New cube build! Again!

[AquaDaddy]

Nice job on this build. I'm going to be posting mine very soon as well. On your tubing for the dosing, where did you get the colors? I have colored RODI tubing I can use, but it's a little stiff than I like.

 

[Bmasculine]

Nice job on this build. I'm going to be posting mine very soon as well. On your tubing for the dosing, where did you get the colors? I have colored RODI tubing I can use, but it's a little stiff than I like.

Thanks for the kind words, I also had rodi tubing but found it hard to work with because of the stiffness. What I used was silicon air tubing 3/16 Id. I got it on amazon. I also got the acrylic tubing off of amazon. Super cheap.

 

[AquaDaddy]

Thanks for the kind words, I also had rodi tubing but found it hard to work with because of the stiffness. What I used was silicon air tubing 3/16 Id. I got it on amazon. I also got the acrylic tubing off of amazon. Super cheap.

That's exactly where I am. And I'm using taller cylindrical bottles and the tubing knocks them right over. Frustrating. I've come across the blue and black, but can't locate the red or any other color, I'm sure I'll stumble across it.

 

[Bmasculine]

That's exactly where I am. And I'm using taller cylindrical bottles and the tubing knocks them right over. Frustrating. I've come across the blue and black, but can't locate the red or any other color, I'm sure I'll stumble across it.

Yeah blue is what I was looking for so I didn’t search too hard. The orange I have came with the storage containers.

 

[Bmasculine]

Wife got me a new scoly for Father’s Day! Nice. Just got out of a dip not to happy right now.

 

[Just_Pete]

Wife got me a new scoly for Father’s Day! Nice. Just got out of a dip not to happy right now.

Very cool. Good luck with it ;)

 

[pecan2phat]

Mind if I ask how you tuned your SN-127?
Do you have if at max (F9) speed or less and also air inlet open, half way or mostly closed?
Been trying to tune mine in and having a heck of a time.
TIA

 

[Bmasculine]

Mind if I ask how you tuned your SN-127?
Do you have if at max (F9) speed or less and also air inlet open, half way or mostly closed?
Been trying to tune mine in and having a heck of a time.
TIA

So... I have also been playing with this skimmer non stop trying to figure out the perfect setting. This is the first controllable skimmer I’ve had. The way I have it set now is on F4 air inlet all the way open and set the water height with the valve. I have it set to skim pretty dry so it’ll go about 3 days before I have to empty the cup. If your doing something different I’d like to hear how yours is set.

 

[pecan2phat]

Like you, I have played with settings non-stop. I originally had it set with the pump speed much higher and the air inlet 80% closed to achieve the smaller bubbles but I think your setting can do the same with less turnover so I'm going to dial it in at your recommendations and see how it does.
Crazy that as these skimmers get more modern and versatile, it just becomes harder to tune in vs the old school AC pump, wedge pipe skimmers!

 

[Bmasculine]

Like you, I have played with settings non-stop. I originally had it set with the pump speed much higher and the air inlet 80% closed to achieve the smaller bubbles but I think your setting can do the same with less turnover so I'm going to dial it in at your recommendations and see how it does.
Crazy that as these skimmers get more modern and versatile, it just becomes harder to tune in vs the old school AC pump, wedge pipe skimmers!

I was thinking the same thing just the other day. I first thought it’ll be nice to have the controllability, and then was thinking I’ve never had this much trouble deciding how to run it!

 

[pecan2phat]

I search the forums for any info regarding this skimmer and there was one where the OP emailed Skimz on best settings for his SN-143 which has the same pump as our SN-127:

This is what Skimz said!
Good day to you Jason,
Since your tank is a mixed reef I will definitely recommend setting the pump at full speed.
As for the adjustments;
1. Leave the air valve wide open to maximize the skimmer performance.
2. Adjust the flood gate to dial in the water level.

