Skimmer setup..

[fly guy]

Glad to see this thread because after installing my new skimmer (ER-135)last week, I have YET to find a consistent level of foam. Either too low or too high. Driving me crazy!!!!!!!

Out of curiosity, do you have your sump set up so that the water level NEVER changes in the skimmer section?? If not, it is important to do so with any in sump skimmer to truly have it perform consistent to your desired wetness/dryness of skimmate. An ATO set up can helpw ith this, but the best way with zero play is to set up the first "over" baffle next to your skimmer chamber higher than the rest so regardless of anything, the water level cannot fluctuate where the skimmer sits.

 

[joker577]

Well, it's in the back chamber of the biocube 29 gal so the only place where the level rises/falls is the 3rd chamber. Yesterday it pulled 2/3 cup of tea looking skinmate and it's about 1/4 cup of it now already, went and showed a pic to my good reef friend who works @ a LFS around here and now he wants one for the store biocube lol

 

[Damsel13]

...about that green tea skimmate... why do I sometimes get that and other times get reall mucky yucky dark green stuff?

 

[joker577]

Well the stuff I got is more yellow

 

[joker577]

Here's what mine pulled out last night + yesterday afternoon

 

[pitmam01]

Actually with the sump I have now, the only place for it is in the area where the water fluctuates. But that makes sense now that ya mention it!!! I am having a new sump installed that has an ATO. Thanks for the info!!!

Out of curiosity, do you have your sump set up so that the water level NEVER changes in the skimmer section?? If not, it is important to do so with any in sump skimmer to truly have it perform consistent to your desired wetness/dryness of skimmate. An ATO set up can helpw ith this, but the best way with zero play is to set up the first "over" baffle next to your skimmer chamber higher than the rest so regardless of anything, the water level cannot fluctuate where the skimmer sits.

 

[james734]

Looks a little wet.. Try raising the cup a little. Wet is better than nothing, but I usually prefer it to be a little drier.

Here's what mine pulled out last night + yesterday afternoon

 

[joker577]

Well if I bring it up higher alot of the time the bubbles wont make it

 

[plack]

"Well if I bring it up higher alot of the time the bubbles wont make it"


Trust them (james etc.)this advice is correct. You want the Heavier stuff making it, not evereything !



Paul

 

[joker577]

I do trust james I just had it low earlier and it wouldn't pull anything, i'll try it again though and give an update

 

[james734]

I think you'd be surprised what 1/8" -1/4" can do. It might take a little longer to build it up but it should make it to the top.

Keep in mind the skimmer is still breaking in..

 

[joker577]

Yeah I think it might've been because I did a water change...but I looked through the hole inside to look at the bubbles while the collection cup was in there and they kept popping

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Tiny adjustments with a couple days in between works best. Nothing wrong with wet skimmate except being a waste of good saltwater. I also prefer it closer to green/brown soup than to apple juice consistancy.

 

[james734]

Yeah I think it might've been because I did a water change...but I looked through the hole inside to look at the bubbles while the collection cup was in there and they kept popping

If you just did a water change it can take some time for the skimmer to start kicking in. Also if you place you hands, feed, etc. in the water this can also cause the bubble column to collapse and can take a couple hours to working again.

Trust me on this one.. I have a AquaC and if even think about putting your hand in the water the bubble column collapses.

 

[fly guy]

Skimming wetter will actually pull out more organics in the big picture. The flipside is it can be much more sensitive to overlflowing your skimmer cup and you need to take into account the saltwater taken out if you skim really wet. To add to that, for people using not very powerful skimmers, some of them simply do not have the power to lift those heavier organics out of the water and skimming wetter will definitely work better for people running weaker skimmers. Otherwise the skimmer will just be continually lifting and dropping the organics right back into the water column, and the only real gunk that will be collected is what builds up on the inside of the lip.

If youve got the power, you can skim drier and still achieve what is necessary, although i would still argue with any skimmer, that more can be pulled out skimming wet, along with much more saltwater of course.

 

[joker577]

Yeah I just had to add about 1/4 gallon of RO water but I raised it a little and there's foam growing in there now :eek2:

 

[james734]

Sounds good. Just let it build some and it will eventually build enough to skim over. If not lower it down a little and wait to see the results. I usually get a dark tea color to light coffee color of skimmate and stinky... pew...

 

[joker577]

Yeah it was sludgy yesterday I had to get it off with my finger lol

 

[james734]

Here you go joker.. This is 1 and 1/2 days worth from my skimmer.

Note: This doesn't show the remote waste container either. It had about the same amount in it also.

 

[joker577]

That's about what mine looked like, but more wet and lighter (as you can see in pic) with the same amount of sludge