Operating skimmer.

[clancaster23]

Ok, just got my skimmer in today (Coralife) and put it all together. Now, not sure how it's supposed to work. Is the cup supposed to be full of water? What I did was turn it on and the valve thing was closed (didn't know this) so the whole thing filled up including the cup. Now I have bubbles coming up the spout into a cup full of water. Do I leave it liek this or shut it down and empty the cup out and redo? Do I adjust it so that the bubbles are just barely overflowing the spout and going down into the cup? Confused!

 

[phuture1]

you have to empty the cup. you should open the valve a little more. you dont want the bubbles too close to the top of the tube. once it starts making skimmate that will come out of the top of the skimmer. i hope i explained that correctly.

 

[clancaster23]

Ok, I took the water out of the cup, restarted it and now all that's happening is I'm getting bubbles that are going to the top of the spout but popping and not actually spilling into the cup. I have the valve as low as it will go, if I go the other way the bubbles go faster and will probably fill the cup with water again if I let it.

 

[phuture1]

it'll probably take a few days before the bubbles start building up. kind of like soap bubbles. then they wont pop and will come out of the top of the skimmer into the cup.

 

[clancaster23]

No hurry. Like I said, there are bubbles that go to the top of the spout in the cup but they pop just before the can flow down into the cup and this is on the lowest setting. Should I leave it?

 

[phuture1]

yep. leave it be. mine took 2 days before it started working. do you have anything in the tank yet?

 

[clancaster23]

Little over a week into the cycling phase. I have three pieces of live rock and although I know it's frowned upon, I have a yellow tail damsel in there also. Other than that, two Koralia 1050's blowing the water around.

 

[Bifferwine]

No hurry. Like I said, there are bubbles that go to the top of the spout in the cup but they pop just before the can flow down into the cup and this is on the lowest setting. Should I leave it?

Leave it like this. It will take the skimmer several days to several weeks to break in. During this time, you want to avoid a flood, so keep it dialed down.

 

[clancaster23]

Ok, will do. I already see some mucky stuff int eh cup. Guess that means it's working ;)

 

[clancaster23]

Ok, just checked it out and there wasn't anything in the spout inside the cup. I turned the flow up so now there's bubbles about half way up the spout but these are real small bubbles, like what's in the bottom part. Should I keep adjusting it or should I turn it back down where it was?

 

[meshman10]

the tiny bubble's should be at the BOTTOM of the spout.. the idea is when it starts to make skimmate the bubble's grow larger and larger as they move up the spout until they spill into the cup itself..and if you haven't foundout already make VERY small adjustment's in the air flow and be sure to watch it for at least 1/2 hour then reajust if needed.. I'd hate to see ya make an adjustment and go to bed just to wake up to water allover the floor...

 

[clancaster23]

Yeah, I have been reading about making very small adjustments to this skimmer. I will set it lower to have the bubbles on the bottom. Thanks!