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

[slief]

Originally Posted by biecacka

Okay. When you say wet, you mean a bit drier than I have been and showed in the pictures above? It's been about a week and half so it's probably broken in or close to it. So now it's just dialing it in I assume

Corey

Not necessarily drier than you were. It's about finding a balance and what works for your system. If I were you, I'd be experimenting a bit more. Especially since you just added more stock and need to make adjustments anyway. When I looked at your last video, to me it seemed like the bubbles (when the lid was removed) appeared to be bursting kind of quickly. This was probably in part due to there not being as much dissolved organics as you might have thought there were but if it were my skimmer, I would experiment some more and lower the wattage 1 watt and see what that does to the foam. It would likely require raising the level in the skimmer a bit to generate more skimmate by closing the wedge but then again, it may not since you just increased your load. The foam is why I suggested lowering the water level first to see what that did. It's all about learning the skimmer and how it responds to small adjustments once you are in the "ball park". Every system is different which is why you need to experiment to find what works best for you tank based on it's load, sump level, salinity etc.

You are trying to find the sweet spot where you generate the stinkiest skimmate possible while also keeping it consistent. These skimmers will generate some of the most foul smelling skimmate that I have seen with any skimmer I have ever used. It's the ability to really fine tune these that makes them really great. I've said it before and I will say it again, don't be afraid to play with it a bit more to find that sweet spot for your tank. You are close but that doesn't mean it can't get better. Play with the pump speed a bit and use the water level to compensate for the pump speed adjustments. You will know if your water level is right by the skimmate production being consistent and you will know if the pump speed is ideal by the stench of the skimmate coupled with the production. Really watery skimmate will won't smell as bad as drier skim but consistency is what you are after so you need to find that balance and you are close.

[biecacka]

Gotcha. Thanks! Can you explain to me what lowering the skimmer into deeper water will do or is it not really needed with the addition of more fish. It is amazing to know that 20 fish in my tank is a light load for this skimmer and that 30 is moderate. I don't know about the DOC's, I assume there are plenty. 20 fish for a year, feeding 2-4 vibes a day and producing no skim for a year. My nitrates are 75-100 as of last night. There has to be something in there I would think. But the skimmer is almost dialed in. I am going to thicken it up just a bit from the sludge it pulled the other day.
I dropped it to 26 and shut the wedge a bit. I'll wait an hour or so and tinker with it again. In used to the beckett where you let it set for hours/day between adjustments.

Corey

[slief]

Originally Posted by biecacka

Gotcha. Thanks! Can you explain to me what lowering the skimmer into deeper water will do or is it not really needed with the addition of more fish. It is amazing to know that 20 fish in my tank is a light load for this skimmer and that 30 is moderate. I don't know about the DOC's, I assume there are plenty. 20 fish for a year, feeding 2-4 vibes a day and producing no skim for a year. My nitrates are 75-100 as of last night. There has to be something in there I would think. But the skimmer is almost dialed in. I am going to thicken it up just a bit from the sludge it pulled the other day.
I dropped it to 26 and shut the wedge a bit. I'll wait an hour or so and tinker with it again. In used to the beckett where you let it set for hours/day between adjustments.

Corey

Lowering the skimmer deeper into the sump (same as raising the water level in the sump) will have the same effect as closing the wedge. It will raise the water level in the skimmer. If you need to close the wedge beyond the 50% point, then I would suggest raising the water level in the sump or lowering the skimmer so you aren't having the resort to restricting the flow out of the skimmer too much as that can cause surging in the skimmer. I think I mentioned it before but if not, I will mention in now, I always try to adjust the skimmer level via the sump so I start with the wedge pipe nearly wide open. I find the best setting for the skimmer in terms of bubble quality and then make subtle sump level adjustments to get the level in the ball park with the wedge wide open. Then all I do is make very subtle adjustments to the wedge pipe to raise of lower the level inside the skimmer. Keep in mind that the speed of the pump has a direct impact on the water level in the skimmer just as it does the bubble quality. I Adjust the pump to get the thickest foam I can. In the case of the old Red Dragons with the adjustable volute, that meant turning the volute. In the case of the RD3, that requires finding the sweet spot for the pump. As I said, every system is different. It takes a bit of playing around. You find a ball park setting with the pump, then you slow it down and see how the foam looks a few hours later. Then you speed it up a bit and see what that does. A bit of testing and you find the sweet spot. Once I find that sweet spot, I then adjust the sump level to get the water level where it transitions from bubbles to foam up to the base of the neck at the top of the part where the neck meets/threads to the body. Then I use the wedge pipe to adjust it up from there. That is how I find tune my skimmers.

