Yes, more skimmer questions..

[redseareef]

Matthew,
I can guarantee you that nipple has a build up of salt and debris build up in it after that long. You are not getting the air into the body of the skimmer like you should take it out and clean it with a drill bit. Thread it in there by hand until it bottoms out Then, thead it back out. You will find alot of white salt and minerals in the bit threads. Now, you can get a flashlight and shine it down in that hole. You have to get it at the right angle. Once you do, you can see the build up in there!
Let us know how it works out for you! I hope this helps you.

 

[Reefmack]

When I was trying impeller mods on the RSM skimmer I used to remove the sponge & pad, and then pull the skimmer body up, and sort of balance it in the back while I pulled the pump out to switch out the impeller. I got pretty good at that. Not sure if that would work with the 130D skimmer or not.

Maybe a pipe cleaner would be good to clean out that air inlet nipple on the pump???

By the way - switch off the skimmer before attempting the above.

 

[jackpe]

Guys,

So far I can report that the skimmer seems very tempremental as others have reported. I got some good froth going for two nights and now all of a sudden it has stopped again. There has been no difference in feeding or load or other changes, just seems that one minute it was forming well and the next it jsut went back to bubbling at the top of the water column. Also oddly this evening it seems that the water level in the neck has risen by around three centimeters...for no reason I can fathom...the water level in the rear chambers and around the skimmer body is exactly the same (I had marked the level when the skimmer started foaming, thinking I had cracked it) but suddenly the water levels rose withing the skimmer? I thought perhaps one the pumps had stopped as this has the same effect but theya re both running. So it seems that the skimmer is indeed tempremental however I will persevere for a couple more weeks to see how it does. Personally I think one of the main problems iis that the botom is open, this creates more variables and makes the skimmer hard to be kept set up and working consistently as even small changes seem to affect it. Mbdave has doen a mod to close the bottom which might be good..

Do you advocate keeping the skimer neck clean or leaving dirty? this is another perpetual debate...

SteveH, thanks for the support, will let you know how I go.

 

[redseareef]

The skimmer will strip everything out of the water very quickly. Once that done, you will not get the foam you are looking for. This in my opinion is normal.
If you transfered everything over to the new tank and used the new RedSea sand you basically have a new tank. There will not be alot to skim at first.
Mine seems to be working great as far as I can tell, the optimal flow numbers are there. Through the rear chambers and through the skimmer.
One thing I noticed, all these nano skimmers are very sensitive to changes. They are just small, so the changes are magnified quite a bit and you notice it much easier then in a larger skimmer. Changes happen quicker as well, as we are dealing with a much smaller volume of water.
Therefore I will say this about these nano skimmers:
THE TUNING RANGE IS NARROWED DOWN IMMENSELY. THIS MAKES TUNING MORE DIFFICULT, AND IT MUST BE MUCH MORE PRECISE THEN A LARGER SKIMMER.
I would tell anyone, give it time and practice tuning to get the hang of a small skimmer and it's working characteristics.
I have heard the same of the Tunze nano skimmer. USually, from beginners with new tanks expecting gobs of skimmate and not getting it. It's just not in the tank to get yet.............

 

[jackpe]

RedSeareef: My crap V2 nano skimmer in the previous tank managed to skim consistently, not loads but consistently, there shoudl therefore be plenty to skim in this tank as well..

 

[redseareef]

jackpe,
YEA, THE REASON IT WAS CONSISTENT WAS BECAUSE IT COULD NEVER PULL THE ORGANICS OUT FASTER THEN THEY WHERE BEING PUT IN!!!!!!

 

[redseareef]

you went from a Pinto to a Porsche man,lol!

 

[redseareef]

Just tryin to help. Mine does the same thing now Jackpe. My Deltec MCE600 did the same thing too. Once it pulls it all out there's just nothing left to skim for a while.

 

[MatthewJ]

Matthew,Let us know how it works out for you! I hope this helps you.

I didn't see any salt buildup whatsoever. However, I did have granules of carbon tumbling about in the chamber. I remember the accident well now
I imagine this might have some effect on the skimmer. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If this works, I will once again bow down in homage redseareef

 

[MatthewJ]

well, if the first 15 minutes are any indication...we're back in business! already nice dry foam filling the cup. If this holds up, I'm back to being a believer

@redseareef -:bow:

 

[redseareef]

Matthew,
Glad I could help. Sounds like you got it going good! I do not know everything, but I know alot and am a true gadget nut!
Hopefully, I can help out jackpe too!

