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Unread 06/17/2017, 10:01 PM   #2926
slief
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ngdv View Post
Sooo, I upped the sump level from 8 to 9 by placing a overflow comb on the bubble trap. Water went up, skimmer level went up, and it's skimming beter. Turned the wedge to let the intake get the full amount of air again. And it was down to nothing.
I have checked the whole skimmer again, and added a tinyer silicone tube on the air intake. And it seems to skim better again, and I have turn the wedge abit more. It on the first stripe now. If I turn it 180 degree, the water level in the skimmer is down to nothing again.

Any other tips? Or can I say that I have a faulty one? (would be weird since they test it and it got checked for everything).

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I can assure you that you don't have a faulty one. Let me explain how this works. First the only time and way these pumps fail is dead. They either work or they don't. The wedge pipe has nothing at all to do with air or pump flow unless you really pinch the air line. What that does is reduce the airflow and increase the water flow which will raise the level in the skimmer. If restricting the airflow increases the level in the skimmer which it did as noted by your restriction than that tells me the pump is working fine. The pump spins at a set RPM and doesn't know the difference between air and water. If the level goes up when you pinch or plug the line, then it is working fine.

You will need to close the wedge pipe more. I can promise you that if you close the wedge pipe enough, the water will overflow out of the skimmer. It's impossible for it not to because you are blocking the water from flowing out of the body. When you open the wedge that allows the water to leave with less restriction and that lowers the level inside the skimmer which is exactly what you do not want to to. The wedge pipe is designed to work such that when you open wedge you are lowering the level inside the skimmer and when you close wedge you raise the level. Put the airline back on the venturi port where it belongs and use the wedge pipe to raise the level. Disregard the lines on the wedge assembly and close the pipe by rotation and at some point you WILL see the water rise. Make sure you orient the silicone line so that it's not getting pinched when you close the pipe.

My best suggestion is to do one of two things so you understand how this works. Either remove the skimmer from the sump and take a look inside the drain on the skimmer while rotating the wedge pipe so you can see where the wedge pipe goes from open to closed. Or you can pull the wedge pipe out of the PVC connection and look down into the fitting also noting the wedge shaped cut on the pipe as that should also lend some clarity as to how the wedge pipe blocks the waters flow coming out of the skimmer. As I said, the wedge blocks the exit coming out of the skimmer when closed. The more you close it, the higher the level will be in the skimmer. It's simple and once you know where the fully closed position is on the wedge, you will be able to find your sweet spot befween open and closed to get the level where it needs to be.


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Last edited by slief; 06/17/2017 at 10:15 PM.
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Unread 06/19/2017, 04:11 PM   #2927
ngdv
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slief View Post
I can assure you that you don't have a faulty one. Let me explain how this works. First the only time and way these pumps fail is dead. They either work or they don't. The wedge pipe has nothing at all to do with air or pump flow unless you really pinch the air line. What that does is reduce the airflow and increase the water flow which will raise the level in the skimmer. If restricting the airflow increases the level in the skimmer which it did as noted by your restriction than that tells me the pump is working fine. The pump spins at a set RPM and doesn't know the difference between air and water. If the level goes up when you pinch or plug the line, then it is working fine.

You will need to close the wedge pipe more. I can promise you that if you close the wedge pipe enough, the water will overflow out of the skimmer. It's impossible for it not to because you are blocking the water from flowing out of the body. When you open the wedge that allows the water to leave with less restriction and that lowers the level inside the skimmer which is exactly what you do not want to to. The wedge pipe is designed to work such that when you open wedge you are lowering the level inside the skimmer and when you close wedge you raise the level. Put the airline back on the venturi port where it belongs and use the wedge pipe to raise the level. Disregard the lines on the wedge assembly and close the pipe by rotation and at some point you WILL see the water rise. Make sure you orient the silicone line so that it's not getting pinched when you close the pipe.

