AndrewRyan February 1, 2023 Share February 1, 2023 Any concerns with how this skimmer is looking? Recently setup and I know to expect some micro-bubbles but this seems excessive to me. It’s creating some serious churn on top of the water, as well. IMG_1875.MOV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewRyan February 1, 2023 Author Share February 1, 2023 This is after I put the red cap in on the side thinking that might help. Is this just normal break-in? IMG_1877.MOV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewRyan February 1, 2023 Author Share February 1, 2023 It’s a Bubble Magus Curve 5, it’s on a skimmer stand raising it to 7” water depth, it’s fully opened to max, and it’s already run overnight once previously. Not sure what I’m missing, other videos of skimmers being run the first day don’t seem to be pouring water out of the top with a flood of bubbles coming from the bottom. You can’t even see the pump.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howaboutme February 2, 2023 Share February 2, 2023 I didn't see the video (I suggest you upload it to youtube, imgur, etc and then add the link here) but a lot of skimmers will overflow if you have it wide open. Why don't you just run it at a setting where you can just get the bubbles to be just below the cup? You don't have any bioload so you won't get much real skimmate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewRyan February 2, 2023 Author Share February 2, 2023 4 minutes ago, howaboutme said: I didn't see the video (I suggest you upload it to youtube, imgur, etc and then add the link here) but a lot of skimmers will overflow if you have it wide open. Why don't you just run it at a setting where you can just get the bubbles to be just below the cup? You don't have any bioload so you won't get much real skimmate. I’ll add a few pictures and see if that helps illustrate. when I say it’s wide open I mean I have the water level in the skimmer as low as it will go (fully open) and I have raised the skimmer well above suggested in sump water level (suggests 9.5” and it’s about 7” with stand). Right now I have it draining back to the tank in hopes that it’s just normal break-in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 2, 2023 Share February 2, 2023 You've got a lot of foam there. Have you recently installed newly cleaned filter socks or added any sort of additives or treatments that might temporarily increase foaming? If that's the case, it can take a few days for things to settle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewRyan February 2, 2023 Author Share February 2, 2023 You've got a lot of foam there. Have you recently installed newly cleaned filter socks or added any sort of additives or treatments that might temporarily increase foaming? If that's the case, it can take a few days for things to settle.Ha, it just keeps coming! No new filter socks. I am using filter cups actually and floss, but the floss has been in a few days. No to additives either. I am actually going out of town for a few days starting tomorrow so I guess I’ll just let it run it and see what it looks like when I get back.The last (and only other) protein skimmer I set up was actually remarkable in ease of break in. It was cheaper too, now I’m wondering why I just didn’t go back to it.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM February 2, 2023 Share February 2, 2023 are you sure that the "MAX" label on the skimmer output valve pipe is marked correctly? What happens if you try other positions of that adjustment? Looks to me like the skimmer is working great and making piles of foam, it just isn't letting you set the water level low enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewRyan February 2, 2023 Author Share February 2, 2023 are you sure that the "MAX" label on the skimmer output valve pipe is marked correctly? What happens if you try other positions of that adjustment? Looks to me like the skimmer is working great and making piles of foam, it just isn't letting you set the water level low enough.I did play with the adjustments. MAX give me the least worst outcome. It’s producing a lot actually, just need to let it settle maybe? I have it sitting on an adjustable acrylic Frag rack as a stand so I raised it up as high as it goes (gives maybe 6” of water the skimmer sits in) and that was a marked improvement. Still foam spilling over but at a much less dramatic rate. Just going to leave this thing open for a few days and see what happens. With no life depending on me at this point it’s just a fun project. Type II fun at times but fun, nonetheless.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 2, 2023 Share February 2, 2023 Just so you know, the reason I mentioned filter socks is that years ago, when a bunch of us would wash them for reuse, our skimmers would go bonkers for a couple of days. The foaming would be just nonstop like you'd get with some additives or treatments, Chemiclean being one of them. Back then, I would just pull the cup and let the skimmer overflow for a couple of days, by which time things often settled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewRyan February 2, 2023 Author Share February 2, 2023 Just so you know, the reason I mentioned filter socks is that years ago, when a bunch of us would wash them for reuse, our skimmers would go bonkers for a couple of days. The foaming would be just nonstop like you'd get with some additives or treatments, Chemiclean being one of them. Back then, I would just pull the cup and let the skimmer overflow for a couple of days, by which time things often settled.That’s interesting. I had read new filter socks will cause issues if you don’t rinse them due to manufacturing process, but I wouldn’t have thought washing a used one would… unless maybe some sort of detergent was used?I’ll probably have a similar issue when I change out my filter floss.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 2, 2023 Share February 2, 2023 Not sure. We'd rinse, double rinse and triple rinse. Sometimes no detergent: Just bleach and a lot of rinsing, and then a good air-dry. Some people would see the issue; others wouldn't. It was a mystery, but it was real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewRyan February 2, 2023 Author Share February 2, 2023 Well… I think I figured out what I did wrong. The leading box holes were directly over the pump outlet instead of rotated away. When I turned them to where there was no holes directly above the outlet it made a world of difference. Now, I may actually have to lower the stand again. Turned to MIN the bubbles are breaking at the neck line now.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 2, 2023 Share February 2, 2023 Wonderful. Thanks for following up. Can you post a few pictures of what you found so that it can help others in the future? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewRyan February 2, 2023 Author Share February 2, 2023 Still the occasional overflow, but I’m attributing that to break-in. The attached image shows what helped to greatly reduce the issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM February 2, 2023 Share February 2, 2023 Ah, so the holes in the bubble plate on top of the box are not all the way around? That's good to know. I guess it was firing water up and into the cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 3, 2023 Share February 3, 2023 Great to know, Andrew. The diagram seems to show it the way it should be but makes no attempt to tell you that this orientation might be critical to performance. I'm glad that you posted a follow up. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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