Skimmer

[Renmar]

I recently (a week ago) got some new rock. Put the new rock in the tank .. all is well. My tank looks great! Thanks Shaggy!

However, since I put the new rock in the tank .. I can't get this damn skimmer to dial in for the life of me. I am not quite sure why either. Figuring it was because I added something new to the tank, I let it skim for a few days without the collection cup on it to let it work out the kinks so to speak. The skimmer has been running cup-less for 4 days now, hoping that would be enough time.

However, this morning I try to dial the damn thing in and it won't dial in for me. The skimmer is a ASM 1 or Mini with modded mesh-wheel. It is sitting on a platform that is roughly 1.5"-2" high.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

 

[bimmerzs]

Sounds like you now need to simply give the skimmer time after making a riser tube adjustment. You can try adjusting the riser tube so that the foam/water level is 1/4 up thed neck and leave it like that the whole day to see what that does for you. If you have room you can also do the gate valve mod to the skimmer, which would make fine tuning much easier.

Cheers,

 

[Renmar]

bimmerzs wrote:
Sounds like you now need to simply give the skimmer time after making a riser tube adjustment. You can try adjusting the riser tube so that the foam/water level is 1/4 up thed neck and leave it like that the whole day to see what that does for you. If you have room you can also do the gate valve mod to the skimmer, which would make fine tuning much easier.

Cheers,


So, adjust it to where the foam initially where it typically is (prior to the addition of the life rock), allow it to skim and over fill the collection cup for a day and see if it sells down?

 

[bimmerzs]

@Renmar wrote:

So, adjust it to where the foam initially where it typically is (prior to the addition of the life rock), allow it to skim and over fill the collection cup for a day and see if it sells down?"]

Not exactly....obviously it doesn't work at the previous setting so the foam/water level will have to be lower. I would assume that with the addition of the live rock, your overall water level in the sump has increased due to water displacement and your skimmer is now sitting in more water than before. You will need to either raise the skimmer up so it's sitting in less water or reduce the foam/water level inside the skimmer. If you fully open the riser tube and the skimmer cup still overflows, then the skimmer is sitting too deep. Just fully open the riser tube and see where the foam level settles in at then adjust from there.

 

[dp1416]

i have the same skimmer and fully agree with what ron says. I would adjust the skimmer to where the bubbles are stopping at the first coller of the neck. Not the one that the collection cup goes to, but the one where the cone starts to form. Let it sit overnight and then if it is the same adjust it very little, say 1/8 of an inch. Once the bubbles start to form in the cone dont rush it as they will build up in the neck.

One thing i have found on these skimmers is they water level has a major impact on them so if the water level changes, they do not like change.

 

[Renmar]

@dp1416 wrote:

Yea, I had the skimmer sitting on top of a platform already so it was roughly 2" up from the bottom. However, I built another platform to sit on top of the current platform. I made a 1" diameter PVC square to sit on top of the old platform. Put the skimmer on that bad boy.. and boom dialed in!

 

[dp1416]

You got it girl. If the water level changes on them in constant water, you can not adjust it no matter how hard you try. There is a sweet spot on them and it looks like you found it. Glad to see you got it back together.