Bubble King Setup, Tuning and trouble shooting thread. Post your questions here!

[slief]

Originally Posted by Jeezy85

Anyone who has the same issue as me with micro bubbles and with a low bio load... ignore the above advice it is incorrect.

After getting a lot of advice from other forums and lfs, I was told it doesn’t matter if the skimmer is oversized... you shouldn’t get Microbubbles...


I have 3 fish currently in my tank with a over sized skimmer and I am no longer getting Microbubbles. I took everything apart and took apart the pump and cleaned it out and finally I no longer have Microbubbles leaking into the tank

I think cleaning the pump solved the problem. Yes the skimmer is foaming but obviously not a big amount due to the low bioload but it is working

Good to hear you got it resolved through cleaning. That said, a lack of dissolved organics can in fact result in microbubbles. This is particularly common when a skimmer is setup in a brand new tank where there is a lack of dissolved organics and something I've experienced in my own new tanks with a wide range of skimmers as well as some tanks that I've installed for others over the years. Either way, I am glad it is working better for you now.

[kpctoy]

Have had my BK mini160 with the RD6 pump for about 3 weeks now. Its not performing as I'd hoped it would in my scenario. I have a few questions please.
I've tried anywhere between 7.5 and 8.5 inches of sump depth as well as running the pump from 50% to 75%. The issue is with foam production or the lack thereof. The tank is mature at 2+ years and my prior skimmer pulled plenty of skimmate prior to it being replaced.
I'm sure its a simple adjustment but cant seem to get it right.
The directions say there should be a maximum water level mark on the skimmer body but that doesn't appear to be on mine. I also have an extension on my bubble plate of acrylic that extends up from the plate in a cylinder shape that's about 2-3 inches that doesn't appear anywhere in the images or manual.
I currently have the water level 3/4 of an inch below the collection cup. I do have skimmate but its collecting on the skimmer body and not extending up into the collection cup. I've tried removing the resonator and running just the bare intake in hopes of getting more air but that didnt seem to make much difference.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!

[slief]

Originally Posted by kpctoy

Have had my BK mini160 with the RD6 pump for about 3 weeks now. Its not performing as I'd hoped it would in my scenario. I have a few questions please.
I've tried anywhere between 7.5 and 8.5 inches of sump depth as well as running the pump from 50% to 75%. The issue is with foam production or the lack thereof. The tank is mature at 2+ years and my prior skimmer pulled plenty of skimmate prior to it being replaced.
I'm sure its a simple adjustment but cant seem to get it right.
The directions say there should be a maximum water level mark on the skimmer body but that doesn't appear to be on mine. I also have an extension on my bubble plate of acrylic that extends up from the plate in a cylinder shape that's about 2-3 inches that doesn't appear anywhere in the images or manual.
I currently have the water level 3/4 of an inch below the collection cup. I do have skimmate but its collecting on the skimmer body and not extending up into the collection cup. I've tried removing the resonator and running just the bare intake in hopes of getting more air but that didnt seem to make much difference.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!

The bubble plate extension is the new design.
The high water mark is no longer included on the skimmer bodies. Ideally you’d want the line where bubbles turn to foam to be about an inch below where the cup sits on the body but depending on the load you might need to go higher than that. You just don’t want to go up beyond the bottom of the collection cup unless you don’t mind water seeping out between the cup and body. Particularly if the load is light relative to the skimmer size. How many fish are in the display? As I recall it was around 10 fish? I think the issue is the light load so I’d raise the level up inside the skimmer by closing the wedge pipe a bit more. Get it to the bottom of the cup. That should improve the skimmate production. I would do that with the pump set to about 50% and see how dense the foam looks.

[kpctoy]

10 fish averaging 2"...Water volume is about 140 gallons give or take.
I can try raising the water level until I see foam collecting in the cup.
Can you explain how the speed of the pump affects foam production?

[slief]

Originally Posted by kpctoy

10 fish averaging 2"...Water volume is about 140 gallons give or take.
I can try raising the water level until I see foam collecting in the cup.
Can you explain how the speed of the pump affects foam production?