My best suggestion is to do one of two things so you understand how this works. Either remove the skimmer from the sump and take a look inside the drain on the skimmer while rotating the wedge pipe so you can see where the wedge pipe goes from open to closed. Or you can pull the wedge pipe out of the PVC connection and look down into the fitting also noting the wedge shaped cut on the pipe as that should also lend some clarity as to how the wedge pipe blocks the waters flow coming out of the skimmer. As I said, the wedge blocks the exit coming out of the skimmer when closed. The more you close it, the higher the level will be in the skimmer. It's simple and once you know where the fully closed position is on the wedge, you will be able to find your sweet spot befween open and closed to get the level where it needs to be.
Well, I have build, got familiar with every part of the skimmer. Tried again and again. And at first no luck, everything I did did nothing to the skimmer. Now after a few tries for some reason the water is staying in the skimmer, it's on exact the same settings as a few days before. The wedge pipe was all the way in and couldn't go any further, it has been like that the whole time. Nothing changes yet it started to skim. Removed the silicone tube, and it would still skim. I can happily say that it is finally working!! Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it. Now I can sit back and let the king do it's work

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Unread 06/19/2017, 05:43 PM   #2928
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Originally Posted by ngdv View Post
Well, I have build, got familiar with every part of the skimmer. Tried again and again. And at first no luck, everything I did did nothing to the skimmer. Now after a few tries for some reason the water is staying in the skimmer, it's on exact the same settings as a few days before. The wedge pipe was all the way in and couldn't go any further, it has been like that the whole time. Nothing changes yet it started to skim. Removed the silicone tube, and it would still skim. I can happily say that it is finally working!! Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it. Now I can sit back and let the king do it's work

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G935F met Tapatalk
Interesing. It could have been something in your water impacting the surface tension. Glad to hear it's working properly.


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Unread 06/27/2017, 09:52 AM   #2929
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Anyone ever have a problem where your mini 160 only wants to skim wet? Any minor adjustment with the pipe either makes the waterline go too low or too high and the skimmer only produces wet skimmate.

The skimmer is in approx. 8" of constant water level. It's on a heavily stocked 50g display and 16g frag tank. So approx. total volume is about 70-80gallons.


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Unread 06/27/2017, 09:58 AM   #2930
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Anyone ever have a problem where your mini 160 only wants to skim wet? Any minor adjustment with the pipe either makes the waterline go too low or too high and the skimmer only produces wet skimmate.

The skimmer is in approx. 8" of constant water level. It's on a heavily stocked 50g display and 16g frag tank. So approx. total volume is about 70-80gallons.
Lowering your water level about 1/2" in your sump will help make it less sensitive depending on how much your wedge pipe is closed. Also make sure there isn't salt creep in the venturi port where the silicone air tube connects to the pump. Salt tends to buildup inside the venturi port which will make the skimmer want to overflow easier. Also, a little tiny adjustment of the wedge pipe can have a big impact on the level inside the skimmer. As such, only turning it a fraction of a turn is the best practice for smaller adjustments.


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Unread 06/27/2017, 07:01 PM   #2931
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Ok needs some advive. I have a bk sm300 skimmer. Just set up a new 400 gallon system. Has live rock and sand so far. No coral or fish yet. Transferring from old system soon. Ive had the skimmer running for 4 days now and cannot get it to stop overflowing. Ive tried every scenario with both adjustments. The air tube and the adjuster that screws into the pump. Ive tried from 7 to 9 inches for the water level in sump. Any advice on what else to try?


