Irritated that I have to constantly adjust skimmer

[Carmen]

I don't mind making occasional adjustments on the skimmer, but it seems like have to do this all the time. It will be adjusted and working fine. Then I will look in at it, say a half-day later or the next day, to find that the water level inside the skimmer has dropped dramatically to the point that it's no longer skimming. I've had two different ones--both Octopus--one real big and the other the size suited for my aquarium. It doesn't matter--the water level will still drop so that I have to re-adjust. I was careful to make sure the water level was correct for the skimmer, but it doesn't matter. Is this something I should expect to do all the time, or is there something else I should be doing.

 

[sawdonkey]

This is something I deal with too. Any little thing can change the water viscosity and change the bubble stack. Feeding, stirring the sand bed, sticking my hand in the water. I find that it will usually correct itself. If it drops and I adjust it, it will usually adjust itself and overflow my cup.

 

[ninjabeaver]

I kinda have the same issue with my vertex omega 130...and its not that easy to adjust, it doesn't have a dial to turn down air or water flow, you have to turn a pipe while holding another section of plumbing and its difficult in a small space.

I will have mine tuned in great for a couple of weeks and then the foam level in the body will drop. But also as I check on it throughout the day, the foam level will change, I expect that just fish kick detris or take a dump.

 

[duke4130]

What is the skimmer rated for and how big is your system? How long has your system been up and what are livestock do you have?

 

[kschweer]

What is the skimmer rated for and how big is your system? How long has your system been up and what are livestock do you have?

+1. Also is the water level in your sump constant or does it fluctuate? When was the last time you cleaned the skimmer, pump, impeller and Venturi?

 

[d2mini]

LifeReef. Set and forget. Just cup after cup of skimmate.

 

[Carmen]

+1. Also is the water level in your sump constant or does it fluctuate? When was the last time you cleaned the skimmer, pump, impeller and Venturi?

My tank is 75 gallons. In Sept. of last year I started the tank. So a little over a year now. I don't remember the exact names...they were/are Octopus. The first skimmer was rated for 150 gallons. I was told with skimmers bigger was better. In frustration, I went to a skimmer that was rated for 125 or so gallons. I was careful to set the skimmers to the exact depth recommended by the manufacture. I have an automatic top off. So that's not a problem. I cleaned the skimmer Oct. 29. I remember that day because I had just gotten back from vacation. I rinsed the pump this last summer and checked the impeller. Have not done anything with the Venturi.
OH, livestock. I have:
2 x gobies
1 x lawnmower blennie
2 x lyretail anthias
1x bristletooth tang (which is being rehomed soon because it bullies the lawnmower blennie, and the blennie is starving.
1 x coris wrasse
1 x flame angel
1 x Royal Gramma

 

[Waters]

Are you adding anything to the water prior to the skimmer changing (food, water additives, etc.)? As long as the water level in the sump remains consistent and you aren't adding anything to the water, it shouldn't change. I noticed in my tank it took a good 3-5 months before everything could be left alone but your tank has already been set up over a year.

 

[Jimbo662]

Do you turn the skimmer off when you turn the return pump off?

 

[duke4130]

So basically a good rule of thumb is getting a skimmer that is rated for double the size of your system. It sounds like you already have that. You already have an ATO so water level isn't an issue. The only thing I can think of is two things,
1. How high is the water level in the sump? What is the recommended water depth for the skimmer?
2. After the adjustments on the gate valve if it has one, how high up is the water in the skimmer? It would be great if you snap a quick picture of the skimmer running to see where the head of foam is starting at

 

[hart24601]

Remember that with oversized skimmers the bubble level will "fall down" when used in smaller tanks. The better and stronger the skimmer the more this will happen. There won't be enough organics to produce a full bubble height with a large neck skimmer so the level is low. When the tank builds up enough organics that can be skimmed the head builds up and dumps in the collection cup before falling back down. Using a big efficient skimmer in a smaller tank this happens a lot if you don't have enough bioload. You then try to adjust the water level in the skimmer when there are not enough organics and when they build up the skimmer overflows the cup. Some companies rate skimmers to a realistic amount, other drastically over rate them, what skimmer are you using exactly?

 

[hart24601]

I can't say if that is what is happening in your tank, but here is an example from my system. I have a 65g, I was running a cadlights 1150, a great skimmer and a bit oversized for that size, but not all that much. Most of the time it produces a little skim all the time, but if I didn't feed as much it wouldn't produce for a couple of days, but then would go back to being "normal". If I adjusted it when it was lower to skim it would overflow when I fed more. From the manufacture it was rated 90g heavy load, 120 medium and 150 light bioloads, but those rating were optimistic by a large margin.

I am doing an upgrade to a 120 and decided that I wanted a bit more skimmer. I just got a vertex 180i, rated for 90-180g, but they rate the size of the tank realistically. Both skimmers have almost the same rating, but the vertex is HUGE. To give an idea of the difference the cadlights drew 280 L/H of air, the vertex draws up to 1300 L/H. Just for fun I put the vertex on my 65 until the upgrade, talk about hard to tune, it needs so much more organic material in the water to consistently skim, I overfilled the cup a few times. Now it varies between awesome skimming and sitting with the bubbles half way up the cone since it is so big.

