Reef Octopus HOB BH100 Question

[eb2292]

Hey guys, I've had the Reef Octopus HOB BH100 protein skimmer since the start of my tank... and I'm still not sure I have it set up correctly. The directions that come with this thing are terrible, especially if it's your first time setting one up.

For the past month or so I have only been able to get it to pull out a light tea colored water. I have played with the height of the cup numerous times.. from high up to really low and everything in between with no luck.

Today, I realized that the intake should probably be skimming the surface... Prior to today, I had the intake with the strainer cap fully submerged. Now I have it half above the surface, half below. Is this the correct way to set this up? Would having it fully submerged previously be the cause of very light skimmate?

Thanks!
Eric

[nystang]

Are you sure you are talking about BH-100 and not about BH-1000? I had both. BH-100 has no surface skimming. The intake is fully submerged and it's on the pump which is submerged as well. If you are talking about BH-1000, the surface skimming has nothing to do with the color of the skimmate. From my experience if your skimming is more dry, the skimmate is much darker. It also depends on the amount of nutrients in your tank. If this is fairly new tank, you will not have a dark skimmate.

[eb2292]

Yea I have the BH-100.

This is how I currently have it set up
http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x416/eb2292/Reef%20Tank/93F9C6A6-E26D-4010-8827-3C75946C2CDB.jpg

I feel like every skimmer Reef Octopus ships is slightly different.

[eb2292]

bump

[eb2292]

bump

[Dun Properly]

You should post this question in the CoralVue sponsor forum. Those guys are usually quick to answer any customer questions.

[pbaldwin]

You could try swapping the pump around so the intake is away from the output your mostly sucking treated water now. Other then that is a function of how diety the water is. But one thing to check also sense you raised the input is that it is not to high and not having good water flow.

[mrdobie]

with mine first I would loose the sponge. it cuts down on the flow and can cause an overflow. I clean my cup with a bottle brush 1-2 times a week. it took about a month to break-in I get dirty days and clean days depends on what I feed that day. flake is a clean day. frozen and seaweed are dirty days. i'm only back in saltwater about 1 1/2 years and I have the same skimmer since I started up again and it does a pretty good job for a hob. hope this helps.