Simplicity skimmer with to many bubbles?

[Wick]

Yes but will have to wait till 11pm tonight as I am at work all day. :(

 

[Simplicity Aquatics]

Me too :)

 

[Wick]

Every now and then I get a big bubble from the bottom too it appears to come out.

 

[Wick]

And I'm not sure how big of a file I can upload here.

 

[Simplicity Aquatics]

Your skimmer appears out of adjustment. The water column inside the skimmer body isn't white enough. Could I trouble you to try raising the skimmer, perhaps with an upside down tupperware container or something similar. Re-tune the skimmer at the higher level.

It is also very clear there is still something in your water causing it to over skim. Red slime remover, dechlorinator, water clarifier etc that is causing the bubbles to stick around longer than they should. If you have active carbon available I would recommend using it to help remove whatever is causing it.

 

[Wick]

Your skimmer appears out of adjustment. The water column inside the skimmer body isn't white enough. Could I trouble you to try raising the skimmer, perhaps with an upside down tupperware container or something similar. Re-tune the skimmer at the higher level.

It is also very clear there is still something in your water causing it to over skim. Red slime remover, dechlorinator, water clarifier etc that is causing the bubbles to stick around longer than they should. If you have active carbon available I would recommend using it to help remove whatever is causing it.

Ok I will give all this a shot! High much higher should I raise it?

 

[Simplicity Aquatics]

Just an inch or two should make a big difference. Once you skim out whatever is causing the water to be different you should be able to return it to the current water height.

 

[Wick]

Way better! I rose it about another inch and a half or so. I maxed out the pump and have a ton of air going in now. Just had to close the tube to the right some to to have it bubble up! I think if I need a little more water I may cut the pvc stand that I made down just a little more.

 

[Simplicity Aquatics]

Excellent!

 

[Reefer Collector]

Same problem here!

 

[Simplicity Aquatics]

Micro bubbles are usually caused by one of the following:

• Chemical additives: Many medications, foods and additives will slightly change the surface tension of the water which causes bubbles. If you seem to have bubbles come and go and or a skimmer that sporadically overflows it is likely due to a change in surface tension in the system. This can be additives, foods, changing filter socks or even fresh saltwater.
• Poorly tuned skimmer: If your water is too deep/shallow or you do not have it tuned properly it can result in excessive bubbles exiting the skimmer rather than building up into the neck and being collected as skimmate.
  • Blog on how to tune your skimmer!
• Brand new skimmer: Skimmers that are brand new will often cause micro bubbles due to the lack of a biofilm on the inside of the skimmer walls. This can also occur to a lesser degree with a freshly cleaned skimmer if you scrubbed out the body of the skimmer. This is a good idea to do periodically but can cause bubbles for a day or two while the film rebuilds.
  • Blog on how to break in a protein skimmer
• Too much flow through the sump: If you have a huge amount of flow through the sump this can often cause bubbles to be snatched up and whisked away. With a normal amount of water flow in a sump they have a chance to raise up to the surface and pop rather than end up in your pump. If you are unable to reduce the flow you can possibly shield your skimmer area with an acrylic box and some holes in the bottom to allow water to pass through it, but slow it down.

I look forward to your response, have a great day!

 

[Idech]

I’m having the same problem. I’ll try raising the skimmer an inch tomorrow and I will report here and post a video if not working.

I really like this skimmer but right now it’s ruining my water clarity in the display tank.

Thanks !

 

[2Plus2]

Reviving this thread, this skimmer is giving me trouble, the blog pictures are contradictory to what comes in the manual. @Simplicity Aquatics Mind lending a quick hand.

 

[Simplicity Aquatics]

Please see your email.

cheers
Joel

 

[nuk3s]

I am in the same boat with a 540DC. My water depth is right at 9" deep, which is right in the 8"-10" depth as recommended here: https://search.brave.com/search?q=simplicty+dc+skimmer+micro+bubbles&source=desktop and I have been running it for about a month but I CANNOT get the microbubbles to go away.

I have moved the skimmer up (to lower the water level) and I do not seem to get any better performance or loss of microbubbles. I have re-tuned the skimmer several times according to both the peper manual and the online blog post (https://www.simplicityaquatics.com/blog/protein-skimmers-how-to-tune-a-protein-skimmer/) which are different - like literally opposite on the air screw portion,

Both the online and paper manuals tell you to adjust the air screw until you get "the peak height of the bubbles" but with a completely closed screw I get overflowing bubbles from the cup as well as a thick cloud of microbubbles coming out of the wedge pipe.

Has anyone actually got this to work with a 540?

 

[Simplicity Aquatics]

I am in the same boat with a 540DC. My water depth is right at 9" deep, which is right in the 8"-10" depth as recommended here: https://search.brave.com/search?q=simplicty+dc+skimmer+micro+bubbles&source=desktop and I have been running it for about a month but I CANNOT get the microbubbles to go away.

I have moved the skimmer up (to lower the water level) and I do not seem to get any better performance or loss of microbubbles. I have re-tuned the skimmer several times according to both the peper manual and the online blog post (https://www.simplicityaquatics.com/blog/protein-skimmers-how-to-tune-a-protein-skimmer/) which are different - like literally opposite on the air screw portion,

Both the online and paper manuals tell you to adjust the air screw until you get "the peak height of the bubbles" but with a completely closed screw I get overflowing bubbles from the cup as well as a thick cloud of microbubbles coming out of the wedge pipe.

Has anyone actually got this to work with a 540?

Hello Nuk3s,
Id be happy to help in detail if you wish to open a support ticket via email. You can find us at [email protected]

To clarify the air adjustment screw, there is a sweet spot that is usually 1/2 to 1 turn open from fully closed. Meaning you start by closing it to find the spot, then open it half to 1 full turn. Noodle it around from there to find the spot where the bubbles/foam/water inside the skimmer are at their peak. This is the best air to water ratio giving the most of both thereby creating the most effective skimming. You have to do this with the wedge pipe wide open to prevent overflow.

I usually find microbubbles are cause by additives used, bacterial supplements, red slime remover etc are notorious for making microbubbles. I can give more details and instructions on how to remove them if you like.

 

[nuk3s]

Hello Nuk3s,
Id be happy to help in detail if you wish to open a support ticket via email. You can find us at [email protected]

To clarify the air adjustment screw, there is a sweet spot that is usually 1/2 to 1 turn open from fully closed. Meaning you start by closing it to find the spot, then open it half to 1 full turn. Noodle it around from there to find the spot where the bubbles/foam/water inside the skimmer are at their peak. This is the best air to water ratio giving the most of both thereby creating the most effective skimming. You have to do this with the wedge pipe wide open to prevent overflow.

I usually find microbubbles are cause by additives used, bacterial supplements, red slime remover etc are notorious for making microbubbles. I can give more details and instructions on how to remove them if you like.

Thank you for the response and sorry for my late reply. Oddly enough I have reached an acceptable amount of bubbles by doing something very different.

I start with the air all the way OPEN and then just use the wedge pipe to raise the water level. This is giving me a decent skim without a ton of micro bubbles.