possible protien skimmer problem???

[peckhead]

we have a proclear aquatic skimmer 75 motorrized.(not hang on). it has been running for about 2-3 weeks now(since set up tank) and we have just been draining from the waste tube back into the sump part(i think thats what it is called...the part where the water goes after it goes through the bio balls) of our proclear aquatic wet dry. we were told to do this for a while because when we were draining it into a empty milk container it would fill up in less than an hour. so after about 2.5 weeks of draining it back into the sump part i tried to put it back into the milk jug and it started filling really quickly again. what should i do? the cup at teh top only has about a centimeter of dirty water. the tank is 44 gallons.

 

[jonk520c]

why are you putting all the gunk back into the system. you are gonna create problems by doinging this. i think you need to adjust the skimmer so that it does not water as much.

 

[brucewrs]

Your dumping the waste back into the tank???????Why? If it is filling up too fast that means you have to adjust the water flow or air intake.DONT DUMP THE WASTE INTO THE TANK!!!

 

[darknes]

The liquid from your skimmer should be coming out as a very dark green/brown, almost black liquid. There should be directions on how to adjust the skimmer so it lowers the height of the liquid inside (maybe even raise the skimmer in the sump).
Has your tank cycled? Is there anything in it? If there is no bioload in the tank, your skimmer won't be pulling much out of it.

 

[peckhead]

i am pretty sure i have lowered the water level...but its hard to tell because there are still bubble in the water level, i just think thats where teh water turns into bubbles. but it is still filling the milk jug really quick. and the water in my sump is draining into the bucket fast and i need to add water now.
the water dirty but not black or dark green. i have live rock, live sand, and a clown fish. all my levels are 0 and the ph is good too. i just cant figure out the skimmer.
is it defective? and how should i go about adding more water to the tank? add it to the sump? i dont have a ro unit and this is wasting all the water now..

 

[peckhead]

actually the "waste" water in the milk jug is clear

 

[jonk520c]

the skimmer is probably not defective. it takes some time to adjust it. it looks like you have very little bio load. what I do if my skimmer puts out a water is mess with the air flow in the skimmer and adjust the height. it trial and error sometimes. hang in there youll get it right

 

[moorea2]

I cycled my tank with live rock and live sand as well. For about the first month my skimmer was going off.
We had a small bucket we were using to collect the dirty water from the skimmer. We had to empty it OFTEN! After a while the skimmer calmed down to the point where I was able to take the tube off and it wasn't over flowing with water.
This is the time you should be playing with the settings to adjust it the way it should run. Are there any valves or settings that will allow you to lower the level in the chamber with the bubbles??? This might help, but to be honest no matter how much we fine tuned it during break in and cycling we were emptying the bucket 1 or 2 a day!
I am by far an expert, but I think there are people who do not run their skimmer during cycle. Maybe turning it off until you are cycled will help save on water. Then once you are cycled you can turn it on and maybe not go through so much water while the skimmer breaks in. Maybe some with more experience can tell you if this is a good option if water conservation is an issue!

 

[peckhead]

thank you
if anyone else has any more advice it would help too.
i got it going the slowest its ever gone. the water level is a tiny bit lower then the marked line. and i ahve the intake tube as low as it can go, and i have the skimmer raised up on poland spring bottle caps now(one cap on each side of the bottom).
does how far in the tube is sticking in affect how fast the water will go in? should i ahve teh intake tube as far deep into the bio balls as i can? or does it not matter
and does it matter if the bioballs are laying flat and even in the filter because i noticed that the are higher in the back and lower by the intake tube..
and what is the best way to add water? i have been adding more tap to the sump to go to the return and some stress coat.
thanks again

 

[brucewrs]

STRESS COAT???ahhhh haaaaa That is your problem.That is making your skimmer go nuts!

 

[sonnyg]

you are just giving the skimmer work if you are putting stress coat in...... ya really wanna see a skimmer go nuts? put in some of that red slime remover. i would just get a 5 gallon bucket and during the football games run the waste into the bucket. refill with good water the skimmer will tell you when your tank is good

 

[darknes]

That stress coat is your problem!
Also, I highly recommend you use water other than tap water for the tank.

 

[peckhead]

ok. now maybe i have it running good.
bare with me...
in the middle put of the skimmer. where the water level should be. when they say water level does that mean just water and no bubbles...because if i look really close the water is at the water level sticker. but from the sticker up it is really tiny clear bubbles(is this ok or should it just be water then nothing.) then when it goes up the tube the bubbles are bigger and a little bit brown. the way i ahve a it set up now, the bubbles are going into the cup really slow.. if i move the intake tube up more, the bubbles go into the cup really fast. if i move it down, there are no bubbles at all abvoe the water line.

 

[peckhead]

ok this time i really think i ahve it working right. i mad it so the bubbles go into the cup really slowly and now the waste bucket is dark brown. this seems right? or not? thanks