Hang-on protein skimmer

[Matthew187]

I am new to saltwater tanks and how some of the equipment for them works. I just purchased a hang-on protein skimmer for my 30 gallon tank. It has an ajustment for how many bubbles there are. Is it like the more the better or is there like an air to water ratio? When I turn it up it just makes my tank filled with bubbles is there a way to stop that?

 

[Zer0]

Your looking at something called micro-bubbles. These are what skimmers spit out, and if its a HOB filter, chances are the return pipe is going directly in to your tank, hence the bubbles you see. Honestly, my skimmer did this for the first week or so, and then the micro-bubbles ceased to an almost undetectable level. However, if you feel you can't take it much longer, and that it is getting on your last nerve, usually fitting a sponge in the return section of the skimmer will help to eliminate a large amount of micro-bubbles.

As you can see on this picture here:

there is a black sponge on the return pipe that not only acts as a filter, but works to eliminate bubbles as well. There should also be another sponge that sits in the return compartment to yet again, aid in filtration and the reduction of bubbles going back in to the display.

 

[Matthew187]

Is it suppose to make foam that goes into the cup right away? The water is about 3" from the the cup. Is that to far away? Does it have to run for a while before it will work?

 

[kdogg85]

It will usually take a couple weeks for the skimmer to break-in. I believe the rule of thumb is 1 inch from the top of the outlet of the cup(where the bubbles spill into the collection cup). The first few weeks I had mine running, I left it about where you have yours. After that, I started lowering the cup to where the bubbles were an inch from the top. Mine makes about 2 inches of green water every 4 days. How much the cup fills will depend on your bioload as well. The skimmer should have a bubble trap(sponge) in the outlet chamber(area where water goes back into the tank).

 

[Matthew187]

Im pretty sure that the cup does not adjust.

 

[kdogg85]

What type of skimmer is it? The octopus 300f I have, the cup adjusts. Looks the same as zero's pic just bigger. There should be a way to adjust the cup. Too high and no skimming, too low and waste water.

 

[Matthew187]

Its a sky496 hang on skimmer.

 

[kdogg85]

The pic I seen was from buy.com. Your right I think, it doesn't look like there is a cup adjustment. when you turn the air on more, does the water level rise further up the tube to the cup or stay the same? You want the most bubbles you can get(removes more crap).

 

[Matthew187]

The level moves up almost an inch. The instructions say to have the water level at the bottom of the cup.

 

[Zer0]

That is right.. you want the water pushing on the cup. The picture above is of a properly working HOB skimmer, and you can clearly see that the water is directly on the bottom of the collection cup.

 

[kdogg85]

Let me rephrase that. I meant the water and bubble mixture in the tube that the cup surrounds . Sorry for wording it wrong.

 

[Matthew187]

I did some more research and I found out that I have the water at the bottom of the collection cup. Then one the dry foam
starts to form I should know where to adjust it from there.

 

[kdogg85]

That's the one I meant that needs adjusting. Your right. I'd assume then that the air coming in is what you adjust to get the foam where you want it.

 

[Matthew187]

My skimmer just syarted to make dry foam but it does not overflow into the cup. If i adjust the air/water it stops making dry foam. How do i make it overflow or will it just make it over time?

 

[eric faatz]

hi,i have a seaclone protein skimmer model 100&150.had it running for 8wks and just get clear bubbles in my collection cup.is this good or bad

 

[jimv8673]

skimmer

you didnt say how long your tank has been running, a freshly set up tank may not make as much foam as one that has had time to start really putting out a lot of protein to skim, on the other end of that spectrum, after my tanks had been running for over a year, and was really starting to be self sufficient, my foam collected went wayyy down as well but i always stock lightly and feed spareingly. That having been said, it is as was already stated extremely critical that the adjustment be correct and the bubbles be plentiful and tiny to really do a good job of skimming.