If this is the case with your skimmer you can try running it part time with a timer, or just accept with having an oversize skimmer it wont be producing foam all the time.

 

[phillrodrigo]

My October skimmer does the same exact thing. Mine is the reef octopus nwb 150 on a 75 40 gallon sump.

 

[Carmen]

Do you turn the skimmer off when you turn the return pump off?

So basically a good rule of thumb is getting a skimmer that is rated for double the size of your system. It sounds like you already have that. You already have an ATO so water level isn't an issue. The only thing I can think of is two things,
1. How high is the water level in the sump? What is the recommended water depth for the skimmer?
2. After the adjustments on the gate valve if it has one, how high up is the water in the skimmer? It would be great if you snap a quick picture of the skimmer running to see where the head of foam is starting at

The recommended water level is like 61/2" Can't tell the level of the water in the skimmer because, to make a liar out of me, it's working like crazy at this time. But my best guess is about 5" inside the skimmer when it's just bubbling.

Remember that with oversized skimmers the bubble level will "fall down" when used in smaller tanks. The better and stronger the skimmer the more this will happen. There won't be enough organics to produce a full bubble height with a large neck skimmer so the level is low. When the tank builds up enough organics that can be skimmed the head builds up and dumps in the collection cup before falling back down. Using a big efficient skimmer in a smaller tank this happens a lot if you don't have enough bioload. You then try to adjust the water level in the skimmer when there are not enough organics and when they build up the skimmer overflows the cup. Some companies rate skimmers to a realistic amount, other drastically over rate them, what skimmer are you using exactly?

I think this happened to me with my first skimmer...it was rated for like 150 gallons (I have 75 gallon). I was so frustrated, I sold the big one and got a smaller one (I know I'm hearing screams of anguish, but that's what I did). It's a Reef Octopus, Coral Vue. It's rated for 125 gallons. My tank plus my sump is about 125 gallons.

I can't say if that is what is happening in your tank, but here is an example from my system. I have a 65g, I was running a cadlights 1150, a great skimmer and a bit oversized for that size, but not all that much. Most of the time it produces a little skim all the time, but if I didn't feed as much it wouldn't produce for a couple of days, but then would go back to being "normal". If I adjusted it when it was lower to skim it would overflow when I fed more. From the manufacture it was rated 90g heavy load, 120 medium and 150 light bioloads, but those rating were optimistic by a large margin.


"Most of the time it produces a little skim all the time, but if I didn't feed as much it wouldn't produce for a couple of days, but then would go back to being "normal". If I adjusted it when it was lower to skim it would overflow when I fed more."
This is exactly what happens to me!! Although at times it produces no skim what so ever.



I am doing an upgrade to a 120 and decided that I wanted a bit more skimmer. I just got a vertex 180i, rated for 90-180g, but they rate the size of the tank realistically. Both skimmers have almost the same rating, but the vertex is HUGE. To give an idea of the difference the cadlights drew 280 L/H of air, the vertex draws up to 1300 L/H. Just for fun I put the vertex on my 65 until the upgrade, talk about hard to tune, it needs so much more organic material in the water to consistently skim, I overfilled the cup a few times. Now it varies between awesome skimming and sitting with the bubbles half way up the cone since it is so big.

If this is the case with your skimmer you can try running it part time with a timer, or just accept with having an oversize skimmer it wont be producing foam all the time.

Well from reading these posts, I think I just need to relax. I develop expectations of things I know nothing about. LOL I'm not sorry for getting the smaller skimmer because the larger was even harder to dial in. Right now it's skimming like crazy, but the skimmate is very light so I probably have it turned up too high. The other day the skimmate was dark brown.

 

[saintperez]

Do yourselves a favor and get the Tunze 3155. Spent many years chasing my skimmer due to my varying water levels in the sump. Not too mention the many many overflows that made it out of the sump and ruined my cabinet. Once I got it installed, I asked how in the world did anything survive. SKimmer has not been touched since Tunze installed several weeks ago.

 

[Carmen]

Do yourselves a favor and get the Tunze 3155. Spent many years chasing my skimmer due to my varying water levels in the sump. Not too mention the many many overflows that made it out of the sump and ruined my cabinet. Once I got it installed, I asked how in the world did anything survive. SKimmer has not been touched since Tunze installed several weeks ago.

I will look this up. Did you get it from BRS or Marine Depot, or ?

 

[saintperez]

I will look this up. Did you get it from BRS or Marine Depot, or ?

Got an email that Salty Supply will have this tomorrow the 18th on sale for $169. Tunze Osmolator Universal Water Level Regulator 3155

 

[pickupman66]

i used a Super Reef Octopus skimmer on my 180. They can be quite sensitive creatures. I had issues with my Bubble blaster pump developing salt creep in the Venturi so about every 2 or three months, I would wash it in hot water and make sure it is clean. when I did this I ALWAYS had more air and had to adjust the skimmer down (because I had turned it up regularly.

 

[Carmen]

I think I had a Super Reef Octopus the first time around. It was way overbuilt for my aquarium. Instead of getting yet another skimmer, I will just relax and learn to use what I have.