Skimmer basics

[Shagsbeard]

I'm setting up a 75 gallon FOWLR tank and have a Prizm skimmer that I got with the tank. It came with no instructions, and since I've never used one, I need some really really basic opperating instuctions. RIght now I have only 3" of sand and 70 lbs of live rock in the tank, and am testing to see what's what with the chemistry before progressing.

I have the skimmer hooked up and can make the bubbles and all. I can adjust the flow through the thing creating more bubbles and less. I can fill the cup in minutes or I can just alow the micro beads of water over the cup edge. The problem is that I don't know what should be happening.

I know the Prizm isn't everyone's favorite, but I'm going to give it a try before I invest in a different one.

So... questions:

1) Do I leave the skimmer running all the time, or just every so often?

2) Do I want the cup to fill up, and overflow back into the tank? Or do I empty it regularly before it fills up?

[jtemple42000]

Skimmers a generally left running 24/7. I am not familiar with the prizm skimmers, but, I would think that it has a cup to collect to waste from the water. This cup will have to be cleaned out every so often do that is does not overflow.

[MSAreef]

Yes, I would run the skimmer all of the time. And no, don't ever let the skimmate run back into the tank. Nasty stuff that is. Dump it out often and once or twice a week rinse the cup out in hot water to clean the slime build up.

[Shagsbeard]

I must not be running the thing properly since the cup fills up quite quickly... do I want the bubbles to bubble over into the cup, or to break before getting to the rim of the tube? As soon as the bubbles spill over the cup begins to fill up rather quickly.

[MSAreef]

I'm not familiar with your brand of skimmer so I don't know how to adjust it. You do want the bubbles to spill into the cup. However, not in such copious amount that your cup fills up too quickly and the skimmate is very wet (thin). You want to adjust it so that the bubbles rise slowly and slowly spill over a little at a time. Most skimmers have a way to adjust how quickly the foam rises to the top. In my Bakpak on my seahorse tank, for example, there is a rubber band around the cup that you raise or lower.

[Shagsbeard]

The only thing I've located on the skimmer is a valve that I can use to increase or decrease the flow rate. With this I can make the bubbles spill over into the collector, or not be vigorous enough to make it into the cup. Should I be looking for a second method of controling the rate or does that sound like the way I should go?

[pooh1989]

Hi:

I have this skimmer and the trick is to get it to just barly make bubbles.

If the cup is filling too quickly than it's not doing the skimming and just filling with water. You should just barly get bubbles in the middle point.

Any more questions let me know.

[Shagsbeard]

Could you clarify "the middle point"? I wish they made a mark on the thing that says "bubbles to here ---->" or something useful like that. The neck of the thing is about 1.5" diameter which tapers to about .5" diameter before spilling over into the collection cup. The .5" tube is about an inch long. I want the bubbles about halfway up the .5" part occasionally spilling over into the cup? I think I can manage that.

Do other skimmers take such fiddling?

Edit: After about 20 minutes or so of fiddling, I've come to the conclusion that it's not the narrow pipe I should be half way up, but the wider pipe. When the bubbles are halfway up the wider pipe, every minute or two the bubbles bubble over into the collection cup and then the bubbles settle back down into the pipe. I suppose this is because the surface of the bubbles collects "protien" (or is it protein?) which makes the bubbles more durable and they bubble up and over releasing the "protien" into the cup.

Is this the correct opperation of the device?

[pooh1989]

It really is a fiddling little thing. Too low of flow and it will shut off and too high of flow it will over flow the collection cup.

I run it until the water is just a very nice little flow comming out back into the tank. That's what I base mine on and I check it every day because it will quit flowing.

The person I bought the tank from said this is the one I should get but if I would of known how much work it was I wouldn't of.

So maybe not go by now many bubbles but by the flow comming back into the tank. Just a nice steady flow nothing big.

[uvaduthie]

You're right, that valve is the way to control how much is collected. You want to increase the flow rate (by opening the valve) so that the bubbles form at the part of the collection cup where the intake of the collection cup narrows. If you do this, bubbles should occasionally bubble over into the collection cup. If you open the valve more, the skimmate will become more watery. I found that it takes some time to get the right level for the valve, but once you do, the skimmer works fine.

[Shagsbeard]

Ok... so I'm convinced that it's working. Thanks for all the input. Now... there is quite a bit of noise coming not from the motor/pump but from the siphon. I suppose there's an air bubble in it that's rattling around. What's the best way to get rid of this turbulance?

[pooh1989]

I usually run mine on high for a couple of minutes to get all the air out than turn it down to where I want it.

[Shagsbeard]

Two new questions:

1) There's a black removable filter media container with the skimmer. Should I put anything in it, remove it entirely, or just leave it in the device empty? I'm setting up a FOWLR tank... no fish yet, just LR+sand.

2) Should I be seeing skimmate yet, or will that come when I get some fish? Should I be running the thing at all before I get fish?

[pooh1989]

I don't know if you should run it before you add livestock. When I got my tank it was already established.

As for the media I put charcol in it. Or you can leave it empty if you are running charcol some place else.

Maybe someone else smarter will help you with the questions.

[Marinemom]

I would say that if you have live rock, you can run the skimmer. There will be die off from the live rock even if it is fully cured rock and that is the stuff the skimmer will pick up.

Marinemom

[spitefull]

Shagsbeard, what model do you have the little one or the pro? ive got both and there both different to operate, take a pic so we can see