air valve on mce600

[eaglesrx]

For all of you mce600 owners, how many of you guys have your air valve all the way open? How many of you have it at the 2:00 position?

I wish I had more time to adjust my skimmer, but I just haven't been diligent with perfecting it yet. I'm still skimming rather wet, getting a medium tea-colored skimmate with some chunky skimmate in itwith the air valve at the 2:00 position and the collection cup about half-way up (white support screw in back is right at the diagonal plate in the collection cup). I still get decent foam production, as long as I keep the collection cup clean. However, when I open up that collection cup, it's the fowlest smell ever!! My wife now always complains!

I'm thinking if I open my air valve all the way and leave my collection cup at it's current height, I'll get more air and it will skim dryer. Is this the right way to go?

Thanks for any help!

[Harry_Fish]

I run my Cup fairly high up and the valve wide open
(It makes the skimmer quieter and less bubbles).

You don't want to go too dry as the dryer you go the less it is
pulling out (to a degree).

My skimmer goo reeks as well, I wash it out in my
deepsink with the water going before I open the cup.

I had read if you put a shot of Kalkswasser in the collection cup
it raises the PH and kills off the bacteria making it les smelly.

I still need to try that.

[eaglesrx]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12773279#post12773279 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Harry_Fish
I run my Cup fairly high up and the valve wide open
(It makes the skimmer quieter and less bubbles).

You don't want to go too dry as the dryer you go the less it is
pulling out (to a degree).

My skimmer goo reeks as well, I wash it out in my
deepsink with the water going before I open the cup.

I had read if you put a shot of Kalkswasser in the collection cup
it raises the PH and kills off the bacteria making it les smelly.

I still need to try that.

hey, thanks for the info. I've been leaving mine wide open for the last week and leaving my cup fairly low (my bioload isn't that high for a 28g tank). I'm pulling out darker skimmate than before and it's still just as smelly. I'm thinking i'm getting close.

How dark is your skimmate and how much do you produce between collection cup changes?

thanks for the info!