Ok so this is my first skimmer and I’m pretty confused. I installed it 2 weeks ago, left it on lowest setting per the instructions first day it was bubbling all the way to the top and the collection cup got about a quarter full pretty quickly. Then the bubbles settled down and wouldn’t reach the top. Everything I’ve read says a film needs to naturally build up, so I left it and it’s been like that on low the whole time. Now the neck of the skimmer is completely covered in brown gunk. So I increased the speed by little bits. The bubbles got to the top for a bit but now they don’t make it to the top even if i turnit all the way up. So does it still need to sit on low for longer or what am I doing wrong?
Skimmer help
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Peace River
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What skimmer do you have? What is the water level in the sump? Is there a recommended water level for your skimmer provided by the manufacturer? You may need to raise the water level in the sump or (if possible) lower the skimmer (if it is on a stand).
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When making skimmer adjustments, you have to wait hours for the effect.
You might also close the stand pipe a tiny bit to raise the water/bubble level in the skimmer.
Sounds like you are close.
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You gotta play with the flow...you can’t just leave at “its lowest setting” all the time. You kind of have to if you have new socks... sometimes you cant even run it at all with new socks...
You want everything happening in the top of the skimmer... clean it first... then adjust the knob until you see it working at the top.. after awhile, you’ll learn how to set that knob... just play with it : )
You want everything happening in the top of the skimmer... clean it first... then adjust the knob until you see it working at the top.. after awhile, you’ll learn how to set that knob... just play with it : )
Jon Warner
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Clean your skimmer, lol!!!!
You should NEVER have crud buildup in the body, just means the water level was set WAY too low.
Imagine this, the skimmer body is the mixing chamber and as the body narrows up into the neck (inside the collection cup) that's the reaction chamber where you're separating the water from the bubbles.
Skimmers work by vigorously mixing air with water, creating bubbles that stay intact because they attract organic matter to their surface and then the skimmer goes gentle to lift and float the dirty bubbles out of the skimmer into your collection cup.
That's the Reader's Digest version, of course...
You should NEVER have crud buildup in the body, just means the water level was set WAY too low.
Imagine this, the skimmer body is the mixing chamber and as the body narrows up into the neck (inside the collection cup) that's the reaction chamber where you're separating the water from the bubbles.
Skimmers work by vigorously mixing air with water, creating bubbles that stay intact because they attract organic matter to their surface and then the skimmer goes gentle to lift and float the dirty bubbles out of the skimmer into your collection cup.
That's the Reader's Digest version, of course...
So I was going for pea sized since that’s what the directions stated. And I get them when it’s on the lower setting but bubbles don’t make it up to the cup. So that’s why I’m confused. The bubbles in the picture are super small because I turned it up but they still don’t make it to the cup.
Jon Warner
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are you adjusting the output valve (the 1-4 knob)? By slightly closing the "valve" where the water flows out of the skimmer, the bubbles will rise in the body
Don't change water level in the sump
When you get the bubbles up into the neck, around the bottom of the collection cup... just leave it and watch for an hour
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Jon Warner
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2 options then.
Either the foam head is collapsing OR water is leaking out of the body somewhere OTHER than the output valve.
I'd just set it to the highest point and watch it. It might drop, like you said but it also might stabilize after a while
Oh and did you clean the skimmer yet? That makes a difference
Jon Warner
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Don't expect much with the body dirty like that.
It actually creates a ton of friction inside the body and the bubbles won't flow UP properly. Seriously, it's probably a 1/4" of mud inside there...
Ignore their directions about bubble size, etc.
The way to adjust a skimmer to to get the bubbles up into the bottom of the neck (base of collection cup) and then watch it.
If it starts filling the collection cup too quickly with "water" then open the valve a little bit. That valve controls the height of the foam head AND it controls the wetness/dryness of the dirty stuff that ends up in your skimmer cup.
Shoot for skimmate somewhere between tea and coffee color. If it's clear or slightly tinted, that's "wet skimming" and usually no bueno.
Potatohead
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Clean it
Then run it for an hour
Then take the collection cup off and set it so the bubbles just start to overflow out of the body.
Put cup back on and wait three or four hours and make small adjustments is necessary, but that will get you close.
Then run it for an hour
Then take the collection cup off and set it so the bubbles just start to overflow out of the body.
Put cup back on and wait three or four hours and make small adjustments is necessary, but that will get you close.
Jon Warner
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BINGO.
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You should play with it a little... different thing effect you skimmer in different ways... like new sox. I can’t skim at all for an entire day when I put in a new sock... everything effects your skimmer... water changes, socks, dosing.. a single heavy feeding day... I try to heavy skim... clean out my skimmer once a week. Dark. Smelly, crappy looking stuff.
It doesn’t matter what I do, there are the occasional... super light skins...? It fills up in an hour...
just play with the flow... turn it up, turn it down... react to what its doing : )
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