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Unread 06/27/2017, 07:50 PM   #2932
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Ok needs some advive. I have a bk sm300 skimmer. Just set up a new 400 gallon system. Has live rock and sand so far. No coral or fish yet. Transferring from old system soon. Ive had the skimmer running for 4 days now and cannot get it to stop overflowing. Ive tried every scenario with both adjustments. The air tube and the adjuster that screws into the pump. Ive tried from 7 to 9 inches for the water level in sump. Any advice on what else to try?
I am assuming this was a skimmer you bought used or had on a previous system? Does it have the two pumps? Master and smaller slave? Are they original red dragon pumps? For the dual pump version, I would start between 7-8". The adjustable nozzle on the pumps is likely going to be key. The more you open them, the lower the water level should be in the skimmer. I would try different extremes. Start at 1.5 turns out and then go to 5 full turns and see what it does. I would also double check the venturi ports where the silicone air tubes connect to the pump. If salt or other stuff blocks the venturi port, that will cause overflows. If you bought this skimmer used or have had it a long time, you might also want to take the silencer apart and clean the foam in the silencer and make sure there is nothing obstructing the air connections inside the silencer. Also, you will want the ozone tubes connected to the pumps on that skimmer so they can pull air.

Lastly, it could be something in your water. If so, it might be one of those scenarios that you should just connect a 5 gallon bucket to the skimmer and let it overflow into the bucket. That will allow the skimmer to drive what ever is in the water out of the system. If this live rock was uncared, then there will be a lot of organics that will be perishing in the rock which could cause a skimmer to go crazy.


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Unread 06/27/2017, 09:09 PM   #2933
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Originally Posted by slief View Post
I am assuming this was a skimmer you bought used or had on a previous system? Does it have the two pumps? Master and smaller slave? Are they original red dragon pumps? For the dual pump version, I would start between 7-8". The adjustable nozzle on the pumps is likely going to be key. The more you open them, the lower the water level should be in the skimmer. I would try different extremes. Start at 1.5 turns out and then go to 5 full turns and see what it does. I would also double check the venturi ports where the silicone air tubes connect to the pump. If salt or other stuff blocks the venturi port, that will cause overflows. If you bought this skimmer used or have had it a long time, you might also want to take the silencer apart and clean the foam in the silencer and make sure there is nothing obstructing the air connections inside the silencer. Also, you will want the ozone tubes connected to the pumps on that skimmer so they can pull air.

Lastly, it could be something in your water. If so, it might be one of those scenarios that you should just connect a 5 gallon bucket to the skimmer and let it overflow into the bucket. That will allow the skimmer to drive what ever is in the water out of the system. If this live rock was uncared, then there will be a lot of organics that will be perishing in the rock which could cause a skimmer to go crazy.
Yes dual pumps. Both red dragon pumps. Venturis are clean no build up or debris. I will clean sponges tonight. Can you elaborate on ozone tubes connected to the pump. Not sure what you mean or how to do it. I know what the ozone ports are but not sure how or where to hook them up


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Unread 06/27/2017, 09:56 PM   #2934
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Update. I understand what you meant about ozone ports now. Checked filters, there clean. So i tried 2 things. I hooked the skimmate to a 5 gallon bucket, while that started i hooked air lines to the 2 ozone ports. As soon as i hooked those lines up it immediately dropped the level and seems to be working a ton better now. Not even close to overflowing.
Please explain to me what was going on so i understand. Nothing about doing this in the owners manuel for sure


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Unread 06/27/2017, 09:56 PM   #2935
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Yes dual pumps. Both red dragon pumps. Venturis are clean no build up or debris. I will clean sponges tonight. Can you elaborate on ozone tubes connected to the pump. Not sure what you mean or how to do it. I know what the ozone ports are but not sure how or where to hook them up
The skimmer comes with red tubing to connect between the ozone ports on the pumps and the brace for the wedge pipe. If the red tubes aren't connected, cap the ozone ports off at the pump. If you don't have the caps that come with the skimmer, go to Pep Boys and in the "Help" Section should be packs of vacuum port covers. They come in a package with a bunch of different sizes in different colors. They are a vinyl plastic material. While i don't think that is the issue, you are drawing extra water in there the ozone port which reduces the air draw slightly. I still think your issue has to do with the nozzle adjustments or something in your water.

Here is a picture of the skimmer with the ozone tube connections as they would come with a new skimmer. Those red tubes are the ozone tubes.



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Unread 08/06/2017, 05:21 PM   #2936
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Hi, I have an MBK-200 Extra Slim and it is working great, May I ask how I can connect the outlet of the cup to a drain pipe? Thanks in advance.


