AquaC CLUB!

Skimmer help!! Please.

I picked up a ev180 used of another rc memeber. With mag7. Ive read most of this thread and still cant get much more than a few bubbles. I have set up a new tank with 25 pound sof cured rock transfered from an existing tank, and 75 pounds of Marco rock. The water level is at mid level on the gate valve allready on a stand, I plugged the John Guest hole, the air valeve is wide open and the water level is at the box height.

I was getting more bubbles 2 days ago, now I have virtually nothin.

Help me
 
An ev180 will work with a mag7, but will work much better with a mag9 or an eheim 1262. Are you saying that the sump water level is midway up the mixing box's gate valve exit hole? I'm not certain, (I havn't looked at the manual in a while) but I believe the gate should be above the water level in you sump. Also, do you mean you have no bubbles or no foam head?
 
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Captain, this is no way board a ship, but I am afraid to say I skipped over step 1 of SOP. "check pump for blockage".

I'll walk the plank myself.
 
180modskima.jpg


CaptainCoral,
What ever happen to your modified EV180? I'm referring to the skimmer that you went "Tim the Toolman" on. :D

You mentioned that you bought the bigger EV skimmer.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10879239#post10879239 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chris4869
180modskima.jpg

Click to expand...

I can get my EV120 to look like that. But as soon as it gets a head of foam on it like that, it seems to stop producing. It is as if the foam is too stiff for the skimmer to push up and out of the column. :(

I have either that situation or it will fill up my gallon jug with very light skimmate in half a day. I can't seem to tune it to anything inbetween those two extremes.
 
ShapeGSX,
How long does it take for your skimmer to fill the foam tower with foam? Can you tell us which EV model and pump you're using? I'm sure one of us can help you.
 
I'm using a mag 9 to push my EV 180 skimmer. With the mag 7 and 1" injector I had trouble getting foam into the cap. It would be days before I got enough skimmate in the cup where it needed to be changed. The Mag 9 seems to be too strong as it creates too much foam. I opened the gate valve on the skimmer aa the way and I closed the air valve. still to much foam. Any suggestions?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10879531#post10879531 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chris4869
ShapeGSX,
How long does it take for your skimmer to fill the foam tower with foam? Can you tell us which EV model and pump you're using? I'm sure one of us can help you.
Click to expand...

I have an EV120 with a 1" injector and a Mag 7 pump. I installed a 1" ball valve on the pump outlet. But since the pump outlet is only 1/2", I think that the ball valve is really the wrong type of valve to be using. A gate valve would probably be better.

Anyway, I installed the ball valve to try and get some more control over the skimmer. I've tried adjusting it, but it doesn't seem to do much.

I have 1" hose from the ball valve to the skimmer, which is elevated about 20" above the pump.

On my skimmer outlet, I have the 1" gate valve and a 90 degree 1" elbow to put the water back down into my sump.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10879531#post10879531 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chris4869
ShapeGSX,
How long does it take for your skimmer to fill the foam tower with foam?
Click to expand...

I forgot to answer this question.

Depending on how I have the air and water valves set up, it doesn't take much time to get foam to fill the whole tower from the moment I plug in the pump (if my hands weren't in the tank previously). Maybe 1/2 hour?

It is MUCH easier for me to get the skimmer to skim very wet than it is for me to get the skimmer to skim dry. And it is nearly impossible to get anything inbetween.

Oh, often when I just plug in the skimmer (or after I put my hands in the tank), I will end up with a 1/2" layer of dense foam that builds up on top of the foam in the tower. This is what ends up getting pumped into the cup, eventually, but it seems to keep subsequent foam from getting pushed out.

When the skimmer skims wet, it tends to pump one large, wet bubble out at a time. The bubble travels very quickly up the tube in the cup and then breaks at the top, spewing into the cup. I get no foam in the cup, really, just water. And it really seems like it is just tank water, not skimmate. :(
 
dolph, When I used a Mag9 on the ev180, I removed the gate valve from the mixing box in order to get the water line lower (it was in the foam tower with it on).

Chris4869...That pic you posted is the Tim Taylor modded ev180 running with a Mag12. It works with a eheim 1262 and mag9 as well, but kinda like running a stock ev180 with a mag7. The mag 12 runs it better. For a while I was running the ev180 on my 75gal and the ev400 on my 180 gal. My 75 is now skimmerless with a 40 gal fuge and soon also a cheato fuge. It's going to be a duel fuge system. :) The ev400 rocks big time, but the pressure pumps noise got on my nerves about three months ago and I removed it and installed the ev180 with mag12 in it's place (as it is completely silent) After owning the ev400, I quickly became a fan of that design with the large foam tower because the ev model injectors really scream when you put lots of flow and head pressure into them, and they have no trouble at all fillling the tower with very fine bubbles.

Don't anyone get any ideas, there is no way I'm selling the ev400. :D Someday I'll be out of this apartment, and I'll hook it back up.
 
Shape, which skimmer and pump are you using? If you want to skim dry, I'd like to help out. If you want to skim wet, lets get gcarroll to make suggestions, I know he skims copious amounts of nasty wet skimmate.

IME, I've found underpowered pumps can produce wet skim, but have trouble getting lots of good dry foam.
 
Oh, yes, now I remember. ;) Did you try removing the gate? I fear the smaller ev models have this issue because they have the same sized injector as the larger ones (which really only scream when there is 1200 GPH and 21 and up head pressure on them). So users of the ev120 and 180 upgrade the pump to get better action. The ev180 can barely handle a mag nine and ev1262. I've never used the ev120, but I fear the issue may be even more dramatic as you've described.

Let me know if you have the gate valve on the box or not and I have another Idea I'd like to have you try. I think the injector on the ev120 and ev180 needs to be smaller (somewhere in between the remora/urchin size and ev size). Somewhere back in this thread I went into why I put a blockage in the injector on purpose to shrink the injector some and get better spray action in these smaller models.
I cannot test it anymore, because my solution was to expand the foam tower.
 
Oh crap, I forgot to mention that removing the gate will only help if the water line refuses to go lower than the top of the box with the gate all the way open.

BTW Shape, now I remember I had a nice piece written for you a few days ago, but didn't post it, because it would have broken my rule not to post after after beer thirty. :)
 
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Yes, I do have the gate valve installed.

Honestly, I get so much small bubbled foam in the tower that it feels as if the tower should actually be taller.

That is why I thought I should dial back the pump some.

But you may be right that the blockage in the injector could work better. I guess I could even try to make my own smaller injector. The smaller injector would increase water velocity and perhaps increase air contact in the large chamber.
 
Yes! We are on the same page here for sure. I'm certain that both methods work. The injector can be played with indefinately, but tower mods are harder to play with to get the right size. (as I found out that 5.5 inches extra to the ev180 was too much :) hehe )

I used some small strombus snails that I have tons of because they breed in the aquarium. (yes I used a dead one :D ) Just the right size to block only the very middle of the clover without being forced through.

If you feel it's working for you trying things like that, I'm sure you could get AquaC to make you one custom for a good price.
 
I believe that using a gate valve on the pump could work as well, but not as well as the afore mentioned methods (with the ev120) because it would be backing off of the much needed flow and head pressure. Especially if dry skim is desired. :)
 
Ok, I think I'll try making an injector. I have my old 3/4" injector that I could modify. But I'd rather stick with 1".

There are 2 types of injectors that they have used. The old type was a piece of clear PVC tubing that they heated up and pressed into a clover with a tool. The new type is a manufactured piece.

I'll see what kinds of 1" 90 degree hose barb bends I can find at the local stores. :) Maybe I can fit a threaded collar around one.
 
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