skimmer and sump, choose a pump!!!

[davidryder]

Originally posted by melev
No, but then I can't see exactly what all is going on. A video would be good.

Does the return section fill with bubbles as well, or is it mainly bubbles on the intake / skimmer section? What happens if you don't run the skimmer?

here's what i see happening. unfortunately i have taken the skimmer out but there is still enough to record. the drain line is shooting a lot of bubbles out. with the ball valve i can control that somewhat, and by the time it gets to the return pumps most of the bubbles are gone.

now, when i start up the skimmer, the additional output pushes the bubbles through the sump a lot faster, and the bubbles don't have time to dissipate. i uploaded a video of the drain line:

http://www.phpstory.net/graphics/75/bubble_party.avi

[davidryder]

i can put the skimmer back in if you want a video, it's no problem

[davidryder]

Originally posted by skwirl
if you had the mr2, you could do the u tube mod... from what i understand, it makes quite a bit of difference. i just got through plumbing mine, and doing the mod myself (mr2). i also changed a few other things. hopefully i will be bubble free when i fill it up. do a search on steves u tube mod for the mr2

so you had the same problem with bubbles? how long did it run?

[melev]

It sounds like the skimmer isn't set up correctly, imho. You may have some microbubbles come out of the skimmer, but it shouldn't be a storm of them. I'm downloading the video now.

[melev]

Okay, after viewing the video, the sump is operating properly.

So we need to figure out what is going on with the skimmer.

[skwirl]

Originally posted by davidryder
so you had the same problem with bubbles? how long did it run?

it ran about 8 months.. my bubbles were just enough to get on my nerves. not enough to cloud the tank. im hoping the problem is fixed now though

[davidryder]

Originally posted by melev
Okay, after viewing the video, the sump is operating properly.

So we need to figure out what is going on with the skimmer.

ok!! i have figured something out...

sending the skimmers drain line to the same place as the tanks drain line is what was speeding up the rate at which the tanks drain water made it to the return pumps. the bubbles were travelling through the bubble tower at the rate of the skimmer output + tank drain output.

i repositioned the skimmer so it was draining into it's own compartment, not affecting the rate at which the tanks drain water gets through the bubble trap. now the tanks drain water is going through the bubble tower at only the rate of the tank drain output!!

before this reposition, even when the needle wheel was closed on the skimmer, my tank was a cloudy haze of air bubbles. after the reposition, the bubbles are no longer rushed from the tanks drain line. i wish i took a before video!!

here are some videos of needle wheel closed and open:

http://www.phpstory.net/graphics/75/skimmer_airoff.avi

http://www.phpstory.net/graphics/75/skimmer_airon.avi


there are still some problems when i open the needle wheel. i'm hoping this is the "break-in" period. i don't know if that many bubbles at the beginning is normal. but remember, the tank has only been running for a total of 2-3 days.

[melev]

Downloading now. FYI, if you use Windows Movie Maker, you can save those files as .wmv that are usually much smaller downloads.

Have you turned off your return pump yet to make sure the sump won't overflow? It looks pretty full.

[davidryder]

Originally posted by melev
Downloading now. FYI, if you use Windows Movie Maker, you can save those files as .wmv that are usually much smaller downloads.

Have you turned off your return pump yet to make sure the sump won't overflow? It looks pretty full.

it doesn't overflow... but i only watched it for maybe 5 minutes... and if i keep this skimmer, i will lower the water level where the return pumps are a bit...

i will however cut the power out for an hour when everything is finished. if i have to, i will break it down again and put some slots on the top of the bubble trap baffles.

[melev]

I don't think the skimmer is running properly. Opening up the air should create tons of bubbles in the skimmer, but mainly water should come out the gate valve. Since I've never run that type, I can't say for sure but my first guess would be you have too much pump pushing water into the skimmer.

[melev]

Originally posted by davidryder
it doesn't overflow... but i only watched it for maybe 5 minutes... and if i keep this skimmer, i will lower the water level where the return pumps are a bit...

i will however cut the power out for an hour when everything is finished. if i have to, i will break it down again and put some slots on the top of the bubble trap baffles.

You should know within 5 minutes if the sump will overflow or not.