The air draw and water flow is tied directly to the pump speed. The higher the speed, the greater the flow into the skimmer. You want to use the pump speed to get the most dense foam head possible and use the sump depth of wedge pipe to adjust the level inside the skimmer. The lighter the load, the higher the line where bubbles turn to foam (break line) will need to be inside the skimmer. As you increase the speed, the contact time is reduced and there is a point of diminishing returns in terms of speed as you end up creating turbulence in the skimmer and too many bubbles which can make the foam head unstable due to lots of bubbles bursting at the surface instead of creating nice dense foam. Since very tank is different in terms of load, there is no right speed for the pump. It really boils down to fine tuning the pump speed for your load and finding a setting that results in the thickest foam.

[slief]

Originally Posted by kpctoy

10 fish averaging 2"...Water volume is about 140 gallons give or take.
I can try raising the water level until I see foam collecting in the cup.
Can you explain how the speed of the pump affects foam production?

Also keep in mind that you need dissolved organics to create good consistent foam. Your load is VERY low and the fish you have aren’t creating that much in the way of dissolved organics even for the 160 sized skimmer. This is one the reason why you will need to raise the level inside the skimmer as you are running it to dry for your load (or lack of). By doing that, you are effectively reducing the total volume needed to fill the neck with foam in order to see skimmate in the cup vs collecting on the sides of the neck and upper body.

[kpctoy]

Very Helpful, Thank you!

I'll try making small adjustments over time and see whats what.

Thanks again for the clear explanations.

[slief]

Originally Posted by kpctoy

Very Helpful, Thank you!

I'll try making small adjustments over time and see whats what.

Thanks again for the clear explanations.

Glad to help.

[ferntreegully]

Hi,
i have a RE double cone 180 and rd3 mini speedy 2000 pump for supermarines 250 + 300 white body red front . I think this must be a past model.
My question , could this pump be not suited in some way to big ? . I have my skimmer in 9.5 -10 .5 deep depending on day of adjusting ,it is set up to skim wet and struggles to push foam over into cup ,pump speed is at 27. I dont get much skimate at all .
so skimmer is too deep pump speed is to high from what i have read here.
tank ; 120 gallon with rock taken out
18 fish 30 inch approx
1 eel s/flake 12 inch approx
sump 3 seperate tanks 90 gallons approx

frank

[slief]

Originally Posted by ferntreegully

Hi,
i have a RE double cone 180 and rd3 mini speedy 2000 pump for supermarines 250 + 300 white body red front . I think this must be a past model.
My question , could this pump be not suited in some way to big ? . I have my skimmer in 9.5 -10 .5 deep depending on day of adjusting ,it is set up to skim wet and struggles to push foam over into cup ,pump speed is at 27. I dont get much skimate at all .
so skimmer is too deep pump speed is to high from what i have read here.
tank ; 120 gallon with rock taken out
18 fish 30 inch approx
1 eel s/flake 12 inch approx
sump 3 seperate tanks 90 gallons approx

frank

That’s not really the right pump but I don’t think that is the issue. Your fish load is on the light side for that skimmer. I normally would not recommend that skimmer for anything under 130 gallons and at that, it would be a heavy load.

I’d drop the pump speed to 20w ( I normally recommend 18-24 watts for that skimmer) which will allow for better contact time and set level inside the skimmer using the wedge pipe so the break line which is the line where bubbles turn to foam is set just above where the cup attaches to the body. While you are at it, I’d make sure the nozzle doesn’t have any salt building where the hose connects to the nozzle.

[ferntreegully]

thanks,
that pump was available on the spot otherwise had to be shipped in and i could not wait. Tank is 140 gallon Redsea 650 peninsula i just minus the rock but if you think the skimmer is still to big i would like to know cause i will down size if need be. I dont really want to get more fish

Frank

[ferntreegully]

sorry forgot ,if i lower pump speed i will have to either close wedge wellabout 3/4 or sink the skimmer in 10- 10.5 in otherwise no skimate in cup

Frank

[slief]

Originally Posted by ferntreegully

thanks,
that pump was available on the spot otherwise had to be shipped in and i could not wait. Tank is 140 gallon Redsea 650 peninsula i just minus the rock but if you think the skimmer is still to big i would like to know cause i will down size if need be. I dont really want to get more fish

Frank

Skimmer sizing is based on theoretical loads. You could have a 500 gallon tank with 20 fish in it and this skimmer would be oversized. The biggest issue is that the oversized skimmer can be inconsistent due to a lack of enough dissolved organics to keep the neck consistently filled with foam. The dissolved organics is what allows the bubbles to stick together into chains that create the foam. In the absence of enough dissolved organics, you get bubbles instead of foam until the organics build back up enough to generate some foam. Then the organic levels drop again and the skimmer idles along until the build back up. Running wetter helps keep the skimmer more consistent but you end up with a more tea colored skimmate since there is more water in the skim. A Mini 160 would have been a better choice but if you run it wet, I think you will be just fine.

