Just switched skimmers - the jury is still out

[monty]

In an attempt to gain some ground on a major flatworm battle that I've been undergoing, I decided to try a new skimmer in attempt to cut down on some nutrients. This is my first recirculating skimmer, so in all fairness I'll blame my lack of short-term success on the possibility that I haven't fount the sweet spot and/or given it enough time. Here's some background:

I have a 120 DT w/ ~100g basement sump/fuge. For the last few years I've changed between an oversized becket skimmer (PM bullet XL 2) and a Bermuda Aquatics BPS 5-C (mostly). This past week I switched to an RLSS R8-E, and I have it plumbed off of my return pump (Iwaki 70 RLT) which also feeds my fuge.

This was after 24 HRS

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/matthewmontano/image_zpse362337c.jpeg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/matthewmontano/media/image_zpse362337c.jpeg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/matthewmontano/imagecopy_zps3b1a6ef9.jpeg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/matthewmontano/media/imagecopy_zps3b1a6ef9.jpeg.html)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/matthewmontano/photo_zpsa8ade207.jpg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/matthewmontano/media/photo_zpsa8ade207.jpg.html)






After 2 days, I had the same results as above, which I was not particularly impressed by --- so I played with the water level in the skimmer by adjusting the input --- this did not make things any better, so after backing this off to get back to a point where it seems is the right setting for this type of skimmer, here is what I have (first pic is a video) --- now, this is my first recirc. skimmer, any advice/input is appreciated.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/matthewmontano/th_IMG_0361_zpsb81fccb1.jpg (http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/matthewmontano/IMG_0361_zpsb81fccb1.mp4)

Here is what I've collected after 24 hrs --- typical green tea. Thinking I may be running too wet

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/matthewmontano/imagecopy_zps342ec387.jpeg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/matthewmontano/media/imagecopy_zps342ec387.jpeg.html)


Here is what I used to collect out of my bermuda (this was a few weeks), and I used to clean paste out of the neck/cup weekly

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/matthewmontano/image_zpsaeca1f5a.jpeg (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/matthewmontano/media/image_zpsaeca1f5a.jpeg.html)

[Chriskid]

I like skimming wet, I run a etss twin tower. I skimmed one 5 gallon bucket today. 340 ish water volume.

[monty]

wow --- that is wet ---- I've gone back and forth over the years and personally havent found an advantage myself to going THAT wet -- but im also the one with the highest density of flatworms in New England right now --- thanks for sharing!

[Rwinfrey]

Just be patient

[BlueChip]

drain the tank and start over.

:)

[phillrodrigo]

I usually soak mine in vinegar when new. It brakes them in faster. Yours seems to be already collecting so maybe wouldnt have helped to much. Doing a vinegar bath helps get rid of all the crap used to make the skimmer. I Have a nice picture thay a member of another forum made that shows were the right levels are for wet amd dry skimming.

[gar732]

Just be patient

+1. I think it just needs time to break in properly. You'll probably be readjusting everything in a week or so.

[Blitzie]

So you say you are running it off of a iwaki 70 rlt return pump. Is that instead of the wave line DC6000 pump it normally comes with?

[gar732]

It's a recirculating skimmer so it needs a feed line. I believe the feed is what he is running off of the iwaki.

[monty]

no --- what I meant by that is that the iwaki is acting as the supply for the skimmer, since it is their external model and I did not use a gravity feed from the overflow. The 6000 is running full blast

[Blitzie]

Have you checked the flow to the skimmer. It might be too much

My recirculating skimmer requires only 500gph of flow as a supply. I wonder if your not pushing too much water through

[monty]

Thats a great question ----

One thing this skimmer lacks is a manual thats worth anything -- the one on their website only talks about how to put it together, and I've asked this question on a few other RLSS forums and have gotten no response.

Im not really sure how many gph the skimmer is getting, I only settled on the input amount based on foam production -- I did tweak it once and realized I was using too much water because it started leaking around where the cup attaches, so I backed it off until this leaking stopped and I was getting what I thought was the appropriate bubble consistency --- I was hoping someone might chime in on this based on the pics/video I posted, but to answer your question I have no idea if I am over-supplying this skimmer.

[Blitzie]

Is it this one
http://www.saltysupply.com/RLSS-R8-E-8-External-Protein-Skimmer-with-Speed-C-p/h2o1113.htm

The detail say
the Waveline DC 6000 pump performs both water delivery and water fractionation for the protein skimmer.

[monty]

Thats the one

you can see in the pic that coming right off the pump is a 3/4" barb for a supply line -- the external model requires this supply, since it is not submerged in water like their other skimmer models, where the pump does pull in waterer itself.

thanks for the input and help