Berlin Protien Skimmer

meltonius

meltonius

New Member
I had a question about the berlin protein skimmers. More specifically the Berlin Air Lift 60 made by Red Sea. I just got it for my 55 gallon aquarium. I have it hooked up to an air pump and the air stone is not bubbling up as much as I expected. Does it take 3 days for the air stone to bubble up? I was wondering if anyone had any information or experience with these internal skimmers. Thanks for the help! :notsure:
 
mudplayerx

mudplayerx

Active Member
I have never had an airstone-driven skimmer, but I have read that they will never be able to produce the volume of microbubbles that venturi-style skimmer is capable of.
Airstone-driven units also require replacement of the airstone every now and then. Look for a wooden aitstone at the pet store. They produce finer bubles.
 
rainmaker6

rainmaker6

Member
If it is like my Sanders counter current, you have to make sure that the bubbles from the wooden airstone are pointing towards the outside of the tube. Isn't a wooden airstone a contradiction of terms?
 
mystangt

mystangt

Member
I have a Berlin air lift 60. Do you have it adjusted to the water line? Mine works great. It gets alot of crap built up in the cup every day. So I know it's doing some good. If your cup has clear water in it, it's probably setting to low into the water. A good strong pump makes a big difference too.
Hope this helps,
MYSTANGT
 
meltonius

meltonius

New Member
Thanks for the reply. I just set it up tonight and I have one stream of bubbles going up. The skimmer is adjusted to the waterline on the tube. My pump is a Whisper pump. It says that it is 20-60 gallons. Maybe it is my pump. Did yours bubble up right after setting it in? I have a Lime Wood airstone.
 
mystangt

mystangt

Member
Yep as soon as it hit the water it was working away. Give it a few days and check the collection cup. Let us know what happens. It
should start to get dark colored muck in the collection cup. It's not instant so be patient.
Good Luck,
MYSTANGT
 
meltonius

meltonius

New Member
Ok, I just checked my check valve and the air was going the wrong way, so I fixed that and I am getting a large amount of bubbles. My new problem though is that my cup has filled with water and bubbles. My water level is ok, but I am guessing that my pump is too powerful. I may need a less powerful pump.
 
mudplayerx

mudplayerx

Active Member
Does your pump have an adjustable low rate? If so, you can just turn it down some. Some pumps also have an adjuster on the air intake. I can rarely get my skimmer to function for more than 2-3 days without having to fiddle with the levels. I think this is normal though. Its worth it though!
 
meltonius

meltonius

New Member
Cool, thanks for the advice. I actually picked up a 2 way valve. That way I can adjust the airflow of the pump using the valve instead of the pump. It is a cheaper alternative than getting a new pump for sure! I have messed around with adjusting it and I think I have found a good air flow rate. Thanks for the help though. It is good to get help with these things.
 
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