Originally Posted by ferntreegully

sorry forgot ,if i lower pump speed i will have to either close wedge wellabout 3/4 or sink the skimmer in 10- 10.5 in otherwise no skimate in cup

Frank

Close the wedge or raise the sump level, the choice is yours. Both will accomplish the same thing but raising the sump level will make the wedge pipe less sensitive which in turn makes fine tuning from wet to dry easier.

[VAChERA]

Hi silef,

I have a RE Supermarin 250 with the old style pump (had it for years now, and still operating good)

I have been out of the hobby for a while now, and recently got a new 100G tank. My fishload is very very low (2 small surgeonfish, clowns a few wrasses and a small angel.)

I started the tank in August this year, and have not gotten good thick skimmate. I can "dirty" water in the collection cup, but not consistent skimmate. I know the skimmer is oversized for my tank, but I used it in a similar setup before with good results. How would you go about setting the water level and the nozzle?

I set the nozzle now at the dot (almost 1,5 turns out). I read that you can under and over hit this point to decrease and increase flow of air and water through the skimmer.

Where would you start to find the ideal spot? The skimmer has been running for months, but it mostly collects black thick mud in the collection cup neck, with dirty brown water in the collection cup.

[slief]

Originally Posted by VAChERA

Hi silef,

I have a RE Supermarin 250 with the old style pump (had it for years now, and still operating good)

I have been out of the hobby for a while now, and recently got a new 100G tank. My fishload is very very low (2 small surgeonfish, clowns a few wrasses and a small angel.)

I started the tank in August this year, and have not gotten good thick skimmate. I can "dirty" water in the collection cup, but not consistent skimmate. I know the skimmer is oversized for my tank, but I used it in a similar setup before with good results. How would you go about setting the water level and the nozzle?

I set the nozzle now at the dot (almost 1,5 turns out). I read that you can under and over hit this point to decrease and increase flow of air and water through the skimmer.

Where would you start to find the ideal spot? The skimmer has been running for months, but it mostly collects black thick mud in the collection cup neck, with dirty brown water in the collection cup.

You do not set the water level using the nozzle. That nozzle adjusts the air/water ratio. And you use that nozzle adjust the foam density with the nozzle and set the level using both the sump water level and the wedge pipe. The idea is that you use the nozzle to get the most thick/dense foam possible. Every tank is different though so there is no “ideal” or “correct” setting. You are going to need to make subtle adjustments. I would suggest using gloves when you do it so the oils in your skin don’t impact the foam. If you do that, you will have to wait less time between adjustments to see the results. That said, that skimmer is WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY too big for a 100 gallon tank and I would not expect it for perform well on that system. You just won’t ever have enough dissolved organics in a system that small to be able to keep the neck full of foam. The results you are seeing now are exactly what I would expect from that skimmer. I have a SM250 on a 700 gallon system with over 70 fish and it could handle more.

[narcist21]

I’ve been using my new mini BK180 for two weeks and all has been as expected during the break in period. I have however heard a few times the pump make a high squeal pitch sound for about thirty seconds and then go away. Anyone else experience this?

[slief]

Originally Posted by narcist21

I’ve been using my new mini BK180 for two weeks and all has been as expected during the break in period. I have however heard a few times the pump make a high squeal pitch sound for about thirty seconds and then go away. Anyone else experience this?

I would take it apart and make sure that nothing got into the impeller area. It’s possible that something got sucked in there. If it were me, I would for the pump, pull the pump head off and pull the impeller and just do a once over on everything. There’s really nothing in there to create that noise as it’s a virtually friction free environment inside the pump.

[narcist21]

Originally Posted by slief

I would take it apart and make sure that nothing got into the impeller area. It’s possible that something got sucked in there. If it were me, I would for the pump, pull the pump head off and pull the impeller and just do a once over on everything. There’s really nothing in there to create that noise as it’s a virtually friction free environment inside the pump.