As for your nitrate issue, I suspect that is the result of a couple things. First, skimmers remove dissolved solids. They don't really remove nutrients although these solids eventually will break down and contribute to nutrients. The big factor in nutrient reduction like nitrates is bacteria. In the case of the natural approach to bacterial reduction in our tanks, live rock plays a big role in that because it provides the surface space for the bacteria to congregate. This is one of the benefits of deep sand beds as they provide additional surface space for denitrifying bacteria much the same way live rock does. Some people use fake rock for their aquascapes but fake rock isn't as porous and doesn't offer the same surface space within the rock like real live rock does. Often the tanks that have high levels of nitrates don't have a lot of live rock or at least enough live rock for the load. The other factor is waste accumulation in the substrate. Having waste break down in the sand and not vacuuming with regularity is a recipe for high nitrates. This is where lots of flow can help so that waste is sent over the overflow so it can be skimmed out and or filtered out via socks. Refugiums and turf scrubbers help consume nutrients from the tank but they don't remove dissolved solids so you still end up with particles in the water and detritus that the skimmer would otherwise remove. Cabron dosing generates bacteria that consumes nitrate causing nutrients but it is a crutch or band aid in my opinion.

At the end of the day, the skimmer is part of a complex solution. The skimmer removes solids that become nutrients. The skimmer adds dissolved o2 to the system. The combination of those two factors increase ORP. The skimmer is also an important part of the gas exchange process that removes nitrogen from our water but it's not the end all be all when it comes to nitrate issues. Its only one part of the solution.

In my tank, I don't have detectable nitrates despite having a pretty good load. I attribute that to a lot of live rock. I have somewhere between 700 and 1000 pounds of it. I also run a 30"x36" deep sand bed in my refugium that has a combination of mud, sand a live rock rubble. I also run two refugiums. I have a high amount of flow that is well planned out to insure that stuff doesn't settle on the bottom and I use filter socks to catch the solids that pass into the sump. Lastly, my tank has been up for around 18 years and is very well established. I have a bacterial bed that can keep up with anything I throw at it.


As for 20 fish being a low load vs 30 being a moderate load.. Load is relative to waste from the fish and feeding. You can have 30 small fish in the tank and have that be a small load. Size of the fish and how you feed is where dissolved solids (DOC's) are generated. The amount of waste that skimmer produces consistently is the best sign of your load. This assuming that the skimmer is tuned well.

[biecacka]

I have had to cut back seriously on my feedings for my fish. Some have actually lost weight. But my nutrient level is absurd. I didn't skim for over a year. Not 2ounces. I have a fair amount of rock but limited sump space for more. My tank is in the living room as is my sump....of my apartment. Little sand, and I continually blow my rocks to remove any debris so it can get to my sump/socks. I know they aren't the same but they can be related. That is why I pointed out my nutate issue. I was feeding 3-5 cubes a day plus nori. I'm down to 1-2 cubes to be safe plus nori. Ever so often they get an extra cube. I have no detectable phosphates. I have a plan of attack to reduce the nutrient build up tho. That's another talk. Only about 10 of my fish are over 5-6 inches for now. So they are almost all small but will grow sometime. I am going to tinker some more, the wedge is only closed about about 30% now. I'll see how it goes as it sits in 8 inches of water now, I might lower it.

Corey

[mike810]

I have a double cone 250 with rd3 pump. Running at 40watts in 9.5" of water. Wedge pipe is 80-90% closed. The water line is half way up the cup, I'm not getting real good skim mate. I've had the skimmer running for 3 weeks since I last cleaned it and only able to get 3/4" of skim.

