Octo 200 INT skimmer

[DmitryB]

I finally installed my Octo 200 INT skimmer with VarioS 4 pump. Needed a youtube video on how to assemble it, seems so much more parts than 15 years ago when I had my last skimmer. But it's looking good. It was purchased used from a user here at R2R, so I hope there is no real "break in" period. Now for those with Octo skimmers, a few questions!

The recommendation is it has to be in the water 6-8''. Mine is closer to 9''. (I 3D printed a stand, but underestimated the height a little.) Is that good enough or do I really need to raise it another 1''?

This may seem obvious, but it kind of isn't. Is this the proper positioning of the skimmer within the sump chamber? Water flows Left-to-Right here. So pump is on the left where water comes in and the output is on the right, leading into the refugium.

Not sure how high the water should go up in the skimmer. Right now it's just below the neck, about 2'' of foam. (I assume it will take some time for the foam to start traveling up to the collection cup.

 

[William Sharkspeare]

I'll preface this by saying I've been out of the hobby for 19yrs and just came back this summer. I'm making this up as I go.

We have the same sump and skimmer.

I wanted as much water in my sump as possible. My level is very slightly above the 8" mark. I've not tried it lower so I do not know how it would perform.

I have mine positioned so that the pump is against the front of the sump so that the intake is facing towards the left. (I did not consider this when I put it in, but now that you mention it it makes some sense) To make the lid fit, turn it around so that the finger holes are in the back.
The output is right up against the divider for the refugium.

I do not currently have a large bioload so my simmer does not produce much. The water level is a little more that half way up the neck portion of the collection cup. I do not get much overflowing into the cup. Mostly what I do is every few days I wipe off the cup and lid.
Pump is set to somewhere in the "normal" range. Maybe the last tic of normal. If not then the one right before it

Today I scrapped all the growth off the back of the tank/overflow. This caused maybe a half inch of very wet skimmate to overflow into the cup.

Am I right or wrong? Could it be better? No idea.

 

[Freenow54]

The water level should be higher just tweak the valve a bit not much until you start getting nutrients in the cup. Do it slowly over days . The foam should just touch the top of the cup. The water half way up the neck . over about a couple of days

 

[DmitryB]

The water level should be higher just tweak the valve a bit not much until you start getting nutrients in the cup. Do it slowly over days . The foam should just touch the top of the cup. The water half way up the neck . over about a couple of days

I'm still trying to figure out which way is open and which way is closed valve. It seems to be... reverse of what the arrows on the valve say. If the water level increasers - the valve is more open, right? And if it goes down - it's closing?

 

[William Sharkspeare]

Opposite. If you are opening the valve you are letting more water pass through so less will be in the chamber. Closing the valve you are restricting the flow so more water will be in the chamber.

 

[DmitryB]

Opposite. If you are opening the valve you are letting more water pass through so less will be in the chamber. Closing the valve you are restricting the flow so more water will be in the chamber.

 

[Freenow54]

I'm still trying to figure out which way is open and which way is closed valve. It seems to be... reverse of what the arrows on the valve say. If the water level increasers - the valve is more open, right? And if it goes down - it's closing?

Not in regard to the water level. The valve is actually a globe valve . As you turn it clockwise it makes a plug turn down onto a disk they are both horizontal. In a globe valve the water typically comes in on the bottom. In this case your pump. Then it flows up and over the flat disc , and exits on the top. A globe valve is made for more exact flow control with small turns of the knob and does not get frozen in place or collect debris. So the water goes from your pump which has an air line which is a constant size. when you turn down the flow it creates more of a negative pressure to draw in and mix the air hence why the water level goes up along with the bubbles. So opposite of what you are saying . The water leaving the skimmer assembly is less but the resistance makes the water back up in the unit. You have to make small adjustments and wait for it to settle down . Check it over the course of the day to double check

 

[DmitryB]

Not in regard to the water level. The valve is actually a globe valve . As you turn it clockwise it makes a plug turn down onto a disk they are both horizontal. In a globe valve the water typically comes in on the bottom. In this case your pump. Then it flows up and over the flat disc , and exits on the top. A globe valve is made for more exact flow control with small turns of the knob and does not get frozen in place or collect debris. So the water goes from your pump which has an air line which is a constant size. when you turn down the flow it creates more of a negative pressure to draw in and mix the air hence why the water level goes up along with the bubbles. So opposite of what you are saying . The water leaving the skimmer assembly is less but the resistance makes the water back up in the unit. You have to make small adjustments and wait for it to settle down . Check it over the course of the day to double check

I've finally figured it out! LOL Until I forget again. But I got the skimmate finally coming up the cup.

