Tunze 9004 Skimmer

[Mr.Rocc]

So I have an Innovative Marine 40 and I just purchased and set up a tunze 9004 in the first chamber. I have never had a skimmer before so I have a few questions. First, the skimmer has a opening on the top where the air hose comes out of, can water go into that part? Second, what's the best way to know it's tuned properly?

 

[twilliard]

That tube is the air intake tube to the pump that creates the foam

 

[Mr.Rocc]

I have the tube out of the water but here's a picture of the set up. I think it's in right.

 

[redfishbluefish]

You set the skimmer to the water level mark on the back side. My guess, with this in the chamber of an AIO, you can't see that mark. What I suggest is use a gauge of some sort....even a piece of paper...to see when the skimmer is in the proper level of water.

That tube should have a silencer on the end with a little thumbscrew valve somewhere on that tube. Turn the thumbscrew until you start to see foam in center section of the collection cup. Adjust that valve until you are collecting the kind of skimmate you want. Note that it only takes a hairline turn of that valve to do the finer tuning.

EDIT TO ADD:

I see you added a picture while I was typing. I would move that little blue thumbscrew up the tubing a bit so that you could easily get to it. Also, that skimmate looks a little wet for me....too much bubbles going into the skimmer cup.

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Yeah I just fine tuned it to make it come out a whole lot slower I'll post another picture soon

 

[Mr.Rocc]

It's putting out much bigger bubbles and not overflowing much

 

[redfishbluefish]

Looking good. Keep an eye on it over the next couple days and adjust as needed. With mine, once dialed in, it was pretty much set it and forget it....pretty stable. That approximate 1 1/2 inch piece of tubing on the end of the silencer isn't necessary, and could be removed.

 

[Akida17th]

Once you have this skimmer tuned in it does a good job. I run it on a 50 gallon aio tank and it keeps my nitrates within 2ppm. You want to get a nice dark color skimmate.

 

[Griffothefog]

I turned my airline down to the tightest pinch and it now produces nasty dark muck which needs emptying every 5 days. Don't get carried away with maximum air imput, it will just produce wet tea

 

[Darryl]

Your doing fine
The line is on the back of the skimmer about 3 slots up from bottom of cup
an ATO is a good thing to keep level perfect
do all your adjustments slowly

 

[Mr.Rocc]

My question is how do you know when it's working properly

 

[Darryl]

My question is how do you know when it's working properly

there should be a dry foam coming out of the skimmer and should produce a tea color liquid
at start up it is going to take a few hours /days to get the right mix if you have a dryish foam it is good if you have a lot of watery bully foam that fills the cup up you have to turn the air down.
i have 8 of them in tanks and i always start closed off an open slowly till i get what i want

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Will the bubbles reach the collection cup if you turn the air all the way down?

 

[Darryl]

if it is off no
step one :take cover off cup
step two: turn air off
step three: turn air screw half a turn look in cup to see bubbles rise
step four: if air bubbles ar just halfway up inside cylinder of cup or less turn the air another half a turn etc. till the air bubbles are just about at top of cylinder in cup then waite for an hour
step:five in an hour you should have some crap bubbles oozing into cup if not adjust again a half turn.
once it is tuned in its good
if you have any problems PM me

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Thank you so much for all the info hopefully I got it now!

 

[Darryl]

here is mine just put on a tank friday

 

[ejalimagno]

I have the nuvo40 as well. But wont the crap just bypass the skimmer since it's mountes sideways and not facing the overflow? I sae someone modify the overflow with a dremmel and the tunze ks facing the overflow.

 

[ejalimagno]

I want to know dry it can be tuned down

 

[Darryl]

Yes it can

 

[ejalimagno]

Im choosing pls-50 vs tunze9004dc for my nuvo40 what do you guys think?