Protein Skimmer question

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ekean45

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Nov 29, 2011
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Location
Marietta, GA
I'm running a Sea Clone 100 protein skimmer (I know - not a great skimmer but I'm on a budget and had cheap access to it) in a newly established 60 gallon sw - inverts and a few small fish.

Took a bit of adjusting - had a ton of micro bubbles in the tank and was getting almost completely clear water in the collection cup - sounds like that's how it should be since not much time for gunk build up. I was told it would take some adjustments and there would be a break-in time.

Question is now I am not getting the micro bubbles in the tank but now nothing is coming into the collection cup. I can see that the bubbles from the venturi are forming at the top of the skimmer below the collection cup but there is nothing bubbling over into the collection cup.

Is this just a sign that my water quality is good and that I just have a fairly light load or are there are other factors I need to check to make sure it is working correctly?

My web queries have done nothing but confuse me further.

Help and advice is greatly appreciated!!
 
Sea clone doesn't have water level adjustment. You have to adjust the air intake. I used one for 3 years and like you said not the best skimmer. To adjust mine I would close the air valve all the way so NO air going through skimmer. Then open slowly until you start to see bubbles. You will get micro bubbles in tank. Give the skimmer few minutes then slightly open valve. Maybe quarter turn then give few more minutes until no more micro bubbles coming out. repeat this process until no bubbles. Takes a lot of fine tuning. Make sure clean sponge like once a week too. That will effect skimmate production a lot

I was always messing with skimmer. I upgraded to reef octopus and adjusting 1000 times easier and the production of skimmate dwarfs seaclone. Just to give you idea I had a 90gal with my seaclone 150. Pretty well stocked. 5 or 6 fish at the time and I would get half of a cup every other week or so. sea clone is good for new tank and better than nothing. Just always be thinking upgrade down the road. My buddy still uses seaclone 6 years into tank. Does ok but he is sick of it.

Just as a comparison I get a half a cup now in less than a week with reef octopus. And my new skimmer cup is way bigger. Half cup of reef octopus collection cup fills up sea clone 3 times.
 
If interested in mods. You could attach small piece of gutter guard to skimmer pump impeller. It will create a sort of needle wheel impeller. I pretty sure I did some googling and found it. I don't remember where I found a how to. But it did help making bubbles smaller going into skimmer and did add to skimmate.

You may not get much skimmate if only few fish and new tank. Just follow adjustment directions it will come in time. Sometimes takes days after cleaning skimmer for slime on skimmer walls to form so bubbles can make up to cup.
 
Thanks for the advice. I have been toying with the idea of getting a new skimmer but wanted to see what would happen after a few months with the tank better stocked.
 
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