Is my skimmer running right yet

[Elykreefs97]

The water in it looks a little dirty it's only day three of the skimmer being up but it's bringing a lot of water with it I know it's still breaking In though.

 

[fort384]

I think I mentioned in your other thread, it can take a couple of weeks to properly break in.

 

[Elykreefs97]

Yea I know but the water fills up and the skimmer overflows I tried adjusting it and moving it up and down I was up last night doing it I would adjust it leaving it for about an hour then If it wasn't right adjust it but I got it to not fill up as fast but still

 

[Schism]

Yea I know but the water fills up and the skimmer overflows I tried adjusting it and moving it up and down I was up last night doing it I would adjust it leaving it for about an hour then If it wasn't right adjust it but I got it to not fill up as fast but still

When its breaking in leave the cup in the highest position possible. The overflows are likely the result of it needing broke in first plus the cup being too low.

 

[Elykreefs97]

Ok I'll move it up

 

[Elykreefs97]

I think it's working good

 

[EriksFish315]

You still may have to move it up a bit you want more of a dry skim(less watery). But it is doing some work.

 

[Elykreefs97]

I can't move it up anymore so the wet skim it ok right. And is it making my water a lot better

 

[EriksFish315]

Yes if you can't move it anymore the wet skim is fine for now your skimmer needs another week or so of breaking in before it will get dryer. This information is all experience from my reef octopus bh2000 hob skimmer that went threw the same breakin as you are going threw.

 

[Elykreefs97]

Ok there is some stuff that's not liquid but its small stuff. How often should I empty it

 

[fort384]

You empty it whenever it gets full

Usually, you will want to fine tune it so that you only need to empty 1 or 2 times per week. If you want to pull more skimmate, you can set it so it pulls more than that, but that usually seems about sufficient.

 

[Elykreefs97]

Ok well it's been 3 days and it's only just barly a quarter full.

 

[fort384]

sounds about right. You may want to raise the water level just a bit to pull a bit more.

 

[Elykreefs97]

Ok is it normal for a cheap skimmer to work goodi got it for 40 bucks.

 

[fort384]

Based on the color of your skimmate, I am not sure it is working all that good. It depends on the tank and the pollutants of course. My skimmer pulls about a cup a week of skimmate, but it looks more like coffee in color, than your slightly stained skimmate in the pic, which I would say is about 98% water.

 

[Elykreefs97]

So it may have some more breaking in or tuning

 

[fort384]

yes, I would say it does for sure. It will take a couple weeks to fully break in. It has only be a few days. It is a new tank too, so you are just not getting as much skimmate as there just probably isn't a lot there.

 

[Elykreefs97]

Ok thanks if I have anymore questions I will ask.

 

[Elykreefs97]

My skimmer gets a good skim and then the bubbles drop why is it because my water evaps. So fast or what.

 

[fort384]

Yes. If your water level is not kept constant you will have issues. Consider an ATO system.