Skimmer Help

[chrisdafish70]

I recently started to upgrade my Fluval 13.5 to a SCA 50g. I never used a protein skimmer before but the setup I bought came with a Simplicity 120. I believed I tuned it good but would like some input!

 

[JCM]

That will skim pretty wet which isn't a bad thing necessarily. I run my skimmer about two thirds up the cup rather than at the top.

 

[c_johns89]

If you haven’t already, make sure the drain from the collection cup is plugged- unless you’re planning on draining the skimmate to an external reservoir. Otherwise it’s gonna empty back into the sump.

 

[bg2311]

After the skimmer has been running for a while, if you've got what looks like a rolling boil of tiny bubbles try to adjust the level so that the top of those bubbles is in the neck of the skimmer (the clear portion just below the skimmer cup). This is usually done by turning a knob/gear. There's usually a bit of a delay (sometimes 20-30 second) between when you make a small adjustment and when you see the level rise/fall so go slow. As the larger bubbles form they will rise up and into the collection cup. It's a good idea to have the skimmer set to wait a few minutes before turning on whenever you are turning your return pump back on (like after maintenance or feeding). Otherwise the higher water level in your sump (and as a result inside your skimmer), will quickly cause the skimmer to fill the collection cup, possibly overflowing. If you have an aquarium controller like an Apex you can add this delay on the power outlet that the skimmer is plugged into. If not, you can use a standalone device like the AutoAqua Smart Skimmer Security that adds a 5 minute power-on delay after the device itself receives power before turning the skimmer on. You would simply switch the return pump and the skimmer back on at the same time and the device would take care of the delay for you. It also has an optical sensor that sits in your skimmer cup and turns the skimmer off before the cup overflows. Both features are a good idea so you don't end up dumping a bunch of nasty skimmate back into your sump/system.

Smart Skimmer Security

Simple Security for your Protein Skimmer! Keep your skimmer from overflowing with the AutoAqua Smart Skimmer Security sensor and outlet. The easy to clean optical sensor will magnetically couple to any skimmer collection cup (up to 1/4" thick), and when the cup gets full it will shut down your...

www.marinedepot.com

 

[Gtinnel]

I usually set my water level to about half way up the neck. The best thing to do is to let yours run for a day or two and then just adjust it based on how it is performing.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I would lower the water level or add more air so that the smallest bubbles stop at the neck of the skimmer, leaving room for bigger bubbles to clump and form a foam head

 

[chrisdafish70]

If you haven’t already, make sure the drain from the collection cup is plugged- unless you’re planning on draining the skimmate to an external reservoir. Otherwise it’s gonna empty back into the sump.

What can I plug it with, honestly was wondering why water was coming out of it.

 

[c_johns89]

What can I plug it with, honestly was wondering why water was coming out of it.

You could probably contact the company to see if they can send you a spare? You can also just connect some hosing and drain it to an external reservoir. I drain mine into a gallon jug.