My tank is a 250 with 80 gallon sump. I would say I have a high bio load with 20 fish and 7 of them being tangs raning from med to large size.
What am I doing wrong? I see people filling their cups up within a week or so. I can go months without filling my cup. I bought the avast neck cleaning hoping that would improve skim mate but nada.

Please help me get the most out of my skimmer, tank has been up and running for two years.

[biecacka]

Maybe skimmer is too big. I debated on that skimmer and advised to get the 200. No need to oversize these skimmers. Same size tank and 30 fish. Tangs, angels some the size of my hand. I'm sure scott will chime in but I'll take a shoot....
Lower the skimmer into deeper water. Maybe drop it an inch or 1/2. Lower the speed to 35. That will allow for longer contact time in the chamber.

Corey

[slief]

Originally Posted by mike810

I have a double cone 250 with rd3 pump. Running at 40watts in 9.5" of water. Wedge pipe is 80-90% closed. The water line is half way up the cup, I'm not getting real good skim mate. I've had the skimmer running for 3 weeks since I last cleaned it and only able to get 3/4" of skim.

My tank is a 250 with 80 gallon sump. I would say I have a high bio load with 20 fish and 7 of them being tangs raning from med to large size.
What am I doing wrong? I see people filling their cups up within a week or so. I can go months without filling my cup. I bought the avast neck cleaning hoping that would improve skim mate but nada.

Please help me get the most out of my skimmer, tank has been up and running for two years.

Reduce the pump speed to 37 watts... That will make better foam and is a good power level for the 250. Also, I assume you have the ozone port capped off?? If not, it should be. From the sounds of it, your load is lower than you think for that skimmer. While 9.5" is at the higher end of the range for that skimmer, you may need to go deeper since you are resorting to closing the wedge pipe that much. If you have to go past 1/2 closed, the skimmer should be deeper so you can open the wedge a bit. Reduce the pump speed and give it a day and go from there.. 37-38 watts max is the best range for that skimmer and a little bit can make a big difference in terms of skimmate quality.

[slief]

Originally Posted by biecacka

Maybe skimmer is too big. I debated on that skimmer and advised to get the 200. No need to oversize these skimmers. Same size tank and 30 fish. Tangs, angels some the size of my hand. I'm sure scott will chime in but I'll take a shoot....
Lower the skimmer into deeper water. Maybe drop it an inch or 1/2. Lower the speed to 35. That will allow for longer contact time in the chamber.

Corey

LOL... You're hired!

Good advice actually.. The force is strong with you.

If he lowered it down to 35 watts, 1/2" deeper would be about spot on although that is really kind of deeper than it should need to be with a good load.. And given his load, the normal sweet spot of 37 watts may not be low enough.. Additional contact time at 35 watts wouldn't necessarily hurt.. I'd start at 37 watts and 1/4" deeper at this point though and then go from there..

[biecacka]

I can help others just not myself!!!! no mine looks good this morning.
I read these threads sometimes 2-3 times each post to learn so I can trouble shoot mine and help others maybe down the road. I have learned a lot from your posts scott!
Hired?!!! How did you know I was job searching????

Corey

[clorox]

Originally Posted by biecacka

I have learned a lot from your posts scott!


Corey

Agreed, I learned a lot too thanks to Scott. I think I mastered my DC180, now I am getting daily consistency and most important to me....predictability when making fine tuning changes. I can't say enough praise about RE skimmers and products.

My only complaint is the control box attached to the pump in the older RD3's. I wish RE offered some retrofit kit for users that want to (need to) detach the pump for cleaning, maintenance etc. without voiding the warranty.

I could easily do it myself, but I know that if I cut the control cable and installed a connector I would most certainly void the warranty.

Anyway, not the end of the world. It's just a nice convenience to have

[biecacka]

My biggest complaint is I don't have a RE Dreambox. however hat has nothing to do with them as I just haven't ordered one!
This is my first RE product and thus far I am impressed with all facets of the product.

