Protein Skimmer Tuning Help!

[JsQuid]

Hey everyone... Well, after several months of use, I finally cleaned my Coralife 65. It was skimming well, and all of a sudden two days ago it went berserk and overflowed. I do regularly weekly cleanings on it. It skimmed pretty well in the past. Anyway, the issue was a buildup of the port allowing air to pass. After the vinegar soaking, I placed it back in the tank. However, it has barely pulled anything out of the tank over the last 1.5 days. I'm trying to tune it in for the perfect spot. How open should it be? For example, should I turn the red nozzle clockwise or counter-clockwise and why? When I turn it clockwise the bubbles rise quickly... Also, the tank is a total of about 60 gallons. Stock includes 1 Sunburst Anthea, Firefish, Cleaner Shrimp, 4 snails, 1 Emerald Crab, and a couple of corals.


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[Dav3]

That's the nature of the coralife skimmers. They suck IMO.

Adjust the nob so the top of the water column in the tube is about half way up the cone section.

 

[JsQuid]

Well, before the clogging, the skimmer was pulling nice dark skim mate. Since then, I have moved and a lot of things have changed. I only feed once every 3 days. I'm assuming maybe the vinegar cleaning is causing it to re-break in.


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[54seaweed]

When I turn it clockwise the bubbles rise quickly...

That's what they are supposed to do , it's called percolating the bubbles come over the center cone and settle in the collection cup , if your getting water along with the bubbles raise the cup up some till it's just foam , between adjusting the bubbling and adjusting collection cup so it don't pull in water , once your tuned in minor adjustments could be needed every once in a while

 

[JsQuid]

Regardless of the height, no foam yet. I'm assuming it will develop in a few days or so. The cleaning must have done something!


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[Dav3]

No bubbles at all or no foam?

 

[JsQuid]

it's starting to foam now..


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[JsQuid]

Foams gone now..


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[Ingy]

After that cleaning you gave it, you will have to "break it in" again, just like when brand new. It takes a bit of time for a thin layer of, well, scum, to build back up on the inside of the bubble chamber. Give it a week or 2 and it should be back to normal.

 

[JsQuid]

Yeah that's what I assumed. It's pulling out skimmate, mostly wet. I want the gunk, but my tank is so lightly stocked I doubt I'll reach that goal.


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[Ingy]

The gunk will be the stuff that first has to coat the chamber walls. Once its covered the walls it will stay on the bubbles right to the cup. On the plus side, it is still removed from the water column.

 

[JsQuid]

Good point! I didn't think of it like that.


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