Octopus NW-150 Set up questions

[breiwa1]

*Mods this may be in the wrong forum could you move it to diy equipment
I recently upgraded my crummy red sea HOB skimmer to an in sump set up. The sump thing is new to me since I was using wet dry set up before. So now with the sump I am having a little trouble getting the octopus skimmer to produce a good foam. My red sea produced thick sludge every few days, but it was loud and liked to overflow.
This is the newer style octopus skimmer with the dual collection cup. I am currently regulating my water level to about 10 inches of water(this seems pretty high to me). But it is the only way I can get the foam to the come over the cup. The stand pipe has to be way up so much that it fills the lower cup with water almost to the over flow point.
I do get some skim but it is mostly just some green water (about a half inch every other day) and when the water level in the sump goes down an inch or two I have to adjust the stand pipe or the foam will not come over the cup.
I have been struggling with it for three weeks now and I hope I am doing something wrong because my red sea did better than this one.
Can anyone one give me any pointers? How much water should it sit in? Any other suggestions are welcomed.
For what it is worth I tried to search the site but the post are all of people gushing on how great this skimmer is, but no info on set up.

 

[cdangel0]

I am not intimately familiar with this particular skimmer or the double cup. but I do use an ASM which is essetntially the same skimmer, just slightly better parts.
First reccomendation would be to remove the sponge from the lift tube and install the gate valve mod. This provides the ability to make incremental minute changes to the back pressure which adjusts the water level in the skimmer. This modification makes a huge difference in performance.
What you may be running in to now is that as water evaporates out of the sump it is decreasing back pressure and the water level drops, and auto-top off would help this as well.
there is also a break in period for all new skimmers. Could take a week or 2 before it really starts working properly.

 

[breiwa1]

Thanks for the input. What water level does yours sit in?
I have been running it for three weeks. Does anyone have any pictures of a gate valve mod? I would like to see what looks like. How about air adjustments? Or do I want as much air as possible?
Thanks again.

 

[stanlalee]

lower the sump water height at least an inch, preferably two. bring the water level up in the skimmer up level to the top of the funnel (water level not foam level if any is present. hell if there's foam wiggle your fingers down in the riser and collapse it). dont bring the water up into the collection cup riser tube just level with the top of the funnel. Once the water level is there do NOTHING. From there its just a waiting game. all that messing around with it after that is just prolonging a proper break in which already takes 2-4wks with these skimmers. leave it and let a foam head build on its own. resist temptation to make it do something. when it begins to work you'll know it. Also take a pic if you can so I can see exactly what you got going on with the water level and bubble production within the body.