New Skimmer

one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
Kinda know how they work but have never seen one in operation. I purchased a SCA 301 from SC Aquarium. Realize there is a break in period and may have to lower/raise skimmers water level to achieve best results. Since never seeing one work.... Where are the micro bubbles supposed to pop, just before the lip or a measurement down from the lip. Is that how to fine tune skimmer to do a wet or dryer skim...not sure, but makes sense. See I need to lower mine to raise water level (at 6 in now) bubbles are not traveling up to the collection cup with this current egg crate stand. Going to youtube it but wanted to ask here also....Thx
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
It's hard to be specific on that question as the level of micro bubbles can fluctuate from day to day depending on the concentration of organic compounds and size of the skimmer vs the load in the system.

But ideally they should be bursting near the very top of the neck of the skimmer.

Yours should be going crazy since you're just starting it up. So if it isn't producing anything yet you probably do need to lower it another inch or two (or raise the water level). Then you can fine tune it by increasing or decreasing the output.

Generally high output will make for a drier but more concentrated skimmate. Slower output will increase bubble action within the skimmer and pull more water out along with it.

Break in period can be different for everyone so it just depends on some of the above factors.

When you fine tune it you need to make small changes and wait for a good 12-24 hours to see much of a difference before you tune it again.
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
Been looking around and see basically how they work, did lower mine down. Slowly adjusting air to produce a sorta foaming action near the top portion trying to increase it to spill over. Looking for that initial set-up position where is at least working. Leaving this set-up and waiting a couple hours to see where am at....
As much help you guys have been giving me I feel I owe ya Lunch...Thx Again...
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Actually in your case it may take a good day or two to see anything.

Foam is really going to depend on doc's in the system.

If you're getting bubbles up near the top already then I'd just let it be for a couple of days. It takes some time to build those concentrations in the skimmer before it actually starts producing foam.

I'll generally clean mine every two to three weeks on like a Saturday or Sunday morning then It takes the better part of a day before it starts slowly foaming over the top again.

You still have a light bio load so you may find yours starts producing one day and than stops the next. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
Guess I need to drive it around the block a few times and get the feel for it. Larger sized bubbles are popping about an inch from the inside lip of the cup with a little bit splashing over no foam near the top. Play time.......
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
Just above the shoulders and below the head....you know that part where the adams apple is...Lol
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
Been running skimmer for 3 days now seeing about a 1/2 in of tea colored skim mate looks good so far but still not broke in. Having a copepod outbreak hundreds of them on the glass. Starting to see the LR come to life also little feather dusters,worms and mushroom looking objects popping up. Overall tank is doing well, but still need to play with the lighting to get the chaeto to grow not much luck yet although I can grow GHA. Thinking of changing to 23W CFL instead of the grow light I have thinking it's to strong for it to work in the sump.
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
Yeah each has it's own break-in period, so far satisfied with results thus far... BTW...How are your Clowns doing ??
 
S

Shilpan

Member
Excellent! One clearly dominates the other now. One does this weird twitching thing too but after some research apparently that's normally submission behavior haha.

Feeding once daily, sometimes miss a day once a week or twice, just to help battle cyano. But I don't feed much.

Oh also they're sleeping closer an closer each day. Now they're within 30-40cm. Used to be opposite end so of the tank hahaha

How is your tank going?
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
Glad to hear....Me kinda a month just behind you in the cycle. Also have two Clowns pairing up as you described ...Like to watch em dance at night...as ar as GHA and cyno , The GHA I want (next fish Lawn mower blenny for when in QT) have small red slime but readjusting light timers do feel it's light dependent. Now running refug light 24/7...Still trying to get my chaeto to grow...Thx
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
As far as feeding guess I overfeed feed em.... twice a day but not much at one time, feel they are always hungry but they do get picky. I Mix the food source up for proper nutrition Still testing my water twice weekly to be sure. Lucked up getting some LR w/coralline on it .........Nice starting to spread
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
Skimmer starting to work pulling out small chunks w/the liquid. Wishing had the same luck in the sump chaeto not growing in fact dying off but have GHA growing. I think the dying chaeto maybe feeding the red slime I have in spots or from me over feeding. I am taking a small cup size of tank water add in the frozen foods poring it back in to the tank to feed should I be filtering out the water and feed does it make that much difference......Thinking of growing GHA in sump instead of chaeto can use it if I get algae eaters later or for the QT
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
OK did some research......going to change both feeding habits and wash all foods with rodi. Was going to clean sump but ended up cleaning DT cyano was steadily creeping in Did remove chaeto from sump dying off feeding cyano I think I need to just wait a month or so before making anymore changes....I try to remind myself Keep it simple Stupid...
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Your skimmer should be going crazy if you have cyano in the tank. If you are good at growing GHA, consider possibly making an algae scrubber.

Skimmers are great, and they do a good job mechanically filtering out the dirt and waste in a tank... but sometimes more is necessary to achieve balance. check it out.
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
Cleaned out sump washed the rock in the water that was pumped out, then took shop vac and gave it a good vacuum. Skimmers new but did have some of that chunky skim mate...pleased. Going to leave thinks alone, if GHA grows in sump and dies off in DT along with cyano...main goal. Think things are going good considering it's newly cycled. Thx..
 
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