New skimmer not performing well

larry joe · 08/14/2011, 10:12 PM

My new octopus 150 isn't pulling any skimmate. Dirty water is all it's pulling. It's a week old. How long til it breaks in and starts performing as it should? Any opinions on my new skimmer are welcome. Nit. 15 ph 8.2 cal 400 mag 1200:

Grassroots · 08/14/2011, 11:41 PM

dirty water = wet skimmate. Adjust the water level to get a drier skimmate; it usually takes a couple weeks or longer for a skimmer to fully break in.

pgammon · 08/15/2011, 06:38 AM

+1, also make sure it's sitting at the right depth in the sump, that seems to affecte those skimmers, my Octo 200 works much better after raising to 8".

jeffesaurusrex · 08/15/2011, 07:19 AM

Day 2 on my Octopus NWB150 and I had half a cup of some naaaaasssstyyyy tea colored skimmate and a bunch of sludge. I almost threw up when I cleaned out the muck... I wasn't expecting the smell.

Sounds like you need to adjust the gate valve a little bit.

DarrinSimon · 08/15/2011, 07:53 AM

New skimmers should be run low (or very dry) till it breaks in. Break in can be shorter on heavy bio loads, every tank is different. You can try to run it higher but only if you are around to keep a close eye on it so it doesn't overflow.

sslak · 08/15/2011, 09:21 AM

Mine only took a few days to start pulling pale tea colored skimmate. After a few weeks it got much darker.

It takes some adjusting, mine runs almost all the way closed in 10" of water. My 'bubble line' is about 2" above the collar where the skimmer cup fits into the body.

darthparj · 10/04/2011, 09:42 AM

I just started my 50 gallon tank and have a reef octopus 150. Tank is currently cycled with 2 clownfish and some zoas. It took about 3 days before it started pulling some very light skimmate.

I'm assuming my tank has very low bio-load, feed the fish once a day. I started my GFO reactor and the skimmer pulled alot of the dust from the GFO.

Sk8r · 10/04/2011, 09:45 AM

Skimmers only work when there's something to skim. It pulls amino acids from the water. Two little clownfish aren't going to poo much, and your zoas will be uptaking some of that as food.

SBPD428 · 10/04/2011, 09:58 AM

My NWB150 took almost two weeks befor it started Pulling good skimmate.

darthparj · 10/04/2011, 03:54 PM

Thanks Sk8r, thats what I thought too. Sorry to hijack this thread, initially I had the skimmer in too deep the output was covered with water. Ended using an egg crate to lift it up about 3".

photo5.jpg

08/14/2011, 10:12 PM	#1
larry joe Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 66	New skimmer not performing well My new octopus 150 isn't pulling any skimmate. Dirty water is all it's pulling. It's a week old. How long til it breaks in and starts performing as it should? Any opinions on my new skimmer are welcome. Nit. 15 ph 8.2 cal 400 mag 1200:

08/14/2011, 11:41 PM	#2
Grassroots Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Kennesaw GA Posts: 270	dirty water = wet skimmate. Adjust the water level to get a drier skimmate; it usually takes a couple weeks or longer for a skimmer to fully break in. __________________ Bobby -------------- Current Tank Info: 700+ gallons of water...

08/15/2011, 07:19 AM	#4
jeffesaurusrex Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Terre Haute, IN Posts: 322	Day 2 on my Octopus NWB150 and I had half a cup of some naaaaasssstyyyy tea colored skimmate and a bunch of sludge. I almost threw up when I cleaned out the muck... I wasn't expecting the smell. Sounds like you need to adjust the gate valve a little bit. __________________ -Jeff Current Tank Info: 29g Biocube - StevesLEDs - MP10 - Apex - Tunze

08/15/2011, 09:21 AM	#6
sslak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,705	Mine only took a few days to start pulling pale tea colored skimmate. After a few weeks it got much darker. It takes some adjusting, mine runs almost all the way closed in 10" of water. My 'bubble line' is about 2" above the collar where the skimmer cup fits into the body. __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 58 Oceanic/20g Sump/250w XM 20k/2x39w T5 True Actinic 03/2010 Reef Octopus NW Cone Skimmer

10/04/2011, 09:45 AM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Skimmers only work when there's something to skim. It pulls amino acids from the water. Two little clownfish aren't going to poo much, and your zoas will be uptaking some of that as food. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/15/2011, 06:38 AM	#3
pgammon Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Eastover, SC Posts: 282	+1, also make sure it's sitting at the right depth in the sump, that seems to affecte those skimmers, my Octo 200 works much better after raising to 8".

08/15/2011, 07:53 AM	#5
DarrinSimon Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 49	New skimmers should be run low (or very dry) till it breaks in. Break in can be shorter on heavy bio loads, every tank is different. You can try to run it higher but only if you are around to keep a close eye on it so it doesn't overflow.

10/04/2011, 09:42 AM	#7
darthparj Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 73	I just started my 50 gallon tank and have a reef octopus 150. Tank is currently cycled with 2 clownfish and some zoas. It took about 3 days before it started pulling some very light skimmate. I'm assuming my tank has very low bio-load, feed the fish once a day. I started my GFO reactor and the skimmer pulled alot of the dust from the GFO.

10/04/2011, 09:58 AM	#9
SBPD428 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 11	My NWB150 took almost two weeks befor it started Pulling good skimmate.

10/04/2011, 03:54 PM	#10
darthparj Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 73	Thanks Sk8r, thats what I thought too. Sorry to hijack this thread, initially I had the skimmer in too deep the output was covered with water. Ended using an egg crate to lift it up about 3". photo5.jpg

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Skimmer not performing after Chemiclean	StripestheEel	Lighting, Filtration & Other Equipment	5	09/25/2011 05:22 PM
Improve Older Octopus Skimmer Performance	EllieSuz	Upstate Reef Society	0	09/24/2010 07:47 PM
Hydor Performer protein skimmer parts	kaiserkid	Lighting, Filtration & Other Equipment	0	11/03/2009 12:17 AM
9015 skimmer pump performance	Mimbler1	Tunze	2	07/28/2006 01:21 PM
MRC skimmer not performing...POed!!	jimsta	Lighting, Filtration & Other Equipment	13	04/09/2006 07:25 PM