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Unread 08/07/2017, 07:56 PM   #2937
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Hi, I have an MBK-200 Extra Slim and it is working great, May I ask how I can connect the outlet of the cup to a drain pipe? Thanks in advance.
Some have used a tap and threaded the hole. Others have glued in a piece of pipe to connect hose to. The hold size should be 8mm but I would double check that. .


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Unread 08/23/2017, 05:21 AM   #2938
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I have a BK 250 SM Skimmer.
I have around 30 fish in my system, 8 of them big tangs.
skimmer has been running around 16 months.
beside cleaning the cup, I have never cleaned the pump or venturi.
my NO3 is a little high around 15ppm.
Can you tell me what is the routine cleaning maintainence I should do to my BB.
can It be that the efficiency of the BB is reduced due to the lack of cleaning?
please let me know what to inspect and how to clean it?

thanks a lot


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Unread 08/23/2017, 01:00 PM   #2939
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Originally Posted by slief View Post
Some have used a tap and threaded the hole. Others have glued in a piece of pipe to connect hose to. The hold size should be 8mm but I would double check that. .
10mm is what I measured last night when I started to model the skimmer.


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Unread 08/27/2017, 10:47 PM   #2940
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Finally - 10 years dream came true to hold a Bubble King in hand and enter the Royal Exclusive club. Got a DC 150 for a 90 gallon system - mostly acropora with 10 fishes.

Started tuning by having the skimmer in 6.75 inches of sump water . The nozzle on the red dragon is twisted to 4.5 turns according to advice given by Slief to allow more air to enter the skimmer chamber.

Keeping these constant started tuning and aiming to keep the water level where it starts to form bubbles 2 inches below the white collar where the skimmer cup sits.

Bubble King Double Cone 150 users - any thoughts or am I doing it right ?

Regards,
Abhishek


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Unread 08/28/2017, 11:28 AM   #2941
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I have a BK 250 SM Skimmer.
I have around 30 fish in my system, 8 of them big tangs.
skimmer has been running around 16 months.
beside cleaning the cup, I have never cleaned the pump or venturi.
my NO3 is a little high around 15ppm.
Can you tell me what is the routine cleaning maintainence I should do to my BB.
can It be that the efficiency of the BB is reduced due to the lack of cleaning?
please let me know what to inspect and how to clean it?

thanks a lot
Here is a thread on pump maintenance in the Bubble King forum. Dissasembling the pump including removing the rotor and a quick 10 minute soak in vinegar of all parts except the o-rings and then a good scrub of the pump inside and out will keep the pump looking and running like new. I clean my skimmer pumps every 4 or so months. If the venturi port gets restricted from salt creep, that will reduce airflow. Also, if your load changes or the skimmer may need some additional fine tuning. Lastly, skimmers remove dissolved organics. You can't expect your skimmer to maintain your nitrates at 0. That is more of a function of bacteria being able to keep up with the rate of nutrients going in and other processes in the system consuming or not consuming nutrients as well as husbandry. That said, not having a skimmer can make it worse. I don't see 15ppm nitrates as an issue. Mine are around 25ppm, my Po4 is .25 ppm, my corals all grow like weeds and I have no algae issues. I also don't do much maintance. I do 5 gallon a day automated water changes, I have a refugium with a DSB and chaeto but I don't trim my chaeto regularly. As mentioned above, my system is very healthy and thriving. It's been up at this house for 20 years now and there isn't much I would change. It's balanced, stable, consistent and healthy which is what we all strive for. As a result, I don't chase numbers.

Anyhow, here is a thread on the pump maintenance. The first couple posts cover both RD1 and RD3 pumps.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2573406

Quote:
Originally Posted by abhishek@1985 View Post
Finally - 10 years dream came true to hold a Bubble King in hand and enter the Royal Exclusive club. Got a DC 150 for a 90 gallon system - mostly acropora with 10 fishes.