Corey

[slief]

Originally Posted by biecacka

I can help others just not myself!!!! no mine looks good this morning.
I read these threads sometimes 2-3 times each post to learn so I can trouble shoot mine and help others maybe down the road. I have learned a lot from your posts scott!
Hired?!!! How did you know I was job searching????

Corey

You certainly seem to understand it well now. I'm glad your skimmer is working well for you and I'm especially glad to help!

Originally Posted by clorox

Agreed, I learned a lot too thanks to Scott. I think I mastered my DC180, now I am getting daily consistency and most important to me....predictability when making fine tuning changes. I can't say enough praise about RE skimmers and products.

My only complaint is the control box attached to the pump in the older RD3's. I wish RE offered some retrofit kit for users that want to (need to) detach the pump for cleaning, maintenance etc. without voiding the warranty.

I could easily do it myself, but I know that if I cut the control cable and installed a connector I would most certainly void the warranty.

Anyway, not the end of the world. It's just a nice convenience to have

Thanks for the positive feedback guys!

I hear you on the fixed connection concern. There is a good reason behind the fixed connection though. Connecting the pump to the controller while the controller has power to it can result in a damaged pump or damaged controller. As such, this was done as a safety precaution because inevitably, some people would connect the pumps to a powered controller resulting in failures of controllers or pumps. This would obviously impact warranty rates so fixed wiring was used to prevent accidental induced failures. The RD3 230 includes a removable pump connection which should trickle down to other RD3 models in the future but there is no timeline on that. I also don't know what if any changes are being made to the controller circuitry to prevent failures as a result of hot plugging the pump into the controller.

[Confuse]

Originally Posted by clorox

Agreed, I learned a lot too thanks to Scott. I think I mastered my DC180, now I am getting daily consistency and most important to me....predictability when making fine tuning changes. I can't say enough praise about RE skimmers and products.

My only complaint is the control box attached to the pump in the older RD3's. I wish RE offered some retrofit kit for users that want to (need to) detach the pump for cleaning, maintenance etc. without voiding the warranty.

I could easily do it myself, but I know that if I cut the control cable and installed a connector I would most certainly void the warranty.

Anyway, not the end of the world. It's just a nice convenience to have

That's my biggest complaint about the pump. I have to give it a vinegar bath in a bucket inside if I don't want to unplug everything and expose the control box to the outside. But I got used to it.

[vikz]

Hi guys

Skimmer has been set and ran now for 4/5days.

Its running at 30w and pipe open 4 lines.

I have video showing the skimmer so far. If you guys could watch and let me know your opinion.

Heres a link.
https://youtu.be/9MOODPzhKO0

Thanks

[slief]

Originally Posted by vikz

Hi guys

Skimmer has been set and ran now for 4/5days.

Its running at 30w and pipe open 4 lines.

I have video showing the skimmer so far. If you guys could watch and let me know your opinion.

Heres a link.
https://youtu.be/9MOODPzhKO0

Thanks

That doesn't look bad at all. Normally I would suggest starting at about 27 watts with this skimmer but since it's a bit oversized for your setup, I'd say you are doing pretty well where you are.

Give it a few more days as it's not yet completely broken in. Once it's broken in, you could try slowing the pump down a bit in 1 watt increments. That will increase the contact time which will darken the skimmate up. It will also slow the skim production down. If you do slow the pump down, drain the collection cup so you can see the results. You will have to find a balance between darker skimmate and consistency. Should you decide to slow the pump down, give it several hours to settle in or 24 hours to see what it produces. You will likely need to close the wedge pipe a bit to maintain consistency.

[Confuse]

Originally Posted by slief

That doesn't look bad at all. Normally I would suggest starting at about 27 watts with this skimmer but since it's a bit oversized for your setup, I'd say you are doing pretty well where you are.