So I took the pump apart and cleaned everything, didn't find anything and haven't heard anything since. But the skimmer has been running for three months and I've had massive micro bubble the entire time. I've tried raising the sump level (currently 9"), raising the water level in the skimmer (1" below to breaking in the neck) and multiple speeds from the lowest setting to the highest. Yet all I see is bubbles being returned to the sump... The tank is 1.5 yrs old, 150 gallons and 12 fish total that range from 3" to 6". Any help? It won't let me attach a picture where you can see the bubbles just leaving the return pipe.

[slief]

Originally Posted by narcist21

So I took the pump apart and cleaned everything, didn't find anything and haven't heard anything since. But the skimmer has been running for three months and I've had massive micro bubble the entire time. I've tried raising the sump level (currently 9"), raising the water level in the skimmer (1" below to breaking in the neck) and multiple speeds from the lowest setting to the highest. Yet all I see is bubbles being returned to the sump... The tank is 1.5 yrs old, 150 gallons and 12 fish total that range from 3" to 6". Any help? It won't let me attach a picture where you can see the bubbles just leaving the return pipe.

I think your issue is that you don’t have enough load in terms of dissolved organics meaning this skimmer is WAY oversized for your load. If you look at our tank size ratings, the lowest size rating assume you’d have a heavy load and skimmer sizing is always based on theoretical loads. The minimum size and load for this skimmer is around 90 gallos with a heavy load. A heavy load is 1/2” of fish per display gallon which equates to around 40” of fish. In your case, you have a very low load relative to the skimmer size. In the absence of enough dissolved organics, there aren’t sufficient proteins to allow all the bubbles to stick together forming chains that rise to the top and create good foam. Instead, you get a lot of bubbles that blast around the skimmer body with a lot of the escaping out the effluent. You could get away with a much smaller skimmer given your current fish load and ultimately would see much better performance from the skimmer. The lowest speed level is going to work the best for you and raising the break line up just above the base of the neck where it attaches to the body will help some. Adding a bunch more fish will help a lot!

[narcist21]

Even at the lowest speed (actually second as the first doesn’t have any bubbles) it just spews bubbles. This thing feels like an $1100 paperweight. Something is wrong, I shouldn’t need 75” of fish to not make bubbles in my tank.

[slief]

Originally Posted by narcist21

Even at the lowest speed (actually second as the first doesn’t have any bubbles) it just spews bubbles. This thing feels like an $1100 paperweight. Something is wrong, I shouldn’t need 75” of fish to not make bubbles in my tank.

Is this the Mini 180 or the Double Cone 180?

[narcist21]

Originally Posted by slief

Is this the Mini 180 or the Double Cone 180?

This is the mini.

[slief]

Originally Posted by narcist21

This is the mini.

I am sending you a PM.

[biecacka]

Slief! Good to see you are still active around here buddy! How are you liking the new homestead?
So I recently moved and set my tank back up and just want to double check a few things with my DC200. It should be in around8-9 inches of water and ideally ran between 28-32, correct? How open or closed should the pipe be? It’s on a 240 but there is only about 15 fish in it now but a few tangs all over 4 inches.
Also, I was doing some maintenance on the pump and the screws on the outside, 2 of them just slide out as if they don’t catch any threads. I’m going to try again tomorrow when I have a moment just in case it was user error….

Corey

[slief]

Originally Posted by biecacka

Slief! Good to see you are still active around here buddy! How are you liking the new homestead?
So I recently moved and set my tank back up and just want to double check a few things with my DC200. It should be in around8-9 inches of water and ideally ran between 28-32, correct? How open or closed should the pipe be? It’s on a 240 but there is only about 15 fish in it now but a few tangs all over 4 inches.
Also, I was doing some maintenance on the pump and the screws on the outside, 2 of them just slide out as if they don’t catch any threads. I’m going to try again tomorrow when I have a moment just in case it was user error….

Corey

Doing good. Loving it here in Montana. I’d suggest 8.5-9”. 28-32w. How closed you close the wedge depends on your sump depth and how wet you want to skim. If you have to close it more then 50%, I’d increase the sump depth a bit. As for the screws, if you are talking about the pump screws, they screw into titanium nuts so the nuts likely backed out of their hole in the back of the pump or you lost them.