Started tuning by having the skimmer in 6.75 inches of sump water . The nozzle on the red dragon is twisted to 4.5 turns according to advice given by Slief to allow more air to enter the skimmer chamber.

Keeping these constant started tuning and aiming to keep the water level where it starts to form bubbles 2 inches below the white collar where the skimmer cup sits.

Bubble King Double Cone 150 users - any thoughts or am I doing it right ?

Regards,
Abhishek
I think you are right. Load, surface tension in the water etc will have a big impact on the optimum level inside the skimmer. You are ultimately aiming for consistency and nice dense pillow like foam up into the neck and with the smaller double cone, having the line where bubbles turn to foam an inch or two below the neck is best.


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Last edited by slief; 08/28/2017 at 11:40 AM.
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Unread 08/31/2017, 07:06 AM   #2942
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Hi, I have an MBK-200 Extra Slim and it is working great, May I ask how I can connect the outlet of the cup to a drain pipe? Thanks in advance.
I have the 160. This fit perfect in the drain hole. Then I inserted rodi tubing in the center hole with a shut off valve

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Unread 08/31/2017, 07:10 AM   #2943
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Hi, I have an MBK-200 Extra Slim and it is working great, May I ask how I can connect the outlet of the cup to a drain pipe? Thanks in advance.
Pic

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Unread 08/31/2017, 11:02 AM   #2944
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Unread 09/30/2017, 01:36 PM   #2945
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Afternoon,

I have a Bubble King Mini 160 (v12) that was working beautifully. I took the skimmer apart to clean it and let it soak in vinegar for about 30 minutes (due to recent issues caused by excess epoxy causing the skimmer to repeatedly overflow). I completed a significant water change while the skimmer was soaking to address the epoxy.. The skimmer no longer overflows and appears that the water change got rid of the epoxy residue, but the skimmer is emitting a significant number of micro bubbles from the white buttom outlet pipe into the sump (and display). I’m concerned that I may not have reassembled the skimmer correctly, although it’s unlikely.. Are there any adjustments to make or things to look for that might address the micro bubbles? The skimmer could be breaking in again due to the cleanling, but your thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Rick


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Unread 09/30/2017, 06:39 PM   #2946
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Afternoon,

I have a Bubble King Mini 160 (v12) that was working beautifully. I took the skimmer apart to clean it and let it soak in vinegar for about 30 minutes (due to recent issues caused by excess epoxy causing the skimmer to repeatedly overflow). I completed a significant water change while the skimmer was soaking to address the epoxy.. The skimmer no longer overflows and appears that the water change got rid of the epoxy residue, but the skimmer is emitting a significant number of micro bubbles from the white buttom outlet pipe into the sump (and display). I’m concerned that I may not have reassembled the skimmer correctly, although it’s unlikely.. Are there any adjustments to make or things to look for that might address the micro bubbles? The skimmer could be breaking in again due to the cleanling, but your thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Rick
There are no adjustments needed other than the wedge pipe but the skimmer is most likely breaking in again since you cleaned the entire skimmer and not just the pump. Typical beakin takes several days. As such, it should subside within a week or less. That said, avoid long soaks in vinegar. 10 minutes max for the pump. Vinegar is used in the marine boat hull industry to clean up both cured and uncured epoxy. It will soften and damage the epoxy potting used inside the pumps to seal them during the manufacturing process.


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Current Tank Info: 480G display mixed reef, 90G sump, 90G refugium, 60G display refugium. Check out my build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1783476
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Unread 10/01/2017, 10:40 AM   #2947
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There are no adjustments needed other than the wedge pipe but the skimmer is most likely breaking in again since you cleaned the entire skimmer and not just the pump. Typical beakin takes several days. As such, it should subside within a week or less. That said, avoid long soaks in vinegar. 10 minutes max for the pump. Vinegar is used in the marine boat hull industry to clean up both cured and uncured epoxy. It will soften and damage the epoxy potting used inside the pumps to seal them during the manufacturing process.
I appreciate your reply. I didn't mean to suggest I soaked the pump in vinegar, just the skimmer body (as the pump and skimmer are brand new, so there's no coraline on the pump).