Give it a few more days as it's not yet completely broken in. Once it's broken in, you could try slowing the pump down a bit in 1 watt increments. That will increase the contact time which will darken the skimmate up. It will also slow the skim production down. If you do slow the pump down, drain the collection cup so you can see the results. You will have to find a balance between darker skimmate and consistency. Should you decide to slow the pump down, give it several hours to settle in or 24 hours to see what it produces. You will likely need to close the wedge pipe a bit to maintain consistency.

Sorry Scott, I know you've mentioned this before, but can you define what the following actions/functions below do?

Pump
Increase watts/percentage = ???
Decrease watts/percentage = ???

Body (Wedge pipe)
open = ???
close = ???

Is the wedge pipe just to raise the water level of the skimmer? How would I decide between increasing/decreasing the wattage vs. opening/closing the wedge pipe?

How do I "wet skim"? (settings, etc.)

How do I "dry skim"?

[slief]

Originally Posted by Confuse

Sorry Scott, I know you've mentioned this before, but can you define what the following actions/functions below do?

Pump
Increase watts/percentage = ???
Decrease watts/percentage = ???

Body (Wedge pipe)
open = ???
close = ???

Is the wedge pipe just to raise the water level of the skimmer? How would I decide between increasing/decreasing the wattage vs. opening/closing the wedge pipe?

How do I "wet skim"? (settings, etc.)

How do I "dry skim"?

Pump
Increase watts/percentage = increases water and air flow into the skimmer. This decreases contact time and increases bubble size. Increasing the pump speed will also raise the water level inside the skimmer.

Decrease watts/percentage = Increases contact time by decreasing flow through the skimmer and also decreases bubble size. Decreasing the pump speed will also decrease the water level inside the skimmer.

Increased contact time coupled with decreased bubble size results in more efficient DOC removal. There is a point of deminishing return with this and every model skimmer is different however each sized skimmer has it's sweet spot range in terms of pump speed.

250 sized skimmers seem to perform best between 36 and 38 watts.
200 sized skimmers seem to perform best between 27 & 30 watts.
180 sized skimmers seem to perform best between 22 & 24 watts.
Much of that depends on the amount of DOC's. Less DOC's typically require higher water levels inside the skimmer to keep the foam head up higher in the neck in order to keep the skimmer producing consistently.


Body (Wedge pipe)
open = reduces water level inside the skimmer lowering the foam head.
close = increases water level inside the skimmer by restricting it's flow out of the skimmer and raises the foam head.

I prefer to use sump level to fine tune the water level as much as possible so that the point of where the bubbles transition to slower moving foam is at the base of neck with the wedge pipe wide open. Then do the real fine tuning with the wedge pipe so that I only have to close the wedge pipe slightly.

To wet skim, first find the best pump speed to create the most solid foam head possible. The raise the water level inside the skimmer either via the sump level or by closing the wedge pipe to lighten the skimmate color. The higher the level in the neck where bubbles transition to foam, the wetter the skim. By raising the level, you are essentially thinning the skimmate. Wetter skim results in increased skimmate production.

To dry skim, find the best pump level to get the most solid foam head and lower the level inside the skimmer to darken the skimmate. The lower the level where bubbles transition to foam in the neck, the drier/darker/thicker the skim. It really is a visual thing as far as what you see in the collection cup. These skimmers are very efficient in the speed at which they remove solids from the water. As such, the DOC's are removed, adjustments may need to be made to compensate for the reduced DOC's. That typically would mean raising the level inside the skimmer slightly s that the point that the bubbles change to foam are higher up in the neck. This adjustment typically requires a very slight adjustment to the wedge pipe by closing it ever so slightly. Drier skim results in decreased skimmate production.

The amount of DOC's in the water has a direct impact on ideal settings. The lighter the load in relation to the skimmer size, the more difficult it is to tune a skimmer dry and keep it consistent. In the absence of enough DOC's for the size skimmer, you end up with bubbles that tend to burst faster at the surface instead of generating thick foam. This is because the DOC's provide the proteins necessary to make the bubbles stick together to form consistent foam. The larger the skimmer, the larger the neck diameter and the more DOC's needed to fill that neck with foam. This is one reason why sizing one of these skimmer correctly is important. It allows you to have more control over the skimmer performance and allows it to produce consistently both wet and dry. If the skimmer is oversized or if there aren't much in the way of DOC's for the size skimmer, consistently maintaining a good foam head is difficult. This necessitates the need to wet skim in order to maintain consistency.

