Red Sea Max C-130 Skimmer Overflow Tips

deaneturner

New Member
Hello,

I thought I might offer some information about getting the stock skimmer for a RSM C-130 to stop over skimming for new installations. As you may know, the manual offers little information other than mentioning; the use of a restricting valve during break in, the gate height positioning for wet/dry adjustment, the statement that sump level does not affect skimmer performance, and target foam height being the top of the skimmer body neck. All of these need further explanation, plus extra steps to get the desired affect.

PREREQUISITES

1) Regardless of water quality or organics, you should be able to get the proper behavior from the skimmer i.e. not over-skimming/ overflowing.
2) During adjustment keep the parameters the same. Don't make water additions. Keep the water levels constant.
3) The skimmer gate position must be in its lowest position. Surprisingly, pushed all the way down is not what you are looking for. If you feel that panel, you will notice an oblong hole near the top lip. Position the gate so the bottom of that hole is in the lowest position, not the top lip.
4) Water level is important (regardless of what the manual says). It should not be any higher than the gate setting - for the purposes of this adjustment. If the level of the sump is as high what the gate produces and the gate is down, the foam / water level is going to be much higher than you want.
5) Watch for a kink in the venturi air line. The line is easily pressed against and kinked against the separating acrylic wall (where the media chamber is). Push the skimmer as far away from that divider, as far as the skimmer slots will allow.

THE PROBLEM

No matter what I did, adjustment valve, no adjustment valve, running on a throttled adjustment valve position - the skimmer would always overflow and fill the reservoir. With the throttled (so called break in) technique, the water level in the skimmer would always ride up slowly into the foam chamber and eventually overflow. No matter what I did, I could not get results, and I was ready to give up. Was the break in period going to go on for weeks? Did I not have enough organics to get a reasonable foam action?

SOLUTION

The solution came in the combination of skimmer power reset and full air flow (no throttle valve). By turning these two on and off, you can reset the operating level of the foam / water layer. During the problem scenario, the water was always pouring out of the top neck opening (the reservoir removed) i.e. the circular opening and o-ring. In the solution scenario: now there is a half inch or so bubble layer between water level in the skimmer an the top of the neck with full air flow (no throttle valve). Only bubbles flow out of the neck (again reservoir removed). The water level should get knocked down to that height by powering the skimmer off and introducing full air flow. Returning the reservoir should show just bubbles in the foam chamber. The foam / water level no longer rises into the foam collection tube.

THE REAL BREAK IN PERIOD and FINE ADJUSTMENT

Implementing the solution procedure above resulted in proper operation most of the day, but something would occur that would result in the reservoir being filled. Certainly adding an organic load did it, but even with no changes the foam chamber would run very wet and fill the reservoir in a number of hours.

So, the solution here is to get the foam/water level at the proper position as described above, but now with throttle value on (fully opened initially). Knocking the foam/water level down to approximately a half inch below the top of the skimmer body requires powering the skimmer off and then on, but this time have the throttle fully open to create the same result. You will notice its very difficult to generate this effect with not enough air flow.

Now for the hard part, the same level creep occurs (when the throttle is slightly closeD) here as did the problem scenario, but you will find a proper stable level this time. If the water creeps to far i.e. into the top of skimmer body, start over again by knocking down the level and adjusting the throttle again (always starting with full open). Once you get a stable level with the throttle, add the reservoir and let the bubble action in the foam action settle into the desired action. Now you should be able to adjust for a dry foam (occasional gathering and ejecting of a foam mass).

Good Luck
 

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
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Start a new tank thread & share your tank with us so we can follow along - we love pics :)

Thanks for sharing the skimmer tips
 

deaneturner

New Member
UPDATE

Much of my issue revolved around the very slight kinking of the venturi air line tube. I had plenty of flow, but moving the tube ever so slightly created the extra amount necessary. The skimmer bubbles now rise to just to the top of the skimmer body (not the collection cup) and the water height can properly used to raise the bubble/water flow line to tune in the skimmer. Note, I replaced the stock tube with a neoprene tube with thicker walls - very difficult for a bend in the tube to restrict flow.
 

Rooprect

Member
I think that this post deserves a bump because I think it should help many new 130-C owners (as it has helped me).
I've been fiddling with my unit for over a week and this post helped a TON. I had solid water riding up the neck, and with the reservoir off it was like old faithful shooting through the connection hole.
Through all my trouble shooting I never tried shutting the unit off and then back on with the valve off.
As stated above this resets the water level in a way that is impossible without shutting the unit off.
Thanks Deaneturner!
 

jasonrusso

New Member
Sorry to dig up an old thread, but it is still relevant. I just set up my C-130 4 days ago. Right now the skimmer is running with no valve, but as you said it occasionally overflows.

How long should I wait for the "break-in" before I start really fiddling with it. Even at this point it is removing some sludge.

After all is set up, is the valve still installed, or is it removed? From what I can read, the valve is still on and was used to set the foam level inside the skimmer. Then the gate is used to adjust the level in the neck after the reservoir is put back on.

Is the tank water level set at the "optimum" mark?
 

starsky

New Member
I had terrible problems with mine when I got it (bout a month ago) either flooding or not skimming. It also sounded like a small chinook in the corner of the living room. All resolved when I put a new impeller in the pump. I got this little tip from @RedSeaKev to tell if there’s any life left in the impeller.

“Try the following to check the impellor, remove it from the pump, hold the magnet in one hand and rotate the head with the other, if it rotates through 360 degrees then the impeller has failed and needs replacing, if the impellor rotates to 180 degrees and stops it is possibly still serviceable, check the shaft and bearings are in good condition, if not again replace the impeller.”

Worth noting that the part is technically discontinued but Red Sea (Uk) still have stock and out of trying 6 dealers only complete aquatics were happy to order it in for me.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

jasonrusso

New Member
I had terrible problems with mine when I got it (bout a month ago) either flooding or not skimming. It also sounded like a small chinook in the corner of the living room. All resolved when I put a new impeller in the pump. I got this little tip from @RedSeaKev to tell if there’s any life left in the impeller.

“Try the following to check the impellor, remove it from the pump, hold the magnet in one hand and rotate the head with the other, if it rotates through 360 degrees then the impeller has failed and needs replacing, if the impellor rotates to 180 degrees and stops it is possibly still serviceable, check the shaft and bearings are in good condition, if not again replace the impeller.”

Worth noting that the part is technically discontinued but Red Sea (Uk) still have stock and out of trying 6 dealers only complete aquatics were happy to order it in for me.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You realize that this tank/pump is only 4 days old. I would hope that the impeller is not worn out. Is @RedSeaKev still out there?
 
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