 

[Peace River]

Nice work on figuring this out! I have several Octo skimmers like this and they may not have all the bells and whistles, but they generally are super rugged and just keep going. Keep up with the basic maintenance and they will go a long way.

 

[DmitryB]

Well, still figuring it out because I came home today from work to a minor flood because the external 1 gallon bucket the skimmer cup drains into overflowed.

 

[DmitryB]

This is what the cup/foam are doing now - after I opened the valve more since it was leaking way out. Does this look more or less right?

 

[Freenow54]

Still too much as far as I am concerned it ( the foam ) should jut touch the lip now and then . Did you put some chemical in ?

 

[DmitryB]

Still too much as far as I am concerned it ( the foam ) should jut touch the lip now and then . Did you put some chemical in ?

At the time I made the video, nope, nothing for over 12 hours. (Otherwise I still put in Bacter 7.)

So keep opening the valve until the foam lowers?

 

[Freenow54]

At the time I made the video, nope, nothing for over 12 hours. (Otherwise I still put in Bacter 7.)

So keep opening the valve until the foam lowers?

Yes you should be able to do it all at once now but very slowly

 

[Freenow54]

At the time I made the video, nope, nothing for over 12 hours. (Otherwise I still put in Bacter 7.)

So keep opening the valve until the foam lowers?

So to the point some people run the skimmer different ways dry wet. One way is to introduce o2 I don't know much about them. I am surprised they have not chimed in. I run mine as to manufacturer recommendations. This is what mine looks like after just over a week. I just want to remove waste

 

[Freenow54]

At the time I made the video, nope, nothing for over 12 hours. (Otherwise I still put in Bacter 7.)

So keep opening the valve until the foam lowers?

By the way once set never touch the valve again. Just turn off power to clean. Turn back on when done

 

[DmitryB]

At the time I made the video, nope, nothing for over 12 hours. (Otherwise I still put in Bacter 7.)

So keep opening the valve until the foam lowers?

So to the point some people run the skimmer different ways dry wet. One way is to introduce o2 I don't know much about them. I am surprised they have not chimed in. I run mine as to manufacturer recommendations. This is what mine looks like after just over a week. I just want to remove waste

There is an extra lid that I have which I think is for O2, though I know nothing about that yet!

my skim is definitely not looking like that. Mostly clear water, with a little gunk stuck to the neck of the skimmer and in the cup. But mostly it seems to be clear. Now, there is no livestock in the tank yet, except a lot of green hair algae. Maybe that's why? A few fish and CUC arrives on Tuesday.

 

[DmitryB]

With all that water I have running over in the skimmer, my salinity dropped to 1.024 from 25! That's annoying!

 

[Freenow54]

There is an extra lid that I have which I think is for O2, though I know nothing about that yet!

my skim is definitely not looking like that. Mostly clear water, with a little gunk stuck to the neck of the skimmer and in the cup. But mostly it seems to be clear. Now, there is no livestock in the tank yet, except a lot of green hair algae. Maybe that's why? A few fish and CUC arrives on Tuesday.

For sure mine I think looks like that because I admit I over feed

 

[DmitryB]

There is an extra lid that I have which I think is for O2, though I know nothing about that yet!

my skim is definitely not looking like that. Mostly clear water, with a little gunk stuck to the neck of the skimmer and in the cup. But mostly it seems to be clear. Now, there is no livestock in the tank yet, except a lot of green hair algae. Maybe that's why? A few fish and CUC arrives on Tuesday.

For sure mine I think looks like that because I admit I over feed

Oh once there's fish in there, I will be over feeding for sure! I wonder if without food and waste if I can dial in the skimmer until livestock arrives.