Protein skimmer

[undercoverfarm5]

I recently installed my new skimmer and I was wondering a few things.
1: mine has an adjustable air flow, I was wondering how to know when it's enough air. I turn it open until the dirty water goes in but if I open it too much it just flows back into the tank.
2: I know it's new but It doesn't create foam all the way to the bowl.

 

[bribo12]

Skimmers have a break in period of usually 1-2 weeks where it's not gonna make that much foam. How long have you had it running? I'd give it a bit til it fully breaks in

 

[Sniperhank]

Sounds like it is still breaking in due to the oils left over from manufacturing. If it doesn't start producing better foam in another week, take apart the pump and put it back together. Pumps are powered by magnets and sometimes things get bumped around and goes out of whack.

 

[Mdmike52]

Yes I agree it just needs to break in. If it's pushing water into the collection cup when it's wide open your pump is probably ok. I would turn it down so it does not do that and wait two weeks. You should be getting some foam by then. Then turn up the air little by little till the foam is just about to go into the cup then wait overnight and see what you get. If you get a lot and it's real watery too much air. If you get nothing not enough air. The stuff you get should be colored and kind of yucky looking. The more air the more you get but more diluted and you have to empty the cup a lot. I like to get less but more concentrated stuff so I only have to empty the cup once a day or so. You should always let it go for about 8 hours or so before you make a judgement. Good luck

 

[Mdmike52]

Another little trick is to soak the skimmer in vinegar either full strength or 50/50 with water. Use the clear white vinegar. Soak overnight then rinse really really well. This should shorten your break in time to perhaps a few days. Don't touch the inside of the skimmer with your fingers after you have soaked it. Be sure all the vinegar is off of it.

 

[undercoverfarm5]

Thanks for your inputs! Really helps a lot

 

[undercoverfarm5]

Skimmers have a break in period of usually 1-2 weeks where it's not gonna make that much foam. How long have you had it running? I'd give it a bit til it fully breaks in

Just started running it today! I'm sure it just needs to be broke in!

 

[undercoverfarm5]

this is a picture. As you can see it is very cloudy just putting that back into the tank

 

[Sniperhank]

Oh, it's one of the Seaclone units. I wouldn't expect the best output from it. I also fell for the trap of buying one of these units.

 

[undercoverfarm5]

Oh, it's one of the Seaclone units. I wouldn't expect the best output from it. I also fell for the trap of buying one of these units.

At least we didn't loose too much money out of it

 

[Mebbid]

It's definitely better than nothing at least.

 

[Sniperhank]

Once you get more comfortable with the unit, you might look into some of the modifications that people have done to these units to make them more effective. Some food for thought.

 

[undercoverfarm5]

Once you get more comfortable with the unit, you might look into some of the modifications that people have done to these units to make them more effective. Some food for thought.

Hmm like what kinda mods?

 

[Sniperhank]

In honesty, I've never done it personally. Some things can be like modifying the impeller to give better/more bubbles to go up into the cone.

 

[undercoverfarm5]

Got a question for y'all. Protein skimmer is doing good so far but the bowl is filling up with some dirty water pretty quickly. Is that normal? Should I keep it empty as much as possible? Or leave the water in it for a while

 

[Sniperhank]

Either you have a ton of nutrients in the water column or it needs dialed back some. The bubbles should barely be halfway up the neck of the collection cup.

 

[54seaweed]

Got a question for y'all. Protein skimmer is doing good so far but the bowl is filling up with some dirty water pretty quickly. Is that normal? Should I keep it empty as much as possible? Or leave the water in it for a while

slightly raise the cup that will help keep water out allowing just the foam , keeping the water in wont help any just smell like a cesspool

sea clones are a pain getting going trust me been there done that ,

using sea clone stock:

first try closing the air intake let it run like this a day or so , once you have done this slowly open air intake looking at both the cyclone motion in the chamber and the overflow water should be just touching the top lip of the output chamber slightly bouncing up and down .

you will hear a change in the motor it sound like it's reeving up once you hear that change stop let it run , you may have to adjust it several times over a week or so , don't be surprised if you have to do this over and over . until you get totally fed up with it , no don't throw it out a simple change will solve it.

sea clone modification:

sea clones are known to just stop pulling skim-mate , the best recommendation I know is to replace the 100gph pump with a 250gph pump you may need to swap out some fittings from the 100gph pump to the 250 gph pump otherwise it's simple , you will instantly notice the improvement , this is the only true mod that works they have been skimming my smaller tanks the last few years I have no complaints . the true issue is the stock motor it is not strong enough to perform correctly ,

I never understood why the manufacturer never changed out the pump as they always knew the pump they used just didn't have the power to run the skimmer correctly,

all those other mods out there telling you to cut the inner tub , do not work so don't destroy the skimmer body to attempt them , 90% of the time you will crack the body as it is glued very well , there mods to shorten the whole chamber body along with the inner chamber , it don't work only destroys a perfectly good body .

another mod they claim to work is the propeller mod , seriously don't waist your time ,
I have attempted tried and done each and every one of the known mods , nothing showed any improvement , except for the bigger pump which proved itself instantly to me.

 

[undercoverfarm5]

Thanks for this info it has greatly helped!