swc hot skimmer

[cmn3]

so I just got my skimmer and not sure how it works seems fairly simple there where no instructions. so are you just suposed to move the colection cup up and down to adjust? and how far up should the foam go it realy seems to be eractic when I get it to just spill over I come back and check on it and its overfilling the cup then I raise it up and it kind of tapers off to where it does not quit reach the top from what I have read it might take awhile before it starts to work? and also there seem to be alot of bubbles in the tank? it has a sponge just in front of the output on the inside then another on the tube on exit in the tank but still seems to be pushing alot of the micro bubbles into the tank... would have been nice if they gave some kind of instructions

 

[Bosco83]

I'm not really sure why they don't give you instructions either seems kinda odd to me. I would just set it up so that the bubbles stay steady below the collection cup and leave it for a week or so it should start pushing a little higher as it breaks in.

Brian

 

[dailydriven911]

Microbubbles will settle down after it breaks in...what you're describing sounds normal just give it some time.

 

[returnofsid]

You'll need to give it a week, sometimes 2, for your skimmer to "break in." After that point, then you'll have more adjustment control. For now, just let it do it's thing, without trying too hard, to find the proper adjustment.

 

[ssgatbliss]

I have a SWC 500 HB, don't believe they make them anymore but it has a similar build to yours (just a lot bigger). The bubbles will go away once the skimmer breaks in. It did take me a while to tune this skimmer in and I had the same issues as you. If the cup is 1/4 of an inch to low then it fills up quickly, just a little higher and it doesn't seem to be producing foam. After writing the SWC guys (Elite Reef Forums • View forum - Ask SWC Skimmers) they gave me some advice. I need to keep my cup pretty high. Because this skimmer is fairly large for my tank I don't get a lot of nasty foam. It takes a few days for any real build up in the collection cup. Not sure if your skimmer has a foam block near the return to the tank (supposed to reduce bubbles into tank but once your skimmer breaks in you shouldn't need it). If you do have this foam block I would remove it. After a short time this foam block becomes clogged and causes backpressure into the main reaction chamber which caused some overflowing and the collection cup to fill up quickly. Once I removed the foam block all problems solved. The skimmer works well (compared to other HOBs I've had) but I wish I didn't have to use a HOB skimmer because they just don't have the fine tune capabilities of the cone style skimmers.

 

[Skimmy]

yep, you guys got it...
it just needs to break in for it to act normally...
it might take up to 2 weeks.
in the mean time, the micro bubbles are harmless,
and I too would remove the sponges when it is done breaking in.

 

[cmn3]

ok so I will wait and see how it goes. I did notice that the pump seems to run a little on the warm side. is that normal?