Jebo 180 Skimmer...Need help adjusting

[bassetbros]

Let me start by saying that I have no previous experience with skimmers!!

Bought and set up my new skimmer today and need a little advice from the experts. I think I might be "skimming" a little more than I'm supposed to because I'm having to empty the collection cup about twice an hour with the air adjustment valve removed (the maximum amount of air is entering skimmer). I limit the air water mixture and the cup fills up even faster.

The solution in the collection cup looks identical to my aquarium water...not the foamy stuff you would expect.

The manual states the water level should be even with the base of the collection cup for optimum efficiency. The water level with max air flow is right at the top of the entrance from the contact chamber into the cup. I'm a little leary of raising the cup up a bit from it's seat...I think it would probably cause leaks, floods, plagues, electrocution, etc.

My tank has been up and running for about a month with only a couple of small clowns if that helps any.

Any ideas?


Thanks and God Bless,
Basset

 

[schoeplein]

Heh, mine just arrived in the mail today.

Basically, have the adjustment screwed almost all the way on. The bubbles should only come up to about the middle of the upside down V-nozzle in the collection cup. Since its brand new I'm not expecting it to skim much but after about four hours of running I had dark-tea water collecting (about half a centimeter, we'll see how much it collect over-night).

I had microbubbles for about two hours but it wasn't as bad as say a regular Prism skimmer. This thing was a breeze to setup. Bubbles went away after about two hours.

So, my suggestion is, screw the air adjustment nozzle back on - letting too much air in lets all the bubbles and water flow freely -- this is not the objective. You want the dirtiest stuff to collect and spill over the top.

Anyways, good luck with yours!

 

[bassetbros]

I've heard that certain types of declorinators will produce more micro bubbles than others as well. I started the skimmer after topping off/changing water last night so maybe it was the stress coat that threw everything out of wack.

I've heard Prime is water conditioner that does well with skimmers but it doesn't assist the fish in producing "slime coats". Is the "slime coat" production something I should worry about being deficient when using Prime?


Thanks

 

[MarineFlake]

Shoot for a green tea colored skimmate. Regardless of what the guidelines in the manual are, you are way over skimming. Its not the volume of water you collect in the cup, its waste your after, so adjust the cup or air flow to get a nice tea/green tea looking skimmate.

 

[bassetbros]

Thanks for the advice.

The farther I screw the adjustment knob the faster the cup fills up. With the adjustment knob screwed all the way down the collection cup fills within seconds. Unless I get this thing figured out, I'm going to have to add an exhaust port to the cup in order to break it in.

Any other ideas?

God Bless,
Basset

 

[Booboo33062]

Do you think these are good skimmers, I have a 150 gallon tank and I'm either going to DIY one or buy one soon.[

 

[schoeplein]

This skimmer kicks butt. The pump it comes with is quite powerful (tho obviously cheap). After a night of skimming I get dark dark green fluid - about an inch (something like 3/4 cup...). Smells like.... nothing pretty. Water looks clearer already.

Basset, did you take the little rubber cap off the piece that sticks out on the adjuster knob? That's where the air actually comes in... not the little hole on the top of the knob. I think I have mine about 2 complete rotations from all the way screwed on.

 

[krourke]

My JEBO 180 has flooded my room TWO different ways!
-Once because the air hose slipped out causing the collection cup to overflow in seconds
- And NOW I have woken up at 2am to find it leaking through the O-ring between the cylinder and the collection cup.

I have wooden floors and if I were on vacation then this stupid, cheap, POS would have cost me more then my entire tank did, just to repair the floor damage!!

side note - I never register to post on forums, but this was too important not to mention: a skimmer that floods your house in TWO different ways!

 

[cmor1701d]

Get an Octopus skimmer. They seem to have the best reputation at the lowest cost from comments posted on this site.
Skimmers usually need a week or two to break in (remove the manufacturing oils) before they produce skimmate.

A green tea skimmate is considered very wet (over skimming). Look for a dark tea or coffee colored skimmate.