help seaclone skimmer and bubbles

[bubbagump]

well i got my tank up and running finally yesterday and i noticed that no matter were i have the air flow adjustment buubles from the skimmer flow into the tank and its anoying! just about the only time it doesnt is when the valve is all of they open and still then a few get into the tank. what do i do? and when it is making foam it makes a whole lot and the collection cup fills up in less than 5 minutes. please i really need to know what to do oh and my tank is a 30 gallon long with an emporer 400 and a sand bed about 2 and a half in deep and i just filled the tank yesterday and now it is starting to clear up a little. please help!!!!!

 

[jond]

If the tank was just set-up, you really do not need to run the skimmer yet. When you know you have the start of a bio-load, then skim.
Make sure the intake on the powerhead is at the recommended level in the tank. I have had the best luck with the skimmer's air valve almost all the way open. It will take a little time for the skimmer to break in, but the bubbles should stop and the foam will settle down. You will need to clean the intake on the skimmer occasionally, and it usually will make some bubbles for a short time after that.
Just give it some time and play with the valve and you should end up bubble free.

 

[falcon63]

if you are using any type jell (slime coat) this will cause these bubbles .you must not use .

 

[shnookums]

i agree with both replys. new tank, nothing to skim, stress coat makes seaclone bubble like crazy.

 

[troy mcclure]

Wait until your tank has something to actually skim. Then play with air knob until only very little bubbles enter the tank.This will stop after a day if not sooner.If there is still some bubbles you can put a foam from an aquaclear mini on the ramp and it will stop them.The little "ramp" returning the water into the tank should show a medium water flow.You should be able to see the riser tube in the skimmer and the bubbles should be above it.(like pic on the box).If you are getting too much water in the cup let more air in and vice versa.Make sure the pump is at the right depth in the tank.Dont expect to see something in the cup immediately.Wait a while. This is what works for me. <img src="graemlins//angel.gif" border="0" alt="[angel]" />

 

[bubbagump]

ok i have the intake at the right level and now i got some live rock and damsels and they have been in there for a day now and the ammonia is a little high so i tried out the skimmer and it is still doing the same thing. when i have the air value 3/4 the way open it make bubbles but they all go into the tank and when the vauvle is almost all of the way open hardly any bubbles go into the tank but the collection cup fills up with this foggy stuff in less than 3 minutes. please help i dont know what to do!!!!!

 

[falcon63]

if you put anything in tank (jell slime coat)this will create all those bubbles it will need to brake it down .

 

[bubbagump]

i put some in yesterday it was dechlorinator. will it do this every time i use it?

 

[grayne]

When I first got my seaclone I had the same types of problems. I learned there was a lot of trial and error, but once you get it all set up right it works wonderfully. I ended up cutting the tube that connects to the powerhead pump so that the top of the foam filter was only about 3/4 of an inch from the surface of the water. I also leave the air flow at 100% all of the time. This has allowed me to create very "dry" bubbles in the collection cup and elimanate all af the bubbles from flowing back into the tank.

 

[falcon63]

yes it will . you need to use somthing else

 

[jond]

Why are you adding dechlorinater to your tank. If you are adding it to remove chlorine from your tank, you have bigger problems.
What do you mean by "foggy". When the skimmer is working good, your cup will appear full of foam, but that foam gradually settles and leaves a thick brown liquid in the bottom of the skimmer.

 

[eseow]

As for Sea CLone 100, it going to almost always blow out bubbles if the water is new, you just did a water change, or added any declorinator with any slime coat additive. Any time you add or make changes to the water, the water characteristics change. I some times place forzen food into the tank and the skimmer lets out some bubbles. I'd let the tank run for a few days with air nozzled closed, then open it and adjust the flow after that period. Water height in the tank will affect it also, so adding water for evaporation will make it produce bubbles. Also dump the factory air control nozzle for a fine adjustment air control valve. The factory valve has too erratic of a flow rate, it never has a constant supply which affects the tuning of it. Either its just supplying air, a little more, or just plain open. I tried a penn plax air control fine adjustment valve after it stop producing waste skimmate for 8 days. After replacing the factory valve I able to produce a finer more constant air bubble thus more wastes in the collection cup. There should be a dark coat of slime coating the inner tube of the collection cup with dark to light waste colored water in the collection cup.

 

[hearn]

I too just added a seaclone skimmer to my 75 gal
tank, (6 months old), first few days it would only foam with the light out. after turning on the light the foam was gone after about an hour. is this telling me any thing?
P.S. what a great site. I'm learning alot from you guys. One last question. My wife is starting to talk divorce, because of the time I spend with my tank. (smile), anyone else have this Prob