Help!!!! Protein Skimmer Trouble

[candio]

I have a Prizm Pro deluxe skimmer, however it has never produced the dry foam correctly, am I operating it incorrectly or is it messed up. All that is ever in it is water. :help:

 

[seannmelly]

do you mean water in the collection cup? if so you gotta turn down the flow, atleast on mine and its a coralife super skimmer

 

[candio]

Yes. All that is ever in the collection cup is water. Gross water. I have adjusted so much that I am about to bang my head against the wall. Any advice?

 

[seannmelly]

you just have to get it perfect thats why i got rid of my prizm pro it was to hard to get it adjusted. my super skimmer, 1 adjustment for the flow and air and it works great

 

[candio]

What kind do you have now? I have heard a lot of great stuff about the seaclone. I have a 110 gal tank.

 

[seannmelly]

we now have a coralife super skimmer works great. on our first tank we had the seaclone and it worked fine too.

 

[tim_12]

Originally Posted by candio
Yes. All that is ever in the collection cup is water. Gross water. I have adjusted so much that I am about to bang my head against the wall. Any advice?
Gross water as in, dark brownish green water that smells really bad? Because thats what you want. I dont know where you got dry foam from.

 

[candio]

Yes it is brownish green and stinky. But the manual says it should have foam. My tank has turned really green. It is a reef tank, and the water looks green. Any ideas?

 

[saltfan]

Your going to have to fine tune it some. I have the Prizm 300g Deluxe. The water valve is generally turned to 1/4 on, the water will not come out running really fast at that rate, but it will. Turn the air valve up all the way, then down until you just hear the pump grumbling that its to much air, and your set. You want dry foam in the collection cup, not water. Your water level will be just below the collection intake portion, or just starting at the bottom of the large hole to the top of the cup. The bubbles will accumulate there, and will continue to collect, and push the dried foam up and out of the cylinder.

 

[sumpdiver]

SaltFan: I thought the skimate was only foamy as it pushes up through the tube. Once the foam goes into the collection cup doesn't it turn into the scummy stinky water? Or at least that is how it works in my CPR. Maybe my adjustments are off also.

 

[mystic7]

Once the bubbles start to pop the "dry foam" becomes water again. I don't know what kind of skimmer SaltFan has, but usually you will have dry foam inside the inner tube at the top of the skimmer and stinky brown water inside the collection cup. The gooey crap should stick to the sides of the inner tube.