properly tune a skimmer - how to?!

[Hangfire]

Originally Posted by whatcaneyedo

The episode 88 series is all about euro reef skimmers and how they work http://www.lafishguys.com/

I watched all 7 episodes and learned a lot, especially on cleaning and breaking them in.

[Hangfire]

One question that didn't get asked was what effect the water level in the sump has on the operation of the skimmer. I'm running mine at between 7 and 9 inches of water, sort of a no less and no more range. I know my skimmer is still breaking in, but it just overflows like crazy, even when opened right up. I'm running carbon in the hopes of pulling out and surfactants that may have gotten into the tank. Any other suggestions?

[Doug]

Despite the belief that bubble size affects the skimming, unless its burping large bubbles, I have never seen it affect my skimmers. I always ran the air wide open on mine. The one that it did seem to matter was a very efficient beckett, running on a Mag 24.

Sump water level also seems to matter little, unless its to high. When lower, as long as one can raise the skimmers water level, then its easier to control wet verus dry skimming. To high of a water level sometimes hinders running a drier foam if thats what one wants.

[Milad]

MAG 24!?!? wtf kind of skimmer was that

[Lance]

Originally Posted by Skimmer King

All you have to do is ask. lol
Milad when i spoke to you about the skimmer, yes the bubble size will make a huge difference. On pretty much any skimmer you can adjust the size. Size matter's just not in Bubbles.
With a skimer the ideal bubbles are the ones the 1-2 mm in size to extract nutrients the nutrients and the proteins are caught in these bubbles causign the removal. However wht makes the skimmer works the best is the contact time. in the chamber. With your skimmer having a insump skimmer there isnt a change. Once you get the ideal bubble size by restricting the air flow to the venturi or the beckett. or what ever skimmer thaty oua re running. you then are going to raise the water level to achieve the proper contact time in the skimmer.

To much Water can cause it to over flow like feeding Mysis shrimp and cyclopeeze. in a skimmer having a pump that is to powerful can cause your skimmer to overflow.


HTH

Mr. Skimmer King, you sound quite knowledgeable but how much experience do you have with protein skimmers? Have you personally owned or used any?

[Skimmerking]

Lance look below

[Skimmerking]

Originally Posted by Lance

Mr. Skimmer King, you sound quite knowledgeable but how much experience do you have with protein skimmers? Have you personally owned or used any?

A S S

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Milad

MAG 24!?!? wtf kind of skimmer was that

All my beckett skimmers ran off either a MAG 24 or MAK 4. They like lots of water

[Lance]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

All my beckett skimmers ran off either a MAG 24 or MAK 4. They like lots of water

Yup, I run an Iwaki 70RLT on my MR3

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Lance

Yup, I run an Iwaki 70RLT on my MR3

I ran either one of those, or a MD100RLT on my 4' beckett (can't recall which it was), but I couldn't hear the TV anymore Had to downgrade...