Skimmer Setup Help...

[SIMS]

Hi All

I have a Reef Octo. Rec Rated for 1500l (not sure on the model number)
and a AM1000, the AM was in the first compartment so it was picking up water from there and returning water back in the same compartment as was the Octo's feed pump picking up and then skimmer returning to same compartment. I was getting alot of debrits in the 1st compartment and quite abit of overspil to my DSB as my sump has no baffles (sump is mille's design that I'm sure you all know)

I reconed that my flow was way to strong from my overflow +/- 4000L so I have changed the Rio14HF to a OR2500 which is pushing about 2100L with head loss, I have changed my overlow pipe 1 to feed the Octo this was a bit tricky as there was alot of air going through to the skimmer, so what I have done is put a ball valve on the overfolw pipe and blocked the air hole and adjusted the valve so no air is going through at all, the 2nd overflow is there should the first get blocked. Is this OK?

Have I correctly setup this skimmer? I am prepared to make whatever changed need to be done in order to get it 100% correct, I have seen the skimmate some of you guys get and I'm not even close, I have about 50kg's of rock and X40 flow with 9 fish so as far as I can tell I should be skimming like a pro? ? I have a C2C with 2 overflow pipes....

 

[Ridwaan]

Plumb the octo straight to the overflow and put a ballvalve on the inlet of the skimmer to set amount of water that enters skimmer.

 

[Hill]

2100l/h is way too much water flow through the skimmer. As far as I know it wants about 400 to 800l/h. Your contact time will be too short.

 

[SIMS]

What 400l an hour? My AM takes more water than that....are you sure?

 

[Hill]

Almost certain. Maybe just wait for Mille or Dragonreef to confirm.

Remember two things that affect the performance of a skimmer is bubble count and contact time. Pushing too much water through will affect contact time.

 

[SIMS]

Ya I guess not much time for the bad stuff to get out if 2100L is flowing through a 25l tube... is it ok to choke the am to drop the flow a bit?

 

[Smithers]

Have you come right with this SIMS. Maybe take a pic of the skimmate you are getting. My skimmer at times pumps out thick dark gunk and other days it is plain white foam.

 

[SIMS]

Cool - I dropped the flow quite a bit maybe 800l or so, will see what happens and post pic's tonight...

 

[Alan]

Sims where have you got the height set in the skimmer?

 

[SIMS]

Hi Alan, it's about 3 cm above the the bottom of the cup.... I have lot's to skim as I have taken 3/4 of my rock and suspended the rest above the base and I was amazed at what was there - alot of shit, I have put the AM in the display in hang on mode and it's pulling way more than the octo.... just need to set the darn thing up properly as I have seen how these things should work, tell me how much flow do you send to yours from the feed pump? I suspect it was not so wise to plumb it from the overflow...

 

[Alan]

Okay your small bubbles must be set between the bottom of the cup and the coupling on the neck. If you are getting large bubbles from your overflow this will disrupt the skimming. I push about 3000L ph through the skimmer

 

[SIMS]

3000l wow that's quite a bit - IYO what should I do with mine - feed 1500l from the overflow or from a feed pump? When you say between the bottom of the cup and coupling you mean the grey thinggy that screws off? If so that's quite a bit lower than I got it now, what I'll do is clean the cup and start from the Coupling and slowly bring it up in 1 hour intervals with pics all the way....

 

[SIMS]

Should I maybe feed more water through the skimmer Alan?

 

[viper357]

SIMS, Personally I would feed the skimmer from a pump in the sump, even if it is an external skimmer and designed to be fed from an overflow, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Alan]

Leave it for now, whhen i say small bubbles, have a look at the riser as the bubbles come up they will change size its the small bubbles you need between the coupling[gery screw thingy] and bottom of cup

 

[SIMS]

Ok thought noted, just need to get over the debrits thing then....maybe a glass box that the overflows run into with filter wool.... interesting.... thing is I have LR in the first compartment and I am getting alot of debrits settling in the first compartment and spilling over to the DSB.... think this is helping my algae to thrive...

 

[SIMS]

OK when I get home I'll post pics....and make the changed...hope this does not turn out to be like a noisy pump thread

 

[viper357]

What skimmer is it, the single pump, external, recirculating?

 

[SIMS]

Yes the bigger one though reted for 1500l...same one as Anthony...

 

[SIMS]

What skimmer is it, the single pump, external, recirculating?

You wanna swap for your TS3?