I've since done an additional water change and the skimmer is now back to overflowing (as opposed to appearing stable but emitting micro bubbles through the bottom white pipe).

The tank has run skimmerless for about three weeks, to the detriment of the inhabitants, because (of what appears to be) the use of 2 1/2 sticks of epoxy. I have gradually completed a 100%+ water change (and I've removed the Aquastik epoxy). I am not sure what else to do at this point other than wait. I have also been running carbon.

Does the overflowing issue still seem like the skimmer's breaking in, given the series of events described above?

Thanks,
Rick


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Unread 10/01/2017, 11:18 AM   #2948
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Originally Posted by Rick55555 View Post
I appreciate your reply. I didn't mean to suggest I soaked the pump in vinegar, just the skimmer body (as the pump and skimmer are brand new, so there's no coraline on the pump).

I've since done an additional water change and the skimmer is now back to overflowing (as opposed to appearing stable but emitting micro bubbles through the bottom white pipe).

The tank has run skimmerless for about three weeks, to the detriment of the inhabitants, because (of what appears to be) the use of 2 1/2 sticks of epoxy. I have gradually completed a 100%+ water change (and I've removed the Aquastik epoxy). I am not sure what else to do at this point other than wait. I have also been running carbon.

Does the overflowing issue still seem like the skimmer's breaking in, given the series of events described above?

Thanks,
Rick
The overflowing likely has nothing to do with breakin. It could have to do with the stuff in the epoxy leaching out of the expoxy despite your water changes but you still need to address the skimmer in the meantime. First, make sure the wedge pipe is open all the way as that will raise or lower the level inside the skimmer. If it is open all the way, then you need to raise the skimmer up a bit on a stand or lower the sump level. That will reduce the level inside the skimmer to the point that the overflowing will subside. Once the skimmer catches up, you will likely need to close the wedge pipe some to fine tune. I would start by raising the skimmer or lowering the sump level 1/2” and see what that does. If the overflow persists, you will need to raise the skimmer up a bit more or lower the sump level a bit more until you can get the line where bubbles turn to foam about an inch or two below the white PVC part that the cup sits on top of. You can get a piece of egg crate and place it under the skimmer to raise it up.

Also, not sure if you are aware but we have a dedicated forum here including threads of tuning the skimmers.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=745


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Unread 10/01/2017, 11:42 AM   #2949
Rick55555
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slief View Post
The overflowing likely has nothing to do with breakin. It could have to do with the stuff in the epoxy leaching out of the expoxy despite your water changes but you still need to address the skimmer in the meantime. First, make sure the wedge pipe is open all the way as that will raise or lower the level inside the skimmer. If it is open all the way, then you need to raise the skimmer up a bit on a stand or lower the sump level. That will reduce the level inside the skimmer to the point that the overflowing will subside. Once the skimmer catches up, you will likely need to close the wedge pipe some to fine tune. I would start by raising the skimmer or lowering the sump level 1/2” and see what that does. If the overflow persists, you will need to raise the skimmer up a bit more or lower the sump level a bit more until you can get the line where bubbles turn to foam about an inch or two below the white PVC part that the cup sits on top of. You can get a piece of egg crate and place it under the skimmer to raise it up.

Also, not sure if you are aware but we have a dedicated forum here including threads of tuning the skimmers.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=745

Perfect! I will give it a whirl and follow-up in the dedicated forum accordingly.

Thanks,
Rick


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Unread 10/24/2017, 03:05 AM   #2950
Pedro3178
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Bubble king 180

Came across this forum and wondered if someone could please give me some advice.

I have a bubble king 180 that I am having an issue with. I have came down three separate mornings now to find my skimmers water level as dropped all the way down with hardly any foam at all , if I turn off skimmer and turn back on it returns to normal operation with no other adjustments at all.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated


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