Sca-301

[SmoothSmoke]

The neck is in between the two white plates right?

[myram]

Where the rubber seal is on the bottom of the neck, that's where I set mine to normally.

[SmoothSmoke]

Got it! Had mine set there for a couple hours then all of a sudden the bubble level dropped to halfway down the cone. Is that normal?

Thanks for your help. I have never owned a skimmer before. This is very new to me.

[myram]

You want your skimmate to be dark and stinky, not watery and light colored.

If you added top off water, it will cause the bubbles to drop. Skimmers only work in saltwater, so if you add fresh water for top off it will effect the skimmer.

[SmoothSmoke]

Originally Posted by myram

Where the rubber seal is on the bottom of the neck, that's where I set mine to normally.

Just to be absolutely sure I know the level. You have it set where I have it marked with a green line? I currently have it on the green line but nothing is falling into the cup. Others have said they set just above the blue line. So not sure where to adjust mine to. Total newbie here.

[myram]

Around the purple line is where I set mine, seems to produce some stinky dark skimmate that isn't too watery.

[SmoothSmoke]

Originally Posted by myram

Around the purple line is where I set mine, seems to produce some stinky dark skimmate that isn't too watery.

Excellent!! I think I finally understand now.

[myram]

It's a fine tuning of the skimmate that tells you where it should be. After a day, check your cup and see how it looks. Too wet and adjust it down a bit, not wet enough and adjust it up a bit.

[SmoothSmoke]

Finally got some yellow junk in the cup. Almost broken in? Still cycling the tank. No corals/fish yet.

[scott3569]

You guys need to call them and stress your opinions about how they need to be sending these out..When I got mine, I called them I almost ended up sending it back because I had a guy tell me his 8 year old can do it.

anyway CALL THEM !!! they told me they were going to work on some videos so the more that call and complain then maybe they will do it...


Next thing my collection cup on my 302 keeps filling with water doesn't seem to matter how I have it dial in..this is a new tank just got water in it yesterday here is a video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXBT3GKctlQ

[SmoothSmoke]

Videos? Id be happy with a instruction manual!

[scott3569]

Originally Posted by SmoothSmoke

Videos? Id be happy with a instruction manual!

Call SCA and tell them!! they need to hear it, the more that call they will see that it is needed more than they think.

[geno7]

I will be happy to help anyway I can. It is a great skimmer for small tanks. What do you guys want to know? No,bI don't work for them but I've dealt with many skimmers over the years.

[scott3569]

Originally Posted by geno7

I will be happy to help anyway I can. It is a great skimmer for small tanks. What do you guys want to know? No,bI don't work for them but I've dealt with many skimmers over the years.

Well first let me give you this info, I just got water in my tank so it's not that old..

2. I know im not going to get much if anything out of the skimmer at this point

3. the problem is that I can seem to get it dial in to wear it won't push all kinds of water into the collection cup. right now I have dialed way down, no there is no water in the collection cup, but the level of the bubbles are very low..

[SmoothSmoke]

Where do you have the main bubbles set to? Look at my pic, post #30. I drew a bunch of lines. Some say to set it to the purple and others to the blue line.

[MM393]

I had the same problem with excess water in the cup. I think if you turn it down to around 2 and let it break in for awhile it will work out for you. It probably took mine two weeks to break in good and now produces a nice skim in about 8" of water on the 2 mark.

[geno7]

I think the one best response is be patient. If you don't have a bio load, its not going to do much. If you need assembly help, please pm me. As for the overflows, many questions respond. What is your water dept on sump, the bio load, have you used any additives, epoxies in specific dechlorinators. Set your skimmer to zero and go up from that and as said earlier, maintain a constant water depth, 8 inches is the best. Please ask questions.

[geno7]

One more, bigger is not always better. If the skimmer exceeds the waste being put out by your fish and corals, your going to get watery skimmate. In my reef infancy it was to buy the largest skimmer you could afford. The beat I can suggest is take you tank size and +1.5 from the mfg suggestions. I am running the 301 on a 40 breeder with a 20 long sump at 8 inches of water,

[geno7]

If I took the same tank and changed the skimmer to a 302 I then would get watery skimmate if I didn't increase the bio load. Additives such as bonding coral with expoy is going to make the skimmer overflow, kind of like adding soap. I'm not trying to be a know it all, I just know what works.

[scott3569]

Originally Posted by geno7

If I took the same tank and changed the skimmer to a 302 I then would get watery skimmate if I didn't increase the bio load. Additives such as bonding coral with expoy is going to make the skimmer overflow, kind of like adding soap. I'm not trying to be a know it all, I just know what works.

Yes I realize that i don't have a bioload as of yet, I know there is a break in period

My skimmer is actually just under 1.5 times my water volume I have the 302 and my water volume is 65gals

None of those things were my concerns however, if you had read my first post on this from just yesterday, I stated all of that..well I didn't give my total volume, but otherwise I stated all that.

My only concern was that I kept getting water into the collection cup I have it turned down now, and no water is in there overnight, so maybe I got it

[Furballnow]

I order da 302 and they sent me a 303 ..what's the difference?

Should I return it?

[scott3569]

Originally Posted by Furballnow

I order da 302 and they sent me a 303 ..what's the difference?

Should I return it?

Not sure, I know they just up graded the 302 but I would say the 303 is bigger than the 302

[scott3569]

I just sent these guys a lengthy message, I called them Thrusday and someone was suppose to call me back, and never did..I had also had quite a lengthy conversation with one of there guys when I first got it..about the instructions and there customer service...As of right now I am not really talking bad about them..But they need to fix their instructions(if thats what you want to call them)..

I can only say again!! Call them and tell them your issues!!! Tell them they need better instructions and customer service!!

When I called them, they seemed like they had no clue that people were having issues...Now maybe they do know and just don't care, I am not ready to actually put that out there yet..But they need to know if you guys are having issues like I did..

[SmoothSmoke]

I added a filter pad between my baffles. Now I have foam/bubbles coming out of the top of the long blue tube. I've turned off the skimmer for now. Can the filter pad be causing this? If not, what's the cause?

[SmoothSmoke]

As well as lots of bubbles coming out of the bottom of the blue tube. Not sure what the heck happened. I did always have some bubbles coming out the bottom of the tube, but now it's just ridiculous.