Skimmer question...

[Reefmack]

slakker - very good point on the ATO units. I've had a few close calls also with mine, but thank goodness I had the secondary emergency float set low enough that it stopped an overflow. My blue linkia star has also caused problems by blocking flow through the gate and dropping the level in the back. Right now I'm running the ATO on manual till I get a fuge in and remove everything in the back. It's still a lot easier to plug the wire into the Osmolator control box than hauling water to the tank.

 

[slakker]

Ya... I was 1/2 cm from overflowing and I was wondering what the heck was going on!!! Scratched my head a bit on that one...

 

[Reefmack]

slakker - then there was the time my level dropped in back from the linkia covering the gate, and my thermometer probe had floated over and stopped the emergency float from being able to float - that time my wife noticed it right before the water started going over the rim! Took a while for enough water to evaporate to need the ATO again. It can get pretty scary at times! I guess we're really getting off topic in a skimmer thead LOL!

 

[MatthewJ]

I've not seen really anything from the stock skimmer in either case. At best, I get maybe a teaspoon of yellow liquid a week.

odd...over the last couple days the skimmer has started to actually work. Of course, I just did a water change and it's stopped for now, but for a few days there it was actually pulling out a decent amount of nasty stuff. The tanks been up for about 1 month, so maybe I just needed to be more patient.

 

[steveh]

The skimmer DOES work! And yes, you need to be patient. Mine is working away very nicely. I modded the air inlet to reduce noise slightly and have the air valve fully opened. It's removing dark, smelly skimate on a regular basis.

 

[mweber21]

how should my power heads be facing, right now I have one strait toward and the other going to the right, should the be facing up at all or should one be facing down a little and the other be facing up a little?

 

[Reefmack]

I'd face one upwards enough to get some ripples on the surface - to help break up any scum that forms on top, so it can be pulled out of the gate. Or, get one of the inexpensive little Hydor Flo attachments for one of the powerheads - they're powered by the flow exiting the powerhead and rotate the flow 360 degrees, and on the upside will ripple the surface.

 

[mweber21]

Reefmack,
Thank for your help

 

[Reefmack]

Reefmack,
Thank for your help

You're welcome!

 

[jetskidia]

Any update on this mod?
Thanks

 

[slakker]

slakker,
do you use the stock black foam pad above the skimmer pump and the white one also or did you cut the black one and remove the white one? sorry for bothering you

This reply is so old it may not be helpful to mweber21 but for the record; I don't use any of the foam and media in the back area.

 

[jetskidia]

This reply is so old it may not be helpful to mweber21 but for the record; I don't use any of the foam and media in the back area.

What do you use then please?

 

[slakker]

Nothing... I leave all the media out and just use skimmer, LR and DSB...