Skimmer Q&A Thread

[travisty282]

I've used about 10 different brands or so through the years, and for the value, I think Bubble Magus Elite's are kind of my favorite

I will look into them for sure. Thanks for the help and if I ever get that old thing running I'll post about it.

 

[JNalley]

I will look into them for sure. Thanks for the help and if I ever get that old thing running I'll post about it.

AquaCave has the Curve 7 Elite on sale right now: Link

 

[nudibronx]

Hey yall,

I set up a Bubble magus curve 3 extreme over a week ago (it’s a 1 year old 76gal reef tank with about 6 fish). I let it run in my sump, but it still is having issues with massively overflowing. The cup will fill within minutes. It’s at the exact manufacturer recommended depth of 7 inches. And I set the water level dial as low as possible.

The foam seems to look great if I raise the skimmer out of the water… but then it’s only about 3-4inches deep. This doesn’t seem right or safe, and I am wondering if anyone has any ideas of what I can do to fix this…?

 

[pianosdr]

could someone please post a video of a properly tuned/functioning skimmer (pref a red sea if possible)? I feel like I’m not setting mine properly. I try to tune it so that the bubbles just barely float over the top occasionally, but this seems to result mostly in fairly clear water after a few days. If I tune it lower than that, the skimmate clogs up in the neck and never seems to make it to the cup.

I’ve seen images in the past of ppl showing their skim mate cups as a dark black or brown color for the most part, and I just never see anything close to that.

This is about as dark as mine gets…

 

[GrumpyDaddy68]

Hi all,
I'm trying to get my old IM 25Gal Lagoon tank back in play. The old NUVO skimmer pump does not work anymore. Could you guys recommend one skimmer that will fit my tank (with good reviews)?

Thanks in advance,
Jorge

 

[Troylee]

could someone please post a video of a properly tuned/functioning skimmer (pref a red sea if possible)? I feel like I’m not setting mine properly. I try to tune it so that the bubbles just barely float over the top occasionally, but this seems to result mostly in fairly clear water after a few days. If I tune it lower than that, the skimmate clogs up in the neck and never seems to make it to the cup.

I’ve seen images in the past of ppl showing their skim mate cups as a dark black or brown color for the most part, and I just never see anything close to that.

This is about as dark as mine gets…

The bubbles should break about an inch below the neck ring. To get that dark black skimate you see it’s very dry and most likely from carbon dosing.

 

[William Chiavetta]

What skimmer is better? A RLSS DC skimmer with pump and controller or a Reef Octopus 150 INT?

 

[reeftivo]

What skimmer is better? A RLSS DC skimmer with pump and controller or a Reef Octopus 150 INT?

Both work but i would take the waveline pump on the RLSS over the aquatrance pump on the RO.

in my experience DCs help to better fine tune skimmate production and are much quieter.

Jecod DC on my old reef dynamics INS skimmer that i'm currently running (4 days worth).

 

[Troylee]

What skimmer is better? A RLSS DC skimmer with pump and controller or a Reef Octopus 150 INT?

Reef octo

 

[Melissa31595]

This is the official R2R Skimmer Q&A Thread where the answers to your questions are as concentrated as skimmate!

We will do our best as a community to answer questions you have concerning protein skimmers so ask away!

Thank you!

I have a Tunze 9012 Skimmer and it used to work fine but then our sump got too full (pump died) and since then, it foams out the back of the unit by the air valve. Am I supposed to open or close the air valve and is the foaming out the back normal???

 

[reeftivo]

I have a Tunze 9012 Skimmer and it used to work fine but then our sump got too full (pump died) and since then, it foams out the back of the unit by the air valve. Am I supposed to open or close the air valve and is the foaming out the back normal???

contact roger with Tunze

he is great and should be able to help you out
https://www.reef2reef.com/members/rvitko.23556/

 

[jbeanz24]

Need a skimmer recommendation. Im going to purchase the Innovative Marine EXT 200. Need a skimmer for a heavy bioload budget $700

 

[reeftivo]

take a look at the RO regal INT's maybe the 200.

right around your budget. you'll need at least an 8 inch chamber

 

[jbeanz24]

take a look at the RO regal INT's maybe the 200.

right around your budget. you'll need at least an 8 inch chamber

Thank you.

 

[HSLSaltwater]

So I just got a new skimmer from Ultra Reef (thyphoon UKD- 200dc) equipped with a Sicce PSK-SDC 2300 pump.

Since the first startup it’s been coming this rattling sound from the pump. I have tried to open the pump up to see if there are anything in the way of the impeller but I didn’t find anything that seemed to be out of place (I’m not a mechanic so maybe i missed something) the sound is not from the pump vibrating since I tried to put weight on it and see if that was the case.

It’s not the air either cuz if I kill the air intake it sounds just as much or even more.

So I was wondering if there is someone out there with the same pump that can help me check if there is something wrong with my pump? Or if it’s supposed to sound like it dose (I hope not)

 

[reeftivo]

So I just got a new skimmer from Ultra Reef (thyphoon UKD- 200dc) equipped with a Sicce PSK-SDC 2300 pump.

Since the first startup it’s been coming this rattling sound from the pump. I have tried to open the pump up to see if there are anything in the way of the impeller but I didn’t find anything that seemed to be out of place (I’m not a mechanic so maybe i missed something) the sound is not from the pump vibrating since I tried to put weight on it and see if that was the case.

It’s not the air either cuz if I kill the air intake it sounds just as much or even more.

So I was wondering if there is someone out there with the same pump that can help me check if there is something wrong with my pump? Or if it’s supposed to sound like it dose (I hope not)

sorry for your issues. that shouldn't be normal for those pumps. almost sounds like a bearing issue. the ends of the impeller shafts should seat into ceramic bearings within a silicone jacket. maybe that bearing is missing or has a defect which is uncommon.

i would contact the seller and create a support ticket. if they can't help then go to the source http://www.ultrareef.it/assistance.htm

ultra reef has responded to me when i have had questions but i ordered my 160 directly from them.

good luck and maybe someone else here with that model can chime in. that's a very nice skimmer and it saddens me to hear you are having issues out of the box.

Tivo

 

[HSLSaltwater]

sorry for your issues. that shouldn't be normal for those pumps. almost sounds like a bearing issue. the ends of the impeller shafts should seat into ceramic bearings within a silicone jacket. maybe that bearing is missing or has a defect which is uncommon.

i would contact the seller and create a support ticket. if they can't help then go to the source http://www.ultrareef.it/assistance.htm

ultra reef has responded to me when i have had questions but i ordered my 160 directly from them.

good luck and maybe someone else here with that model can chime in. that's a very nice skimmer and it saddens me to hear you are having issues out of the box.

Tivo

Thanks a lot, I reached out to them now and hopefully I’ll get an answer soon. I also contacted Sicce just in case .

 

[reeftivo]

Thanks a lot, I reached out to them now and hopefully I’ll get an answer soon. I also contacted Sicce just in case .

 

[HSLSaltwater]

So got a response from both companies. And also some “how to fix different problems” guides. What I did was disassemble my pump and re attached the impeller. It was a bit to far out on the shaft. So pressed it In and now it’s almost dead silent. I assume it got pushed out during transport or something similar

 

[reeftivo]

So got a response from both companies. And also some “how to fix different problems” guides. What I did was disassemble my pump and re attached the impeller. It was a bit to far out on the shaft. So pressed it In and now it’s almost dead silent. I assume it got pushed out during transport or something similar

Nice!

glad to hear you got it figured out!

report back on how it's performing once it gets bedded in;)

very neat skimmer you got there!!!!!!!!!!!!!