Asm skimmer

[AJ460]

Ok I am newer in the hobby I had a coral life skimmer and I hated it. I picked up a ASM skimmer and like it alot the first week in the refugium it was skimming like crazy. Now it bearly has any skim. I have 12 fish in a 75 gallon and a 40 gallon refugium. Not sure if sonething is wrong or is my ckean up crew just that good that theres nothing for the skimmer to do. Pleaae any advice will help

 

[Mr. Brooks]

ASM is one of the older skimmer designs out there. They work ok but there are a lot better ones being sold these days.

It's certainly better than your coral life skimmer though.

I've had both.

Your ASM will do the job. However if you want to squeeze a bit more cleanliness out of your tank, I'd suggest doing some research on a newer skimmer.

 

[AJ460]

I understand that it is older but I see youtube videos or pictures on here where after a few days people have half a cup of skim but I am getting nothing. I just dont know why

 

[billdogg]

I have a ASM G2 and love it. I have found that it does best in 7 - 9" of water (I keep it at 9") with the water in the skimmer neck abouit halfway up. I have to clean it out every 2 - 3 days. Tank is a 120 mostly SPS with a small fish load.

 

[AJ460]

I have a ASM G2 and love it. I have found that it does best in 7 - 9" of water (I keep it at 9") with the water in the skimmer neck abouit halfway up. I have to clean it out every 2 - 3 days. Tank is a 120 mostly SPS with a small fish load.

I love the G2 im just trying to figure it out and I am in about 9 inch of water. if I take the collection cup off the water is just about to spill out should I be running it higher or lower I will get pics tonight and post

 

[usmc121581]

I had the ASM g4 I ran into the same issue and was playing around with 2 PVC elbows and a 4" section of PVC I made a U shape and placed it on the exit pipe extended the Tube which inturn would cause the water to raise higher in the neck and it skimmed like a champ. Another thing you can do is the "Gate Vavle" modification one it. Researc on google ASM gate vavle mod.

 

[ca1ore]

Ok I am newer in the hobby I had a coral life skimmer and I hated it. I picked up a ASM skimmer and like it alot the first week in the refugium it was skimming like crazy. Now it bearly has any skim. I have 12 fish in a 75 gallon and a 40 gallon refugium. Not sure if sonething is wrong or is my ckean up crew just that good that theres nothing for the skimmer to do. Pleaae any advice will help

Are you cleaning the neck of the skimmer regularly. After a relatively short period of time (day or two) build up on the surfaces of the neck will significantly reduce skimming efficiency. Also, how high is the operating water level in the skimmer? I run mine with the water about 1 inch up into the neck.

Doubtful that there is nothing to skim with 12 fish, unless you don't feed them

I'm very much in the skeptics camp when it comes to all the fancy new skimmers. IME, the two things that drive skimmer performance are contact time (so width and height of skimmer column) and the amount of fine bubbles you introduce (so gph and air pull of pump). Cones, bubble plates all of dubious value IMO. I'm quite happy with my G4 and have no plans to replace it.

 

[AJ460]

Are you cleaning the neck of the skimmer regularly. After a relatively short period of time (day or two) build up on the surfaces of the neck will significantly reduce skimming efficiency. Also, how high is the operating water level in the skimmer? I run mine with the water about 1 inch up into the neck.

Doubtful that there is nothing to skim with 12 fish, unless you don't feed them

im not running the water into the neck I am going to try that tonight. the neck gets very dirty and I clean it every few days

 

[Mr. Brooks]

I'm very much in the skeptics camp when it comes to all the fancy new skimmers.

If you saw and smelled the gunk that comes out of my ATB vs. what came out of my ASM, you'd would cease to be a skeptic. I'm not saying it's necessarily the bubble plate or the cone. All I know is that my ATB works a heck of a lot better than my ASM ever did.

I think an ASM can be made to work better, it just takes a lot of DIY modifications.

Still though, MUCH better than a coral life.

 

[AJ460]

If you saw and smelled the gunk that comes out of my ATB vs. what came out of my ASM, you'd would cease to be a skeptic. I'm not saying it's necessarily the bubble plate or the cone. All I know is that my ATB works a heck of a lot better than my ASM ever did.

I think an ASM can be made to work better, it just takes a lot of DIY modifications.

Still though, MUCH better than a coral life.

ya the coral life one really sucked I think my problem is I don't have my level set right my water stops just short of the cup and it sounds like I need the water to go up into the cone about 1 inch. my cone has a crap load of well crap in it. its just not making it into the cup that well

 

[billdogg]

If you have not done the gate valve mod, do it, then worry about adjusting it. It is a true pia to adjust without that mod.

The water level in mine is actually about 1" up past the cone shaped part, and at least IMHO, it does a fantastic job.

 

[AJ460]

do you guy mind posting some pics to try and help me and I have been looking at the gate mod

 

[billdogg]

Does this help? There are plenty of How-to's for the gate valve mod online (youtube) or google it - very quick and easy to do.

 

[billdogg]

Does this help? There are plenty of How-to's for the gate valve mod online (youtube) or google it - very quick and easy to do.

Oh - FWIW - that is one day of splooge in the collection cup


oops - sort of a double post

 

[sirreal63]

 

[GatorAlum05]

remember to apply primer/glue/primer on one end then glue/primer/glue and hold, otherwise you'll get a crazy salt creep like the above poster ^^^. O.O

 

[sirreal63]

And then remember once you glue it that is the position it will be, you won't be able to take it apart to clean it and you won't be able to change it's position.

 

[billdogg]

What he said^^^

DO NOT glue the parts together!

 

[GatorAlum05]

But most importantly. Remember to set up something that doesn't look cheap like that picture.

 

[sirreal63]

Yes because looks always have a higher level of importance than function. That is how ASM sold the skimmers with the recirc mod and gate valve and it worked perfectly. I never saw the need in making it look pretty, it skimmed like a beast and that was why I bought it, not to win a beauty contest. If your priority is aesthetics that is your choice, I chose function. To each his own.