[jcs11236]

This thread is very informative. Thank you.
So I am running my bk mini 160 and have the wedge 75% closed. Running at 9" water level. So you suggest I run skimmer deeper? from what I am gathering is that I have low docs.

[slief]

Originally Posted by jcs11236

This thread is very informative. Thank you.
So I am running my bk mini 160 and have the wedge 75% closed. Running at 9" water level. So you suggest I run skimmer deeper? from what I am gathering is that I have low docs.

The Mini unlike the double cone and other models, doesn't offer the pump adjustments via the adjustable volute on the Red Dragon pump or via the pump speed control on the RD3 pump. As such, your skimmer, you are dependent on the water level inside the skimmer for fine tuning.

With the Mini on a relatively light load, I would normally start with the wedge pipe wide open and use the sump level to get the water level up to the middle to higher end of the range below. With a heavier load, I would adjust the sump level to the lower end of the range in the photo below. Then use the wedge to fine tune so you aren't having to close it so much. In a very lightly stocked tank or in the case where this skimmer is oversized for the load, your water level in the sump will typically be higher than the "optimal range" which is 7.75" to 8.50". In your case given that you are already at 9" I think it's a safe assumption that the amount of dissolved organics in your system is on the low side for that skimmer. As such, assuming your skimmer is broken in and you like the way it's perfoming, you could note where the water level (transition from water to bubbles) inside the skimmer is now. Open the wedge pipe all the way and raise the water level of the sump enough to get the transition point and 1/4" below where you have it now. Then close the wedge pipe to adjust it from there back to the bubble level you have it at now. That should only require you to close your wedge pipe around 1/4 of the way.

Keep in mind that when you open the wedge pipe up to make this adjustment, it's going to impact/disrupt the skimmers bubble output for a little while. As such, raise the sump level 1/4" at a time and give the skimmer an hour or two to settle back down before making another adjustment. You won't want to overshoot the depth in your sump only to have the skimmer overflow. My guess is that you will end up around 9.5"-9.75" given your wedge pipe is a 75% closed. Having said that, these adjustments aren't going to necessarily make that skimmer perform much better unless you are seeing surging (water going up and down in the skimmer body). As such, you could also leave it alone but I would at least raise the level a little bit in the sump so your wedge isn't so closed.

For reference, here is the range that you would normally target for the transition from water to bubbles in the mini skimmer. Heavier load would require a lower transition than a lighter load. The key for you is finding a water level that results in the most consistent skimmate production where it's not overflowing and it's still producing reasonably dark skimmate.

[jcs11236]

Thanks for the informative reply.
You are correct, skimmer runs nicely for a few days and then goes out of wack. Not very consistent. And now I am aware it has to do with the low docs.
im goin to do like you stated and see how deep it needs to be in order to run wedge open. I feel like the inconsistency has to do with the wedge being so closed if that makes sense

[slief]

Originally Posted by jcs11236

Thanks for the informative reply.
You are correct, skimmer runs nicely for a few days and then goes out of wack. Not very consistent. And now I am aware it has to do with the low docs.
im goin to do like you stated and see how deep it needs to be in order to run wedge open. I feel like the inconsistency has to do with the wedge being so closed if that makes sense

The wedge closed that much will only impact the skimmer by causing siphoning from the drain line. It shouldn't have any real impact on consistency. The restriction will cause the level inside the skimmer to rise up until there is enough head pressure to cause the water to siphon from the drain side. This becomes pretty obvious because you will see an up and down motion inside the skimmer every several seconds or less at the bubble line. We refer to that as surging and like I said, it's usually pretty obvious.