I tried that and with the pump at full speed (F9) and air wide open, the bubbles are too big and the top of the bubble column is too turbulent to produce any kind of dry foam. Maybe because the SN-143 has a larger body, it works for him but definitely not for the SN-127 at those settings.

 

[Holy_makerel]

Great build! Following along

 

[Bmasculine]

I search the forums for any info regarding this skimmer and there was one where the OP emailed Skimz on best settings for his SN-143 which has the same pump as our SN-127:

This is what Skimz said!
Good day to you Jason,
Since your tank is a mixed reef I will definitely recommend setting the pump at full speed.
As for the adjustments;
1. Leave the air valve wide open to maximize the skimmer performance.
2. Adjust the flood gate to dial in the water level.

I tried that and with the pump at full speed (F9) and air wide open, the bubbles are too big and the top of the bubble column is too turbulent to produce any kind of dry foam. Maybe because the SN-143 has a larger body, it works for him but definitely not for the SN-127 at those settings.

Idk I may try messing with it more, I tried running it at full speed and was able to get it close to where I want it but where I ran into a problem was when apex goes to feed mode and skimmer kicked back on it would overflow. I do have a PM overflow that I could hookup.

 

[Bmasculine]

Great build! Following along

Thanks a lot! Any insight is welcome.

 

[Bmasculine]

Like you, I have played with settings non-stop. I originally had it set with the pump speed much higher and the air inlet 80% closed to achieve the smaller bubbles but I think your setting can do the same with less turnover so I'm going to dial it in at your recommendations and see how it does.
Crazy that as these skimmers get more modern and versatile, it just becomes harder to tune in vs the old school AC pump, wedge pipe skimmers!

I cleaned my skimmer yesterday evening, so this is after a full day with it set at F4, air wide open, and obviously adjust the water height where you want it.

 

[Bmasculine]

 

[pecan2phat]

I like your setting but wanted to still mess around a bit.
This is what I'm trying now:
Gate fully open, air inlet 75% closed, pump speed F6
1) So initially, I start closing the air inlet until the bubbles below the collar are very small.
2) Then I do small increments of the closing the gate valve until the bubble height is up to the bottom of the cup.
3) Then I fine tune the air until the bubble size is small below the collar, slightly larger between the collar and the bottom of the cup and can be slightly breaking a little bigger above the bottom of cup.

Day 1 after above adjustment, note small bubbles below collar and slightly larger between collar and bottom of the lid and slightly larger again when breaking above bottom of the lid:


Day 2, note that bubbles between collar and bottom of the cup became smaller similar to below the collar:


I know, hard to distinguish but since you have the same skimmer, I believe you understand what I'm trying to convey, Lol!

 

[Bmasculine]

I like your setting but wanted to still mess around a bit.
This is what I'm trying now:
Gate fully open, air inlet 75% closed, pump speed F6
1) So initially, I start closing the air inlet until the bubbles below the collar are very small.
2) Then I do small increments of the closing the gate valve until the bubble height is up to the bottom of the cup.
3) Then I fine tune the air until the bubble size is small below the collar, slightly larger between the collar and the bottom of the cup and can be slightly breaking a little bigger above the bottom of cup.

Day 1 after above adjustment, note small bubbles below collar and slightly larger between collar and bottom of the lid and slightly larger again when breaking above bottom of the lid:


Day 2, note that bubbles between collar and bottom of the cup became smaller similar to below the collar:


I know, hard to distinguish but since you have the same skimmer, I believe you understand what I'm trying to convey, Lol!

I fully understand, I’m leaving mine alone for now as my nitrate stays between.75 and 2 which I’m ok with. But if levels were to rise I would like to get more turnover through the skimmer. Thanks for your input it’s always helpful, as I may try this setting in the future.

 

[Bmasculine]

Do you have a build thread @pecan2phat

 

[Bmasculine]

Well with the summer here and a couple vacations planned around the corner I thought I had better pick this guy up.