"Dialed In" Reef Octo classic 152

[SumpinFishy]

So what is dialed in on a protein skimmer. Or to be more direct, HELP!!! :)
I have the reef octo and the tank is running about 4 months.
Where do you want this dialed in to. I feel like I'm either to low and not skimming enligh, dial up a smidgen and the next day the top is off and there's a foam party in my sump.
When I sit and try to get it I try to get the foam level with the bottom of the collection tank. Figuring the thick foam builds and spills over. Like I said I get it there and I do get a some skim. But seems light. I tweek it a bit higher maybe 1/2 to an inch above that and then ugh..

So any Input, what level do you dial your foam to?
It could be still breaking in so I just have to play the game, but love to know what i should shoot for.

Thanks all

 

[KrisReef]

Does your skimmer have a water level sticker on the neck? I try to get mine running in the middle of that.

Thing about these, when they are first set up they may run heavy but over time the seem to settle down and make very little skim. I would start yours running low and let it build up scum inside the skimmer and eventually it will start producing steady.

I cleaned mine recently, set the level mid sticker and it pumped gunk for a couple of days and its slowed down, with the level inside the skimmer running lower. If I feed plankton, it will pull that out eventually and dump the waste into the cup.

Don't expect it to make funk all the time. It may at first but as it cleans the water it should back off. Let it roll and it will rise again. I think you are doing it right but expecting something stable in production. Let it "cycle" with the water quality.

 

[SumpinFishy]

Does your skimmer have a water level sticker on the neck? I try to get mine running in the middle of that.

Thing about these, when they are first set up they may run heavy but over time the seem to settle down and make very little skim. I would start yours running low and let it build up scum inside the skimmer and eventually it will start producing steady.

I cleaned mine recently, set the level mid sticker and it pumped gunk for a couple of days and its slowed down, with the level inside the skimmer running lower. If I feed plankton, it will pull that out eventually and dump the waste into the cup.

Don't expect it to make funk all the time. It may at first but as it cleans the water it should back off. Let it roll and it will rise again. I think you are doing it right but expecting something stable in production. Let it "cycle" with the water quality.

Thanks, I keep playing til I get it to what I think is right