 

[Reefmack]

Unfortunately my 130 skimmer never pulled anything out, consistently or inconsistently, even with an overstocked tank and the water level high, Looking at the 130 skimmer (130D may be the same) it's a big unit, and based on looking at the construction I think that they are assembled by hand, rather than produced on a machine. I'm still convinced in my own mind that hand assembly results in each unit possibly having small differences in some small tolerances that can make all the differences between one working well, and one not. I've even seen some of these differences in the old RSM club, where some skimmers were seen to be a bit off in some dimensions versus others (such as some of the plates inside a bit tilted to one side versus a photo of another skimmer). I'll settle for a skimmer that consistently pulls out skimmate, rather than one that skims one day and not the next, or worst case not at all.

 

[MatthewJ]

reefmack, I tend to agree with the notion that these work for some, but not for many others. The sheer number of people who appear to be replacing the stock skimmer with the Tunze is pretty telling. I'm still working on the design of a sump + separate refugium and the stock skimmer will almost certainly have to go if I do that.

 

[redseareef]

RM,
Maybe you got one with a bad pump? Their is no magic to how a skimmer works. You can get a coke bottle to skim organics out of water.
I would assume the RedSea skimmers are assembled on Jigs. But then in China, who knows how they are doing it as labor over there is so cheap. They pay families 10.00 a month and they live there at the factories.
I am shocked that you said you got nothing at all in the collection cup. Really? NOTHING? ZERO? Sounds to me like the water level may have been too low or the nipple was clogged up bad.
I know you know alot about these tanks, so I am assuming you got a bad pump.

 

[thebiggster]

Mine was quite finicky when I used to use the Black Foam (cut in half), but once I ditched that & went to the floss it has worked like a charm.

I think the keys are
1. To use floss only
2. Have the correct water level...level with the black trim on the inside of the Glass
3. To use a Tunze Nanostream 6045 or similar wave maker directed so that there is a large amount of surface movement...to negate the need for surface skimming

I have kept larger FOWLR & reef tanks for years & I am really pleased (and a bit surprised if I'm honest) with the way my RSM has performed over the last 9-10 months...so much so that I am thinking about getting a RSM250 in the next month or two

 

[alphasierra]

thebiggster - Welcome to RS

I think the keys are
1. To use floss only

Interesting... your the first to have mentioned this. I may just try that too. Currently have the white floss and half of the black foam above the skimmer pump. The skimmer seems to be doing a reasonable job but I always feel that it could do that little bit more. I just pulled the skimmer out today and gave it a good clean and will post the details and pics on my thread shortly.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/38832-rsm-adventure.html

 

[Reefmack]

redseareef - no - it was not the skimmer pump. I had gotten an extra RSM pump (to make things easier while doing impeller mods) and it made no difference. If I was lucky I might get 1/4" of skimmate in the cup in 3-4 weeks time, even with the gate all the way down and the water level as high as I could safely run it. I won't say it didn't skim - it was just all deposited in the neck of the skimmer, and the upper part of the skimmer body, and pulling up that big unit to use paper towels to remove all that crud from the skimmer body was a real messy PITA! I think you hit the nail on the head with the jig assembly in China - you either got one assembled correctly or you didn't. I didn't. While I love the tank the skimmer has always been a sore point with me, as the real reason I went with the raised hood was to open up that back section to other skimmer options without worrying if the hood would close. Besides the cost of the raised hood and another skimmer (Remora) I had to get the ATO. If the skimmer had performed the way it should have I think I'd still have the closed hood and a lot more money in the bank! But, like I said if I could do it all over I'd probably do the same thing - I think the quality & look of the RSM & cabinet is much better than any of the other nanos out there. Then again, if I could do it all over again, I might get the new 250

 

[thebiggster]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome

alphasierra

I also find that if you clean the pump & impeller monthly that the skimmer not only performs better but also runs quieter.

I have a chiller so noise from the skimmer is mild compared to when the chiller fires up. The chiller runs for 5mins every 30mins or so @ the moment & it is the middle of summer here. I can't recommend getting a chiller enough, it has virtually stopped all evaporation from the tank, I do 1 top off a week of 250ml.

It takes a couple of months for the skimmer to come up to full speed, but once it gets there it pulls serious amounts of gunk out.

Quick Tip:
Instead of using the plumbers PVC I use Black Rigid Irrigation Risers & Fittings. This looks much nicer (especially against the black of the RSM) & is easier to put together as it is all threaded, all you need is Teflon tape no more messy PVC welding glues.

 

[thebiggster]

MatthewJ

I um'ed & ah'ed about getting the Tunze at first as well, but with a little bit of trial & error I have it working better than the 9002 could any day. My tank is 9-10months old & it didn't start consistently skimming (like in the pics) till about the 5th month. The skimmer is essentially a modified RedSea Prizm skimmer, and these things have rave reviews

Quick Tip:
To remove the salt build-up in the venturi intake on the skimmer pump, place the end of the air-hose in a cup of near boiling water & let the pump suck it through

 

[thebiggster]

duplicate post sorry