This skimmer is driving me nuts!!!

[otrlynn]

I put the Octopus HB800s on my 58 gallon reef tank three weeks ago. I should be past the break-in period but I can't seem to get it to work properly. I have to keep the collection cup positioned quite high, and even with it set at this level, it overskims when I add anything to the tank. If I add top off water, bubbles rise and quickly overflow the neck and fill the cup. Same thing if I add calcium. So--I am collecting a lot of very watery skimmate but have yet to get a cup of nice dark skimmate. The funny thing is that I replaced a Coralife 65, which most people had unkind words for--but it seemed like I was getting better results. Anyone have any suggestions?

[otrlynn]

bump

[aznnutty]

i had the same problem with any skimmer i ever had. to keep my skimmer from over skimming, i just added a air flow controller valve to the airline and cut back the air intake

[vamaro]

First, I am not expert, this is just my personal experience. I set up a small tank for my son and purchased the Octo. - I think a BH 300 ( the unit with two motors). I had a similar problem. I had to play with it for a about a week to get it just right. To high and nothing, too low and its too wet.

To fix this start by making very small changes and give it about 12 hours for each change.

I also want to mention that at my current setting which I am happy with, there are times during the day that the skimmer does not seem to be low enough simply because I can not see any bubbles going into the chamber. However, at other times, it is picking up lots of stuff. This is why it is important not to make big adjustments and expect instant results.

You can even start off a little high and lower it more more that 1/8 inch a day until you are happy. The skimmers are pretty good for what they are.

Vince

[abrian]

I have the Octopus 800s on my 120 gal. and have good luck getting a nice dark and thick skimmate. It just took a bit of tuning in to find the sweet spot for it. My biggest problem was the large amount of microbubbles going back into the tank. I cut down a piece of very course foam and placed it in the top of the final discharge chamber where it covered the flow through hole and this has stopped the microbubbles from entering the tank. I am very pleased with this skimmer and its performance now. My only advice would be to be patient and keep adjusting the cup until you find the right setting, and add a piece of foam for the bubbles.

[Juruense]

Did you read the owner's manual? My Coralife SS works great. How much for your old 65? PM me if you want to sell it.

[otrlynn]

Thanks folks for your responses. Vamaro, I think you have a good point that I may be moving the skimmer cup too often and too far. Several times I have lowered it because it seemed like the bubbles were not coming up high enough, only to have to move it back up when I added top off or did something else that started it skimming wildly. I will try just leaving the cup up higher for awhile and see what the result is. I do have some microbubbles in the tank, but not a whole lot. Abrian, I will remember the trick with the foam if I need it. Juruense, I did read the owner's "manual" which was one unhelpful piece of literature... A xeroxed sheet, poorly translated from Chinese. I'm not kidding here--a link on the sheet took me to a website that was written in both English and Chinese. I will let you know if I am interested in selling the Coralife 65. I want to get this new one working better before I sell it. I thought it was a bit tricky to get it adjusted but I had learned to live with it, and I did get some good dark skimate from it. My main motivation in buying a new one was to get the pump out of the tank. One downside to this is that the Octopus is much more sensitive to the level of the water in the tank (because it uses an overflow box) than the 65 was.

[vamaro]

I did get an owners manual! Just a piece of paper with a part breakdown.....


Vince

[otrlynn]

Originally posted by vamaro
I did get an owners manual! Just a piece of paper with a part breakdown.....


Vince

Yeah, same here. Not too helpful except to assemble the beast. Is the air intake tubing on your unit shorter than desirable? Mine barely reaches the top of the chamber it comes out of, and has develped a little split at the top of the tubing. It is barely long enough to allow attachment of the silencer. As a matter of fact, I extended it with a short piece of hard tubing, which I then attached to my silencer...

[vamaro]

Two different hoses.......lol!

I try not to let the little stuff like good instructions bother me too much. These are good skimmers for the money.

Vince

[drauka99]

I tend to adjust mine and then give it atleast an hour before fidling with it again.

Also some skimmers like to be closer to the top of the water. on my ASM i built a little table out of eggcrate and it added alot to my skimmers preformance.

If you don't have an ATO then it may take longer to get the skimmer set because some are very sensitive to water levels.

Patience is key with getting the skimmer set to the values you are looking for. I get mine close with the hourly adjustments then go to only fiddling with it every day or so untill i reach the "perfect" setting.

I skim medium - like a black tea