Daddio
Active Member
I have been fighting my Essence 130 skimmer I have in a Red Sea Reefer 200XL at my work for over a year. I bought it because I love my Classic 150INT I have on my 150 gallon home tank.
The tank is a super simple setup: I have a VarioS return pump that is set at a constant speed so the level in the sump stays constant. I don't dose anything - just frequent water changes. And a reef Wave 25 in the display tank. I do have a small bag of carbon I keep in the filter cup - mainly because I can't get the skimmer to work.
So... It is the weirdest thing... I set it about half way up the neck and it looks like it is going to pull good skimmate and at some point, it goes crazy and overflows - always. What it does pull out gets dumped back in the tank. If I set it even one click lower, I get nothing. It almost seems like the pump changes speeds or something.
It doesn't matter if I have it in 7.5" or 5.5" of water. Tried it super clean. Tried it dirty... I am baffled. It is not like there are a lot of moving parts here. I feel totally stupid that I can't get this thing to work. I have been keeping saltwater tanks for around 20 years and have never been so frustrated with a piece of equipment.
I am totally open to admitting that it is user error if someone can tell me . I see in other posts that people do tune them a few times a week but I am not here from about 6 at night until 8 in the morning. Most of the time I either have zero skimmate or an overflow when I check in the morning.
I've been trading emails with CoralVue for the last few months and have been trying all the customer service "tricks" but still have no luck. I feel sorry for the poor gentleman trying to help.
I seems like such a neat skimmer and the pump turns out nice milky bubbles. I just can't control it :)
Attached are a few of photos. Initial setting > at some point in the day when it overflows > Then after emptying the cup
Any and all suggestions are welcome! Thanks in advance.
The tank is a super simple setup: I have a VarioS return pump that is set at a constant speed so the level in the sump stays constant. I don't dose anything - just frequent water changes. And a reef Wave 25 in the display tank. I do have a small bag of carbon I keep in the filter cup - mainly because I can't get the skimmer to work.
So... It is the weirdest thing... I set it about half way up the neck and it looks like it is going to pull good skimmate and at some point, it goes crazy and overflows - always. What it does pull out gets dumped back in the tank. If I set it even one click lower, I get nothing. It almost seems like the pump changes speeds or something.
It doesn't matter if I have it in 7.5" or 5.5" of water. Tried it super clean. Tried it dirty... I am baffled. It is not like there are a lot of moving parts here. I feel totally stupid that I can't get this thing to work. I have been keeping saltwater tanks for around 20 years and have never been so frustrated with a piece of equipment.
I am totally open to admitting that it is user error if someone can tell me . I see in other posts that people do tune them a few times a week but I am not here from about 6 at night until 8 in the morning. Most of the time I either have zero skimmate or an overflow when I check in the morning.
I've been trading emails with CoralVue for the last few months and have been trying all the customer service "tricks" but still have no luck. I feel sorry for the poor gentleman trying to help.
I seems like such a neat skimmer and the pump turns out nice milky bubbles. I just can't control it :)
Attached are a few of photos. Initial setting > at some point in the day when it overflows > Then after emptying the cup
Any and all suggestions are welcome! Thanks in advance.
