getting a protein skimmer going

[nynikki]

Since I transformed my FW tank into a marine tank, I was seeing a lot of negative discussion on the use of canister filters. So I went out and bought a sea clone 100 for my 30g and removed my fluval canister, and I swear the water in the tank just seems hazy. There is no foam in the collection cup and it's been running for 3 days now. Do I need to turn the venturi valve up to get more air going? When I first tried that it seemed to put a lot of air bubbles back in the tank. Please help, these protein skimmers baffle me.

Thanks

 

[Reefscape]

Not the best of skimmers to use..

First thing i would do is strip it down, and wash out well with warm soapy water and flush well with cold water...set back up and you have to keep tweeking it untill you find the right spot....there is no real way to say that you turn this to that position with these skimmers....

 

[nynikki]

I'm beginning to realize this wasn't the best choice. I'm considering digging the box out of the recycle bin and preparing it for return.

The problem is, that if I'm feeding any bubbled into the skimmer, I literrally have a cloud of bubbles coming right back into the tank! I'm trying to learn about sumps so I can put it on that but man there is a lot of information out there!

 

[Almondsaz]

NY nikki. Cansiter filters are fine, I would simply fill it with LRrubble. I did that for a friend who owns a pet shop and his 55 with that setup is always crystal clear and no issues. He uses a HOB skimmer. If you look on CL you can find a few that would be worthwhile.

 

[nynikki]

NY nikki. Cansiter filters are fine, I would simply fill it with LRrubble. I did that for a friend who owns a pet shop and his 55 with that setup is always crystal clear and no issues. He uses a HOB skimmer. If you look on CL you can find a few that would be worthwhile.

This seems like some pretty good advice, I'll have to get some more live rock first though and my guy hasn't returned my call... this could take a few days.

In the mean time, I turned up the skimmer and there were a lot of fine bubbles spewing into the tank, I mean clouds of them, it was pretty bad. but the skimmer seemed to actually be doing something finally. So, I took a nylon stocking, doubled it up, and shoved a piece of filter foam from the fluval in it. I then used a rubber band to affix it to the output of the skimmer. Water seems to be flowing through pretty well, and there are very few bubbles now going into the tank.

The cup seems to have completely filled up overnight, but it wasn't foam, more like dirty water. I assume since there hasn't been proper filtration on the tank now for 6 days, that could be why I had a full cup so quickly? Or is this normal?

I just don't know what to expect from any protein skimmer so it's hard to know if I'm operating this thing correctly.

Thanks!

 

[mike_nikki]

Before i made my skimmer into a Media reactor. I heavly modded the SC to work moderately well. I was getting about a cup every 3 days of dark brown to black skimmate. it was alot of work modding the MJ1200 and the skimmer but still really wasnt happy with it. I went and got a CPR BakPak 2R+ and it pulls a cup a day of black smelly skimmate(but i am also dosing vodka) if you have the skills and time i suggest you mod it or buy a new skimmer here is a link that i used

For the skimmer
http://www.reefcentral.com/diy/seaclone_modifications.htm

For the MJ1200 it is a mesh wheel mod to chop up the bubbles in even finer micro size
http://www.fishheads.org/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=14183

 

[nynikki]

I'm not very handy, so I wouldn't want to just start pulling this thing apart. I'm thinking to pull the thing out, clean it up really well and take the thing back. I seriously hate it. My fluval canister was doing a much better job and it was a lot quieter! If I hadn't tossed the porcelain rings that were in it, I would have put that back on the tank by now. I think for the extra $50 (for the CPR), had I known the Seaclone was going to be such a pain in the rear, I would have waited and ordered something else. The problem is, they all seem so simple, it's hard to compare when you've never seen or used one before.

Eventually, I would like to add a sump and refugium, I just haven't been able to find the right sized tank to fit in my stand yet. Seems a shame to commit to a skimmer that is only HOB when I'm hoping that in the next 6 months or so to get a sump up and going. Ugh... the joys of the fish keeping hobby!