In your case, I suspect what you are seeing is the result of the skimmer driving the dissolved organics out of the system. Once that happens, the skimmer can no longer make a good foam head so it will idle along for several days (not producing any skimmate) until the DOC's build back up. Once they build up enough, the skimmer will start producing a good foam head again and generate skimmate for a couple days or more until it reduces the DOC's. Then the cycle repeats. If you have the skimmer set too wet, it will want to inadvertently overflow. There is however a fine line where you should be able to adjust it wet enough that it will produce wet skimmate reasonably consistently. You just have to adjust the internal water level high enough in the skimmer to get it to produce consistently but low enough that it doesn't overflow if you look at it wrong. This requires very subtle fine adjustments of the wedge pipe and getting the sump level in the right ball park first will go a long way in terms of being able to take advantage of the fine adjustments the wedge pipe offers.

It's also very critical that you run an ATO to maintain a consistent sump level otherwise your skimmer will never be consistent. It will overflow if you add too much water and not produce with the slightest bit of evaporation. Same goes with water changes. Add too much new water and your skimmer may overflow. Too little water and your skimmers internal level will drop.

[machodik]

After I change my new sump, I got to start all over again with skimmer since I have washed thoroughly the whole skimmer before putting it back on, after a week , here is the video;



The skim mate qty collected after 5 days of running the skimmer;



I am also wondering why this silicon tubing are attached to the red pipe that is restricting me to move my pumps on a different position and also my adjustment on the water level inside the skimmer's body ?



Cheers,


MD

[slief]

Originally Posted by machodik

After I change my new sump, I got to start all over again with skimmer since I have washed thoroughly the whole skimmer before putting it back on, after a week , here is the video;



The skim mate qty collected after 5 days of running the skimmer;



I am also wondering why this silicon tubing are attached to the red pipe that is restricting me to move my pumps on a different position and also my adjustment on the water level inside the skimmer's body ?



Cheers,


MD

Looks like that big skimmer is working pretty ok on your little tank. You could wetten it up a bit to increase it's skimmate production but you do have a light load for that skimmer and it's working pretty well from the looks of it. As for the Venturi tube, how much closed is that wedge pipe?? If it's closed too much, that won't help with the slack in that line. Take a look at this picture. Verify where the wedge pipe opening is so you know how much open or closed it is. Then disconnect the airline from the pump and rotate the wedge pipe 180* so the airline goes into the pipe on the pump side like in this picture. The you will have plenty of slack. Then readjust the wedge pipe and remember what I told you, adjust your sump level so you don't have to close the wedge pipe more than 50%.

[machodik]

Hi Scott, I love this skimmer it let me feed more but I wonder if I keep doing more feeding will it lead to my po4 goes way up again?

For the Venturi tube, you mean I have to removed the red color airline pipe and then rotate the red wedge pipe 180 degree as shown in the photos ?

My wedge is wide open as of the moment .

[slief]

Originally Posted by machodik

Hi Scott, I love this skimmer it let me feed more but I wonder if I keep doing more feeding will it lead to my po4 goes way up again?

For the Venturi tube, you mean I have to removed the red color airline pipe and then rotate the red wedge pipe 180 degree as shown in the photos ?

My wedge is wide open as of the moment .

Maybe I misunderstood what you were asking about in the previous post. You had mentioned that you were wondering why the silicone tube was attached to the red pipe which is restricting you from moving your pump to a different position. Are you talking about the clear Venturi tube that goes from the pump through the wedge pipe or are you talking about the one that connects the pump to the bottom of the skimmer? If you are talking about the one that connects the pump to the bottom of the skimmer, that is by design. It's the closest spot on the simmer body to the Venturi line location that pump can be mounted to. That closeness to the wedge pipe where the Venturi line is located as it makes it way to the air silence above the wedge pipe helps reduce pressure that might restrict airflow with a Venturi longer line. If you are talking about the Venturi line, that line is just long enough for the wedge pipe to be able to be open all the way as well as closed. The longer the Venturi line, the greater the restriction of air flow. Kind of like sucking soda through a straw. The longer the straw, the harder you have to suck.

A a side not, disregard rotating the wedge pipe 180*. With the wedge pipe wide open, I don't think that will work for you. That said, I see no issue with the way your Venturi line is routed anyway so I would just leave it alone.