Bubble King Setup, Tuning and trouble shooting thread. Post your questions here!

[hedehodo]

my bk dc 150 skimmer is very noisy. When I touch the pump, I feel its vibrating. I also have rd3 return pump and other pump in sump but these are not vibrating. I had checked the rotor/impeller and see no grinding marks, its clean and no broken teeth. Cleaned the air tube and foam also. Skimmer is working well but with little noise. What else I can check? Volute turned 4 and vedge pipe half closed.

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[slief]

my bk dc 150 skimmer is very noisy. When I touch the pump, I feel its vibrating. I also have rd3 return pump and other pump in sump but these are not vibrating. I had checked the rotor/impeller and see no grinding marks, its clean and no broken teeth. Cleaned the air tube and foam also. Skimmer is working well but with little noise. What else I can check? Volute turned 4 and vedge pipe half closed.

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If the pump is vibrating, I would remove and clean the bearing at the bottom of the magnet cavity. There are instructions for removing and re-installing the bearing in post number 2 of this thread. If there is calcium buildup inside the hole in the bearing or any friction at all, that could cause it. Also, make sure the end of the impeller shaft that goes into the bearing is nice and clean and smooth. If that's not it, you can try some more adjusting on the volute but that typically won't cause vibration. Instead it will cause surging.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2573406

 

[hedehodo]

If the pump is vibrating, I would remove and clean the bearing at the bottom of the magnet cavity. There are instructions for removing and re-installing the bearing in post number 2 of this thread. If there is calcium buildup inside the hole in the bearing or any friction at all, that could cause it. Also, make sure the end of the impeller shaft that goes into the bearing is nice and clean and smooth. If that's not it, you can try some more adjusting on the volute but that typically won't cause vibration. Instead it will cause surging.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2573406

I had checked the pump and bearing on it and found that bearing is ok but rotor has grinding mark on only the bottom of the stick.

Here is the picture

I also found that cover o-ring on rotor piece is no tight. When I press anywhere on cover it is losing the right angle position. I mean it's not even/horizontal. If I remove the o-ring it's ok.

Here is the picture of it.

Do you recommend me to continue like that? Is this getting worse? If it can get worse I can close it and use my backup skimmer which is louder than this BK.

 

[slief]

I had checked the pump and bearing on it and found that bearing is ok but rotor has grinding mark on only the bottom of the stick.

Here is the picture

I also found that cover o-ring on rotor piece is no tight. When I press anywhere on cover it is losing the right angle position. I mean it's not even/horizontal. If I remove the o-ring it's ok.

Here is the picture of it.

Do you recommend me to continue like that? Is this getting worse? If it can get worse I can close it and use my backup skimmer which is louder than this BK.

The end of the shaft looks like it's fine. As does the o-ring. The o-ring doesn't provide a tight or water tight fit between the magnet cavity cover and the block. It's more of a spacer. What does concern me is the angle of that impeller. It looks like it's tilted to the side which isn't right. That me be an illusion because the magnet cavity shield floats freely until the the pump cover/volute locks it down. If you stand the impeller on a table with the needle wheel face down on the table, is the impeller shaft and magnet completely vertical?

If the answer is year, I would suspect the bearing isn't inserted properly into the block and may be sitting at an angle or may be upside down. Also, have you tried placing the pump in a bucket of water and running it with the skimmer to see if it's making noise?

 

[hedehodo]

The end of the shaft looks like it's fine. As does the o-ring. The o-ring doesn't provide a tight or water tight fit between the magnet cavity cover and the block. It's more of a spacer. What does concern me is the angle of that impeller. It looks like it's tilted to the side which isn't right. That me be an illusion because the magnet cavity shield floats freely until the the pump cover/volute locks it down. If you stand the impeller on a table with the needle wheel face down on the table, is the impeller shaft and magnet completely vertical?

If the answer is year, I would suspect the bearing isn't inserted properly into the block and may be sitting at an angle or may be upside down. Also, have you tried placing the pump in a bucket of water and running it with the skimmer to see if it's making noise?

Answer is yes, it's totally vertical and if I close it without o-ring it's perfectly fit. Last time I perfectly put the impeller without any angle but the pump cover was very very hard to close with hand. Only screws can close it tightly.

I can check the bearing on bottom of motor block. But I don't know the right position, I put it with flat screwdriver, magnet on motor block suck it. Can you send an example picture or video of right bearing position? I will also try to run the pump in bucket.

Sorry for my poor English.

 

[slief]

Answer is yes, it's totally vertical and if I close it without o-ring it's perfectly fit. Last time I perfectly put the impeller without any angle but the pump cover was very very hard to close with hand. Only screws can close it tightly.

I can check the bearing on bottom of motor block. But I don't know the right position, I put it with flat screwdriver, magnet on motor block suck it. Can you send an example picture or video of right bearing position? I will also try to run the pump in bucket.

Sorry for my poor English.

If the pump cover is not going on easily and you need the screws to clamp it together, then your bearing isn't seated properly or is upside down. The bearing will "pop" into place. There is a slot in the bearing cavity that the o-ring sits in. It's a groove just below the top of the bearing cavity inside the motor block. You should not be using the impeller to seat the bearing down into the cavity as it will not push the bearing in far enough. I would suggest some PVC pipe that has an inside diameter that is smaller then the outside diameter of the bearing. That makes a good tool for pushing the bearing into place. If you have some silicone grease to put on the o-ring that is on the bearing that will help make it easier to seat it into place. Or you can use some saliva or water to wet it so it pops into place. The idea is to lubricate the bearing 0-ring so it slips into the cavity and into the slot that the o-ring fits into.

