AquaC CLUB!
- Thread starter zoltetov
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D
Deleted member 82742
I have an EV 120 with a mag 7 pump and like many others sometimes I love sometimes I hate it. I just put the mag 7 on a few weeks ago after about a year of on and off skimming. With the mag 7 I've tried about ever combination you can think of. Last night I plugged the hose that drains to a secondary container and it seamed to restrict the amount of bubbles so I opened the air valve all the way and opened the ballvalve almost all the way coming from the pump and it seamed to work pretty good. does this sound a bit strange to any of you EV experts? FYI my tube flowed into an empty milk jug. anybody have any input or comments on this? Who knows, maybe after a day orso it will quit skimming like it has done in the past. Mark
CaptainCoral
New member
Printedpaper....
Yeah, if you plug that drain line, The air coming in will be restricted by and equal to the amount that can find a way out some other place. ( the lid in the cup) It won't quit working, but you'll eventually have a mess coming out of the cups lid. (I know this because If I don't clean the 90 degree elbow that comes out of the cup, when the cup is cleaned, it plugs up with dry skimmate) Essentially, what you've done is cranked up the water pressure (which also creates greater air pressure) and the blocked drain line acts like a choked back air valve. This gives smaller bubbles and better skim performance. It would be better to keep that pump running un-gated, and set the water level just out of sight in your riser tube, and choke the air with the air valve. This should give you the same results. You'll just have to play with that air valve for a couple days until you're happy with bubble size. If this skims too wet for you like that, you can lower the water line until you see the large burping bubbles flying up that riser, and then raise it just until they're gone, or until you're happy with it. (burping bubbles are the bubbles that collect and grow under the air chamber plate when the water level is set low.)
Yeah, if you plug that drain line, The air coming in will be restricted by and equal to the amount that can find a way out some other place. ( the lid in the cup) It won't quit working, but you'll eventually have a mess coming out of the cups lid. (I know this because If I don't clean the 90 degree elbow that comes out of the cup, when the cup is cleaned, it plugs up with dry skimmate) Essentially, what you've done is cranked up the water pressure (which also creates greater air pressure) and the blocked drain line acts like a choked back air valve. This gives smaller bubbles and better skim performance. It would be better to keep that pump running un-gated, and set the water level just out of sight in your riser tube, and choke the air with the air valve. This should give you the same results. You'll just have to play with that air valve for a couple days until you're happy with bubble size. If this skims too wet for you like that, you can lower the water line until you see the large burping bubbles flying up that riser, and then raise it just until they're gone, or until you're happy with it. (burping bubbles are the bubbles that collect and grow under the air chamber plate when the water level is set low.)
delusions- I had a plexiglass box made to fit in my sump that all my overflow water flows into. Inside the box I put my mag 9 and ran a flexable plastic tube to the inlet of the Aqua - not more than 12-14 inches. I also took the drain valve off the Aqua altogether. There are times I'll change 5-10 gallons of water by running the output of the skimmer cup to the sewer and hooking my makeup to fresh salt water instead of ro water. It takes 2-3 hours to do this though.
D
Deleted member 82742
Captain Coral so if I understand you right I should open the ball valve comming from the pump and keep the water just below the riser and then chock the air back. I'll give it a try. Is there something I can do about the skimmate that colects at the top of the colection cup, it seems like it is preventing skimmate from getting into the colection cup. Mark
D
Deleted member 82742
Captain coral, when I got home from work tonight I noticed a bunch of moisture around the skimmer, my skimmer is outside the sump so that would be a problem. If more volume from the pump would help I could take the ball valve right out. Would that be a good thing to do or not? Mark
CaptainCoral
New member
Mark, I'd leave it on and open full, unless you see that it's restricting performance. (which is possable, flow is pinched more on a ball valve than a good gate valve) I have a gate on mine, but it's always open full.
Amphiprion
Premium Member
I doubt it is too powerful. I have mine connected almost directly to the skimmer input (tube is only about 4" long). I do have a ball valve on it from previously, but I keep it all the way open. You will find that you will have to throttle the air back a bit further than you might think. Mine is closed very far, but I still get plenty of bubbles and lots of stable foam.
djtodd
New member
Maybe I'll give it another go tomorrow. Or sometime when I have a bit more time to play. It just feels like it's way too powerful. I definately don't feel safe leaving it overnight to work itself in.
Also, where can you get adapters that screw into the input of the MAG? Or the output to get a pre-filter going.
Also, where can you get adapters that screw into the input of the MAG? Or the output to get a pre-filter going.
Amphiprion
Premium Member
It can be frustrating getting these things dialed in at times, but if persevere, it will work pretty well.
Amphiprion
Premium Member
Pretty far. It almost seemed too far, but the air never really choked off completely. Look for climbing, stable foam into the cup (too wet, and the bubbles will merely pop). You may have to give it a while to "break in" again with the pump. Mine did for about a week afterwards. At first, err to the side of choking it too far, then work it up slowly. Give it plenty fo time between adjustments to begin working. Mine was able to perform remarkably well before I even set the gate valve. Then after setting it, it fills the entire cup with nice, stable foam.
robsmith32
New member
well, aqua c does say to use a valve on the oversized pumps to keep from causing a flood, since they can be overdriven.
djtodd, i'd say nix the prefilter idea.. the main thing in the protein skimmer thread is to make sure its raw water getting to the skimmer. any mechanical/chemical filtration should be after the skimmer.
djtodd, i'd say nix the prefilter idea.. the main thing in the protein skimmer thread is to make sure its raw water getting to the skimmer. any mechanical/chemical filtration should be after the skimmer.
djtodd
New member
OK, so I stayed up stupidly late last night and got up early and played a fair bit.
Basically, I've gone back to the MAG7. It skims well, and isn't fiddly. The MAG9 is Just too large and heavy to get working right *in my setup*.
I'm going to hold onto the pump though. I'm already planning over the summer to mount the skimmer externally and I think with the extra head loss from plumbing it with hard pipe up and over the side of the sump it'll work much better.
Plus I noticed that the 9 gets a heck of a lot warmer than the 7.
BTW Rob, the prefilter is very important to keep solid matter out of the injector, it also helps to keep the bubbles from my drain out of the water that gets sucked in. I've got the pump right next to the drain line to get all that nice surface skimmed water from the display.
I think for my needs a theoretical MAG8 would be ideal. I'm not doubting for a second that it works well for others, but as we all know, everyones setup is different.
Basically, I've gone back to the MAG7. It skims well, and isn't fiddly. The MAG9 is Just too large and heavy to get working right *in my setup*.
I'm going to hold onto the pump though. I'm already planning over the summer to mount the skimmer externally and I think with the extra head loss from plumbing it with hard pipe up and over the side of the sump it'll work much better.
Plus I noticed that the 9 gets a heck of a lot warmer than the 7.
BTW Rob, the prefilter is very important to keep solid matter out of the injector, it also helps to keep the bubbles from my drain out of the water that gets sucked in. I've got the pump right next to the drain line to get all that nice surface skimmed water from the display.
I think for my needs a theoretical MAG8 would be ideal. I'm not doubting for a second that it works well for others, but as we all know, everyones setup is different.
D
Deleted member 82742
Captain coral, my skimmer is working well, I adjusted it as you said. I'm getting a good amount of thick skimmate/foam gathering at the top of the colection cup but it doesn't seem to get pushed down by more foam going up the riser tube. Do I need to make an adjustment? Mark
robsmith32
New member
as i posted earlier, the 1260 is now a suggested pump for a ev-120 and a 1262 for an ev-180.. have to use a valve on them though.
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