I need help w/using a protein skimmer

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A. Nonymous

A. Nonymous

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Feb 4, 2008
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So, my noobness is coming out again and the fact that I've never used a protein skimmer once again makes me look silly. So, I started by buying a Seaclone and it was the loudest thing I have ever heard in my life. On top of this I heard many many people comment on how horrible the Seaclone is so I scrapped it and got a Coralife 65g which got pretty high reviews on Dr. Fosters and Smith.

My problem is I have no clue at all how to use the dang thing. I have played with the settings and played with the settings and it seems no matter what I do the cup on the top fills up with water in minutes no matter how I tweak it. I can delay this to 10-15 minutes with the right settings, but that's it. Then the cup fills up. Did I buy another bad model of skimmer or am I doing something completely and totally wrong? I swear all the reviews of this thing were positive. It's definitely quieter than the sea clone, but I can't realistically empty the dang cup every 15 mins. Any help offered would be appreciated. I have tomorrow evening to play with this and would love to get it set up right by then. The rest of the week I'm tied up I'm afraid, but I'd love to get it set up and just let it run all week to break in. I also have problems with the microbubbles it puts out, but I'm told that if it runs for a couple of days this will go away.
 
A. Nonymous

A. Nonymous

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Feb 4, 2008
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I have played with that cap and with the flow controll valve coming from the tank. Same results. It's a brand new setup. If this is the break in period then it's going to suck because the cup is filling up every 10-15 mins and that's if I'm lucky. Usually it's less than 5. I can't empty the dang thing fast enough.
 
R

rogersb

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Apr 9, 2008
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That red cap should be able to be twisted far enough that it basically shuts off the air to the neck and this won't allow your cup to fill. Post a pic of the set up so we can see where you have it and if something is positioned too low or too high causing thsi malfunction.
 
N

Narwhal72

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Aug 13, 2009
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There are several things to check on.

1. Make sure the outlet tube is not being blocked and restricting the water from exiting the skimmer. The outlet tube extends down into the gray box bubble trap that is inside the aquarium. If the tube is going all the way to the bottom of the bubble trap it will restrict the flow and back up the water in the skimmer. Trim the bottom of the tube so there is at least a 1-1.5" gap between the bottom of the tube and the bottom of the bubble trap.

2. There is a flow control valve located between the pump and the skimmer that can be used to restrict the water flow into the skimmer. Close it completely to restrict the water flow. The knob will be perpendicular to the direction of the tube when closed. Crack it open a little bit at a time to increase water flow when necessary.

3. Make sure the air flow is completely open and you get lots of bubbles. Bubbles displace water in aspirator skimmers and actually slow down the water flow through the skimmer. The more you have the better. I should point out that there is no adjustment on the air inlet but it can become clogged with salt so it does need to be cleaned regularly.

4. Make sure the flow control for the outlet is completely open. This is the red knob on top of the water outlet.

The two valves (inlet and outlet) work in conjunction with each other. The inlet valve is the rough adjustment and can be used to get close to the right water level. The outlet valve is the fine adjustment and can help you dial in the skimmer. When skimmers are new they do tend to be erratic in their water levels but once they break in the level can be dialed in. As the pump begins to slow with age and biofouling you may find out that the inlet valve needs to be run completely open.

Andy
 
A. Nonymous

A. Nonymous

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Feb 4, 2008
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rogersb said:
That red cap should be able to be twisted far enough that it basically shuts off the air to the neck and this won't allow your cup to fill. Post a pic of the set up so we can see where you have it and if something is positioned too low or too high causing thsi malfunction.
Click to expand...
Narwhal72 said:
There are several things to check on.

1. Make sure the outlet tube is not being blocked and restricting the water from exiting the skimmer. The outlet tube extends down into the gray box bubble trap that is inside the aquarium. If the tube is going all the way to the bottom of the bubble trap it will restrict the flow and back up the water in the skimmer. Trim the bottom of the tube so there is at least a 1-1.5" gap between the bottom of the tube and the bottom of the bubble trap.

2. There is a flow control valve located between the pump and the skimmer that can be used to restrict the water flow into the skimmer. Close it completely to restrict the water flow. The knob will be perpendicular to the direction of the tube when closed. Crack it open a little bit at a time to increase water flow when necessary.

3. Make sure the air flow is completely open and you get lots of bubbles. Bubbles displace water in aspirator skimmers and actually slow down the water flow through the skimmer. The more you have the better. I should point out that there is no adjustment on the air inlet but it can become clogged with salt so it does need to be cleaned regularly.

4. Make sure the flow control for the outlet is completely open. This is the red knob on top of the water outlet.

The two valves (inlet and outlet) work in conjunction with each other. The inlet valve is the rough adjustment and can be used to get close to the right water level. The outlet valve is the fine adjustment and can help you dial in the skimmer. When skimmers are new they do tend to be erratic in their water levels but once they break in the level can be dialed in. As the pump begins to slow with age and biofouling you may find out that the inlet valve needs to be run completely open.

Andy
Click to expand...
Will do both of these things when I get home. One thing I'm unsure of is what all the way open is. All the way to the right or all the way to the left? I'll check the outlet as well. TBH I just put the thing in the outlet box. Maybe for testing purposes I'll remove the box completely.
 
N

Narwhal72

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Aug 13, 2009
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It's easy to find out. When you turn it one way the water level in the skimmer will go up. And when you turn it the other it will go down.

I should point out that what rogersb described is not possible as that is not how the skimmer is designed. The red knob controls the outlet water flow not the air flow which has no control.

Andy
 
A. Nonymous

A. Nonymous

AC Members
Feb 4, 2008
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Narwhal72 said:
It's easy to find out. When you turn it one way the water level in the skimmer will go up. And when you turn it the other it will go down.

I should point out that what rogersb described is not possible as that is not how the skimmer is designed. The red knob controls the outlet water flow not the air flow which has no control.

Andy
Click to expand...
I actually tried that and found the water going up either way I turned it. The flow increased both ways. I was very confused.
 
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