HOT TIP Submissions -- Topic: Skimmer Tips

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HOT TIPS Column: January Issue of Advanced Aquarist

January's theme is "Skimmer Tips." Please submit any tips or tricks you have found while working with your skimmers -- things that make them work better, solutions to problems you had with a certain model, etc. Your tips and tricks will help new and existing reefkeepers and also helps to bring the hobby to the next level (plus it's just cool to get published in a magazine like Advanced Aquarist).

When published, your hot tip will have your username published (along with your real name if you so desire). Every month we will be running a new HOT TIP thread so stay tuned and help out when you can.

The staff at both Reefs.org and Advanced Aquarist would like to thank you for your continued interest and support of our online community, magazine, and services.

Let the submissions begin!

Best regards,

Reefs.org and Advanced Aquarist staff

 

[liquid]

Ok I'll start this out:

Red Sea Berlin in-sump skimmer. The first thing I did when I bought this used was to remove the OEM venturi from the skimmer housing and replaced it with a 3/4" mazzei venturi from Aquatic Ecosystems:

(Part No.: V34 - Turbo-Venturi Injector 3/4")

All you do is unscrew the OEM RSB venturi with the key that comes with the skimmer and then screw in the new venturi.

I then powered it with a Mag12 pump and placed a gate valve between the pump and the venturi. I've had to valve it back by almost 50% so I'm pretty sure that I bought too big of a pump for the setup. Other people I have talked to have used Mag7's or Mag9's and have had very good results as well. You do need to keep the venturi clean with weekly cleanings but other than that it's been working very well.

This was a simple $20 mod that really increased the performance of the RSB skimmer.

Shane

 

[playfair]

Speaking of cleaning out the venturi, knowing exactly when to do this tedious task is great, especially if your skimmer isn't easilly accessable...

I installed a small floating ball type flowmeter on the airline to monitor and precisely adjust the air going in. They aren't cheap (~$30), but it takes the guesswork out of venturi performance.

When I can no longer set to the normal flow at 2.0 l/min (Stock RSB w/Mag9), I let the airline slurp in a cup of RO/DI water which usually cleans it out pretty well (perhaps every week or two). If flow isn't completely restored, then it's time for a tear down; it's been almost a year since the last one!

 

[liquid]

What flowmeter did you purchase? Any url? I was thinking about picking one up myself.

Shane

 

[playfair]

I use the Dwyer MiniMaster series. My particular one reads .25-2.5 LPM. For larger skimmers, one should probably step up a range.

The cost isn't as bad as I thought, under $20 (with a 21 day lead time)
http://www.dwyer-inst.com/htdocs/flow/qsseriesmm.cfm

 

[Hal1]

Aqua-C most models:

If you submerge the output pipe in your sump, make sure you add an airhole. This will then allow you to keep a constant water level in the skimmer, regardless of the water level in the sump (assumes skimmer is somewhat elevated).

One way to do the airhole is like a durso pipe, or you can add a Y to the output, like this:

air vent ______
| | /
| |/ output from skimmer
| <-
| _______
| /
| | /
| V |
| |

drain to sump

 

[liquid]

Playfair: Any way we could get you to take a pic of it?

Also, how did you come to decide that the 0.25 - 2.5 LPM flowmeter was the right choice for this application? There's also a 0.5 - 5 LPM model that looks like it would work too.

Shane

 

[playfair]

Hmm, I posted last night, but it never took...

Attached is a pic of the right side of my cabinet, showing the flowmeter in the lower left. It pulls air in through the bottom inlet, through the meter and via tubing into the venturi. I used some aquarium air needle valve that clamps on the sump to hold it.

I chose the range honestly because I had a couple sitting around from another experiment
I got lucky that my skimmer sucks just enough lol
The next size up would be better for a larger skimmer, you just loose a little resolution.

 

[jbpig]

On my ETSS I replaced the small bio balls with larger ones. It seemed to make a fairly good diffenence

 

[Anonymous]

It helps alot if ya got enough water in your tank. Keep it about 1/2 inch from the top of your tank when using a hangon skimmer.

 

[JennM]

For any skimmer: I use a sponge dish-mop to clean the riser tube. Many skimmers have riser tubes that are too narrow for the average hand to fit in, and a dish mop is just the right size to clean the gunk out of the riser. Skimmers work much more efficiently when the riser is cleaned out regularly, and this $2 tool makes the job easy.

Jenn

 

[Len]

I know this one's been mentioned before, but doesn't hurt to remind people of it either: If you're skimmer is located in a confined cabinet (for example, an aquarium stand), it's a good idea to plumb the air intake outside of the cabinet. The difference in water chemistry, especially pH levels, can be drastic.

 

[jbpig]

Len,

How does having air from outside the "tank area" effect a skimmer?

TIA

 

[liquid]

You're not recirculating air back into the skimmer that's trapped under the tank.

FWIW, that's what I did w/ my RSB...I took some 1/4" ID tubing and ran it to a completely different room. I'd like to run it outside eventually, but I'll have to put some sort of carbon filter on the input first.

Shane

 

[Anonymous]

Run them wet. Don't allow foam to concentrate so much that it becomes dry.

 

[Len]

jb,

Ya, basically what Shane said. You're not recycling trapped air. You know how air becomes "stale" in confined spaces? Same thing happens in aquarium stands or closed rooms. This air is thoroughly mixed/saturated in protein skimmers and thus the qualities of the air have a great effect on how it interacts with your aquarium water.

In my case, my pH rose by 0.1 by simply running my air intake outside the stand. Others have reported greater differences. FWIW, opening up a window can make a big difference too

 

[jbpig]

Thanks ! Looks like I will be running an air line outside the sump tommorow!

 

[PeeJ]

hey galleon..could you clarify a bit? its late and im slow.

 

[leftovers]

To get the best performance from the insump model raise or lower it till approximately 6" of the skimmer is under water. This will improve over all performance of this skimmer by reducing back pressure on feed pump and give the mix chamber equilibrium. A long time dealer gave me this advice as he recieved it from AM. I found that the skimmer produced a lot more skimmate.



Your skimmer not have a collection cup drain hole? Install your own. Drill through the flat bottom of the collection cup about 1/2" from rim and install 1/4" nipple and feed waste to collection container of choice.



Tired of seeing calcium and other deposits buildup in and on your skimmer, venturi and pumps? Well you can remove them entirely and restore them to like new condition in under 1 hr. First remove them from your sump and to a well ventilated area. Next mix up 3 or 4 to 1 di water to muriatic acid in large 5gl bucket. BE SURE TO WEAR GLOVE, EYE PROTECTION AND LONG SLEEVES AND ALWAYS ADD ACID TO WATER.

Set all equipment into bucket if possible and stand back and watch as the acid will totally disolve all deposits. And for better cleaning power run the mix through the skimmer. Let all items sit and or run for 30 minutes to 45 minutes rinse thoroughly. Your pumps will thank you and your skimmer and venturi will too.




If you are an owner of a Euroreef and are tired of having to clean the goofy sponge filter thats standard on there output piping you can remove it all together. Install a durso style return instead using thin walled PVC. This will reduce evaporation and help quiet the skimmer as well as improve performance because it should never clog and will let skimmer maintain constant level of output.

 

[GSchiemer]

WHEN I owned a venturi skimmer, I cleaned the venturi opening by attaching airline tubing to the opening and letting it suck in a few ounces of HOT tapwater. If you can't attach airline tubing to your venturi, you can inject hot water with a syringe. This works to dissolve salt and dust deposits without taking the skimmer apart.

Greg