Skimmer water level

[dmolavi]

I just got an Eshopps PSK-75H hooked up on my tank, and have a question re: the water level.

I've done some reading and seen that people get the best results when the water level is about halfway up the collection cup. I've got it adjusted so that top of the bubbles is about halfway up the cup. See the attached pic (I had a slight overflow issue when I first started the siphon, hence the clear water in the cup).

Is this the appropriate water level, or should the base of the bubbles be halfway up the cup?

 

[pauly79]

When I got mine I was told to have water level @ or just under base of the neck, to get more sludge in the cup vs liquid. That's where I've kept it since. I get thick liquid in the cup.

 

[dmolavi]

if you look at the image up close, the actual water level itself appears to be about halfway up the neck where it narrows from the main body...is that what you're referring to? if so, then i just have to wait for it to break in...

 

[huma-huma]

If it were me id back it down to the bottom blue of the cup

 

[pauly79]

I was referring to the blue line under the cup where your airline is. That's where my water level is.

 

[dmolavi]

when i have it down that low, the bubbles have a tough time getting up into the collection cup. or is this just one of those 'gotta break it in' parts?

what's odder still is that when i turned it off during tonight's feeding, when I turned it back on, it started up immediately, but no bubbles were in the narrower neck part...

 

[dmolavi]

ok, i've adjusted it so that the water level is down at the blue line where the airline is connected to the skimmer body under the cup. the bubbles aren't making it up into the narrow passage yet, but I'll let it run for awhile and see how it goes. maybe they just have to build up enough to survive the trip to the cup.

 

[pauly79]

Hopefully just breaking in. When i get home i could send a pic.

 

[dmolavi]

That would be helpful, thank you

It's the newest generation with the Sicce pump, so I'm sure there's just a break in period of a few days here.

I have to thank both of you again, too...when I went in to adjust it down, the bubbles were starting to overflow into the cup, which would have ended badly later tonight when the cup overflowed onto my floor...

 

[dmolavi]

Right now, mine looks like this:

Eshopps Psk-75 - YouTube (should start at the 34 second mark). This isn't my video, but it's what I'm seeing.

On the plus side, this same dude has a video where the cup looks like it has tar in it...

 

[pauly79]

That looks good.

 

[dmolavi]

So if mine looks like that, I'm good to go? Eventually, the foam will work it's way up into the cup?

 

[pauly79]

Need to clean the cup.....but this is it.

 

[huma-huma]

Personally id move it up to the middle blue ring, the bottom of the actual collection cup. Having it down in the actual body of the skimmer is goin to cut back on skimmate production

 

[dmolavi]

Personally id move it up to the middle blue ring, the bottom of the actual collection cup. Having it down in the actual body of the skimmer is goin to cut back on skimmate production

I did that late Friday night.

 

[huma-huma]

Oh sorry about that. Got behind on my threads and didnt see that

 

[dmolavi]

Oh sorry about that. Got behind on my threads and didnt see that

No worries...I don't think I ever explicitly stated as much.

I made another post re: the noise level on this skimmer, though.

 

[dmolavi]

I'm starting to get light tea colored liquid in the collection cup, so it looks like the break-in is well underway. I'm still concerned about the noise, though (http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f60/hob-skimmer-noise-287797.html). Without a silencer on the air intake, it's tough to see how much of it is from the pump vs vibration vs airline, etc...