Red Sea 300 Skimmer - Microbubbles

[rortman]

Hi everyone,

First time posting and back into the hobby after a short 14 year break!

Really happy with my setup so far and taking the cycle slow and steady but have most of the aquarium set up. I picked up a gently used RSK 300 skimmer and it's been working really well for the first few weeks of the cycle. But when I installed my Radion I was shocked at how MANY micro bubbles were being produced from the skimmer. This is something I absolutely want to avoid at all costs and open to any suggestions.

- I have thoroughly cleaned the skimmer with a vinegar bath and this did help but still lots of micro bubbles.
- The Skimmer is in a sump chamber that sits in 8-1/2" of water but I have it elevated by 1". Would raising this further help keep micro bubbles down? (I have noticed that less bubbles are produced when the effluent is closed or twisted to the "+" position)
- I tried putting course and fine aqua-mesh into the baffle and this did little to nothing.
- I am open to adding an extra baffle to make the Skimmer - Return Pump section to catch even more bubbles.

Any and all help welcome, thanks in advance!

 

[Rocks reef]

The recommended water height for the RSK 300 is 6-8". Have you tried adjusting the air intake on the venturi? You want the bubbles to be breaking slightly under the cup.

 

[rortman]

Thanks for the reply!

Ya, I have read that the height should be 6-8" which I should have said I have it elevated 1" so it's sitting in 7.5" of water roughly. Thinking of purchasing a custom stand to bring it to 6.5" of water.

I have played around a lot with the 'manual skim regulator' dial but find that I have it mostly to the negative (-) position to keep the bubbles at the neck.