet on pump building up with crap cause the hole diameter is so big you can almost stick a pencil in the hole.

[frenchie]

here are some more size comparison pics of skimmer cup on 180
with a 2 liter pepsi bottle.





i can almost put soda botter in skimmer neck


you can see good thick side wall on skimmer cup, there not real cheap and flimsy.

[frenchie]

skimmer cup all the way full will fill a 2 liter bottle full.

[JACOXVIII]

the skimmer seams so simple but if it works and seeing how i do not have the cash for a octo in that size i will order it in the morning

[JACOXVIII]

ok but for the price what about this one
http://www.reefspecialty.com/Protein...duct_info.html

[Labman48076]

you guys pretty much have me talked into it especially since this will be for the frag tank no the main that has a BM-200 and you are right about P.A. never had a problem with them other then they are in another state, lol

[JACOXVIII]

post

[frenchie]

i really wanted a octo extreme 200 but footprint was exact size of my skimmer compartment so i didn't want to risk it and i modified sump to many times that i said heck with it and got vertex.

I really like vertex style though cause its like my euroreef and has nice transition up long neck into cup. I just euro style skimmers i guess but the octo is a good buy also probally most popular skimmer for the money right now i think.

[DolbyDinosaur]

I was checking on my 180 this morning as it started to act funny. Took the impeller apart and, much to my chagrin, found my brand new decoratus firefish looped around the impeller. This is the second fish it's eaten since I got it. I'm going to have to do something about my overflow.

*Shakes fist

Hey d.french, guess we've just both been officially enrolled into the "Vertex 180 ate my fish" club....

- dolby

[frenchie]

only reason i new cause cup wasn't fillin up and heard weird vibration, but mine was stuck in pinwheel impellar also. Its a strong pump 1000 gph.

[frenchie]

Originally posted by JACOXVIII
post

this skimmer did break in fast for me i got a 2 liter full of skimmate first week.

[Labman48076]

ok skimmer is ordered Just ordered mine from PA tonight so looks like I am a official club member now. I ordered the 100. last major piece for the frag tank.