[davidryder]

Originally posted by melev
I don't think the skimmer is running properly. Opening up the air should create tons of bubbles in the skimmer, but mainly water should come out the gate valve. Since I've never run that type, I can't say for sure but my first guess would be you have too much pump pushing water into the skimmer.

ok i'll give it a few days for the skimmer to 'break-in'.

What do you think about switching the Mag 9.5 and the Gen-X PCX 40? The pump recommendation for this skimmer is a mag 12 (1200gph), the gen-x is 1190.

[davidryder]

Originally posted by melev
Downloading now. FYI, if you use Windows Movie Maker, you can save those files as .wmv that are usually much smaller downloads.

Have you turned off your return pump yet to make sure the sump won't overflow? It looks pretty full.

Awesome, I converted those AVI's to WMV's with that program and they are under 3mb :-) I was even throttling the quality on my camera to lower the size lol.

[melev]

I don't know the answer to the skimmer situation. It definitely is the culprit though.

[DevilBoy]

David,

I dont think the skimmer pump is an issue. The PCX40 is one of the recommended pumps for the MR1. Have you tried dialing down your return line back to your main tank with a ball valve?

[davidryder]

Originally posted by DevilBoy
David,

I dont think the skimmer pump is an issue. The PCX40 is one of the recommended pumps for the MR1. Have you tried dialing down your return line back to your main tank with a ball valve?

I've made a breakthrough today. I made use of the foam filter that came with my mag 9.5. I packed it around the mag (tank return pump) and then stacked live rock rubble on top of that. and in the video you can't see but i installed an elbow and extension of the return pump intake, so it pulls water off the very bottom corner of the sump.

as you can see in the video there are still a ton of bubbles (although the skimmer is putting out far less bubbles than yesterday! i also raised the skimmer about 2.5" with some leftover pvc.

check it out:

http://www.phpstory.net/graphics/75/sump_improves.wmv (2.90MB)

compared to:

http://www.phpstory.net/graphics/75/skimmer_airon.wmv (2.01MB)

There are still a FEW bubbles in the main tank but i think that will eventually go away

[DevilBoy]

David,

It looks 100% better, i always got alittle bit of bubbles coming out of the skimmer output like that. If it really bothers you, you could probably purchase a small sized filter sock and put it over the skimmer output.


It looked like you were getting some nice green skimmate

[davidryder]

Originally posted by DevilBoy
David,

It looks 100% better, i always got alittle bit of bubbles coming out of the skimmer output like that. If it really bothers you, you could probably purchase a small sized filter sock and put it over the skimmer output.


It looked like you were getting some nice green skimmate

yeah it's crazy the tank is only a couple of weeks old.

i'm afraid puttng a sock over the output will create slight pressure and make it difficult to adjust the height of the skimmer. did you not have a problem with it?

[davidryder]

i'm off to lowes.

i'm going to 'T' off the gen-x to the tanks overflow and run the tanks overflow drain to the sump and the mag 9.5 will be used for a closed loop.

[melev]

I'm positive that skimmer is not operating correctly. You bought it used, correct? What kind is it again? I think it is missing an internal baffle or it came loose inside and is out of position. The water exiting the skimmer should be essentially just water, although some bubbles come out. Yours looks like a fire hydrant.

[davidryder]

Originally posted by melev
I'm positive that skimmer is not operating correctly. You bought it used, correct? What kind is it again? I think it is missing an internal baffle or it came loose inside and is out of position. The water exiting the skimmer should be essentially just water, although some bubbles come out. Yours looks like a fire hydrant.

It's an MRC MR-1. I'm thinking the flow rate is too great in the skimmer... when the air is off the instructions says the water level should be 1-2" above the black box.

It's probably 2-3" on mine. And it was higher when it was lower in my sump.

[DevilBoy]

Originally posted by davidryder
It's an MRC MR-1. I'm thinking the flow rate is too great in the skimmer... when the air is off the instructions says the water level should be 1-2" above the black box.

It's probably 2-3" on mine. And it was higher when it was lower in my sump.

can you prop it up anymore? the gate valve shouldnt be 100% submerged

[davidryder]

Originally posted by DevilBoy
can you prop it up anymore? the gate valve shouldnt be 100% submerged

i can probably get another inch, but that's going to be it... what part of the gate valve shouldn't be submerged?

[melev]

For many skimmers, the entire gatevalve should be above water level, with the outlet pouring into the section unsubmerged.

[DevilBoy]

It looks like to me his water level in his sump is too high.