Take a look at post 2 in this thread. there are pictures and instructions for removing and installing the bearing.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2573406

 

[hedehodo]

I removed the bearing on motor block and re put it and used flathead screwdriver to put o-ring. that's totally fixed my problem. Thank you slief. I always believe RE support is best.

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[slief]

I removed the bearing on motor block and re put it and used flathead screwdriver to put o-ring. that's totally fixed my problem. Thank you slief. I always believe RE support is best.

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Great to hear & very glad to help!

 

[ecvernon]

Bubble king double cone 180 Red dragon 3

Bubble king double cone 180 Red dragon 3

Bubble king double cone 180 Red dragon 3

I have had the Bubble king double cone 180 Red dragon 3 for about a week now. Where is this part suppose to go? I didnt see it listed as a part in my manual

 

[slief]

Bubble king double cone 180 Red dragon 3

I have had the Bubble king double cone 180 Red dragon 3 for about a week now. Where is this part suppose to go? I didnt see it listed as a part in my manual

That goes in the silcone tubing that the pump connects to on the skimmer and allows the RD3 pump to connect to the larger skimmers with larger ID silcone tubing. It's not needed with the Double Cone 180.. :beer:

 

[ClownsRCoo]

Does the silencer on the DC200 just come apart by pulling it apart? I need to clean mine but didn't want to break it and it wasn't moving when I pulled a little bit on it


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[slief]

Does the silencer on the DC200 just come apart by pulling it apart? I need to clean mine but didn't want to break it and it wasn't moving when I pulled a little bit on it


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The cap does pop off. The easiest way I've found to open it up is to remove the silencer from the wedge pipe and then take a long thin screw driver or in my case a skewer and insert it through the bottom of the silencer where the silicone air hose connects and push the lid off by holding the silencer in one hand and pushing the screwdriver up with the other. A little tap on the of the butt of the screw driver on countertop will work too. Just make sure the screw driver is completely vertical so you don't tweak or break the red tube that extends upwards inside the silencer when you pop lit silencer lid off. The silencer itself will pop right off the wedge pipe by twisting it or wobbling it or pulling upwards. Then disconnect the silicone tube from the bottom of it. It reconnect the silicone tube, push some tubing up into the wedge pipe so there is a bit of tubing sticking out the top of the wedge pipe. Then attach the silencer and gently pull the tubing back down the pipe until the silencer is can be pushed back onto the wedge. Be careful not to pull the tubing to hand and disconnect it from the silencer.

 

[Gringo87]

Help! my skimmer ( a Bubble king 200 double cone with RD3 pump) its overflowing and there is bubles all over... first i drive it wit 32Watt and the pipe half open... but after 4 month´s its starts bubling over.

yesterday i clean it up and cleaned the pump... its still bubling... i have taking a movie of it. on the movie its drive wit 26watts and full open pipe..

Please help me..
https://youtu.be/3j5G98L_Rww



PS. sorry my bad english, but im from Denmark

 

[Gringo87]

ooh sorry.. my display tank is 400 liters and the sump is 200liters

i have theese fish

1x Zebrasoma flavescens
1x Zebrasoma veliferum
1x Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis
1x Paracanthurus hepatus
1x Salarias ramosus
2x clownfish
5x Chrysiptera hemicyanea
1x Siganus vulpinus
1x Halichoeres iridis
1x Tridacna maxima Blue

and corals:
1x Catalaphyllia jardinei
5x big hammer corals
1x pink hysterix
1x braincoral
1x alveopora
1xEuphyllia glabresens
and a lots more ( cant remember all the names )

 

[slief]

ooh sorry.. my display tank is 400 liters and the sump is 200liters

i have theese fish

1x Zebrasoma flavescens
1x Zebrasoma veliferum
1x Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis
1x Paracanthurus hepatus
1x Salarias ramosus
2x clownfish
5x Chrysiptera hemicyanea
1x Siganus vulpinus
1x Halichoeres iridis
1x Tridacna maxima Blue

and corals:
1x Catalaphyllia jardinei
5x big hammer corals
1x pink hysterix
1x braincoral
1x alveopora
1xEuphyllia glabresens
and a lots more ( cant remember all the names )

There may be a post from you that I am missing. That said, if you are inquiring about which skimmer to get for your sized display, I would suggest the Double Cone 180 or a Mini 180 of you don't have enough sump space for the Double Cone.

 

[Gringo87]

I have already a double cone 200 with af RD3 pump

 

[Gringo87]

but it will not skim.... it wil only make a lots of bubles and fill the cup i have maked this movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j5G98L_Rww

i cleaned the skimmer this sunday becaus it startet filling the cup with water... but now i can drive the pump over 24 watt before the bubbles wil fill the cup with water... before the troubles i was driven with 30 watts and half open pipe


in the video its drive with 26 watts and full open pipe

 

[slief]

I have already a double cone 200 with af RD3 pump

Gotcha. Seems your first post is missing. If you have any questions, let me know. FWIW, that skimmer is a bit over sized for your display/load and may not perform as consistently as it should. I would suggest running it wet to maintain best consistency.

 

[machodik]

Just make my first maintenance of my RD3 of my skimmer. So easy to do and it will give you peace of mind after you did.

Cheers,

MD


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[slief]

Just make my first maintenance of my RD3 of my skimmer. So easy to do and it will give you peace of mind after you did.

Cheers,

MD


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Looks like new! It would be a good idea to add some silicone grease to that o-ring on the nozzle. It will make it much easier to pull the nozzle off for routine salt creep removal and will insure you don't damage the o-ring pulling the nozzle off and putting it back in.