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

[slief]

Yes, indeed. This skimmer, beananimal overflow, plus the RD3 speedy 80W circulation pump is allowing me to keep this tank in our very quiet livingroom. The previous (albeit free hand-me-down) skimmer had to be turned off at night. Last item, upgrade the vortechs. These RD pumps are really worth the $$$.

Related question; how often should I take out and clean the 80W circulation pump?

That really depends on your system, calcium levels etc. On the skimmer pumps, I normally suggest every 4-5 months or so and checking the venturi every month for salt creep. The nozzle pops right off the skimmer making that easy since you don't need to remove the pump. The return pumps, I would do every 6-8 months in a reef system. Again though, it depends. If you have a calcium reactor or kalk that is dripping in the sump near the return, you might do it every 4-6 months. In a fish only system where calcium & alk levels aren't high, you could go a year without worrying about it. The better you maintain them, the longer they last. I clean my 230's every 8-10 months. We've had people go much longer on the maintenance frequency but I'm of the mindset that these pumps cost a lot and an ounce of prevention (maintenance) is worth a pound of cure.. If you take good care of them, they will last a LONG LONG time.

When I clean these pumps, I take them completely apart and remove the impeller and soak all parts in vinegar for about 10 minutes. I don't soak the o-rings though. Then scrub everything with a soft dish brush inside and out. When I'm done, the pump looks brand new inside and out. I then rinse it and reassemble. The entire process takes me about 15 minutes from start to finish and of that, only 5 minutes is hands on.

 

[Confuse]

Hey Scott, question for you...

I have a DC 200 on a 150g tank with a light-medium load (lost fish in a crash). I recently cleaned my sump and made an egg crate stand. The pump is under around 8" of water running at 28 watts and the wedge pipe is almost closed, but it has been difficult getting the foam to rise out of the cup. Due to the back pressure on the wedge pipe and the water level, water shoots out.

Is my water level too low? Would you recommend increasing the water level of the skimmer?

 

[slief]

Hey Scott, question for you...

I have a DC 200 on a 150g tank with a light-medium load (lost fish in a crash). I recently cleaned my sump and made an egg crate stand. The pump is under around 8" of water running at 28 watts and the wedge pipe is almost closed, but it has been difficult getting the foam to rise out of the cup. Due to the back pressure on the wedge pipe and the water level, water shoots out.

Is my water level too low? Would you recommend increasing the water level of the skimmer?

Not getting foam up to the top of the neck is a sign of a very light load relative to the skimmer size. The wedge pipe being almost all the way closed means the skimmer should be deeper. The heavier the load (relative to the skimmer size) the shallower you can get away with having the skimmer. I'd suggest lowering the skimmer in the sump or raising the sump level to at least 8.5". That will at least allow you to open the wedge pipe up some.

 

[Confuse]

Hi Scott,

So previously, I wrote that I was having consistency issues with my DC 200 on a 150g light to moderately stocked tank. I had a heavier fish load, but experienced a crash and lost my largest fish (tangs, angels, etc.). So we've established my bioload may be too low and you suggested some adjustments that I am currently working on, but that's another story...

My question is, could using a filter pad in place of filter socks reduce the organics that reach the skimmer and cause it not to skim as well? I've converted my filter sock tray into a filter pad tray and change this once a week. The majority of large organics are caught by this filter pad and its done a great job of keeping my sump free of detritus. I'm just wondering if that may be an issue with the skimmer not skimming as well or as consistently. Yes, my bioload is a factor as well, but in theory, could a large filter pad cause issues with skimming?

 

[slief]

Hi Scott,

So previously, I wrote that I was having consistency issues with my DC 200 on a 150g light to moderately stocked tank. I had a heavier fish load, but experienced a crash and lost my largest fish (tangs, angels, etc.). So we've established my bioload may be too low and you suggested some adjustments that I am currently working on, but that's another story...

My question is, could using a filter pad in place of filter socks reduce the organics that reach the skimmer and cause it not to skim as well? I've converted my filter sock tray into a filter pad tray and change this once a week. The majority of large organics are caught by this filter pad and its done a great job of keeping my sump free of detritus. I'm just wondering if that may be an issue with the skimmer not skimming as well or as consistently. Yes, my bioload is a factor as well, but in theory, could a large filter pad cause issues with skimming?

While skimmers do remove some of the heavier solids that the filter pads or socks remove, it's dissolved organics that are what a skimmer typically removes. While the stuff the socks or pads remove eventually dissolve leaving detritus behind as well as dissolved organics in the water, the majority of what you are seeing in your pads is uneaten food and other solids. Heavier stuff such as food doesn't bind well to the bubbles inside the skimmer. As such, I would keep your pads and adjust the level inside the skimmer up higher so that you are skimming wetter. Also remember, that the skimmer can only remove the dissolved organics that are present. If the load is low, the skimmer isn't going to produce much. If you are skimming wetter, it will produce more skimmate but it will have more water in it and likely be tea or green colored instead of a heavier darker skimmate.

 

[nvladik]

Morning guys. Have a quick question, but I might be too early and jumping the gun, so please tell me if I should just wait. Have a new setup that I picked up a mini 160 for. Tank is still cycling, high amonia, decent nitrites. High Ph. I wanted to get a head start on breaking in the skimmer, so I let it run in the tank for 16 hours. Ran it for a little without the cup, too many bubbles, so I left it overnight with collection cup on but open drain port so the water wont fill it.

16 hours in it won't stop overflowing, skimmer is fully open, so I can't slow it down any. Thought?

 

[slief]

Morning guys. Have a quick question, but I might be too early and jumping the gun, so please tell me if I should just wait. Have a new setup that I picked up a mini 160 for. Tank is still cycling, high amonia, decent nitrites. High Ph. I wanted to get a head start on breaking in the skimmer, so I let it run in the tank for 16 hours. Ran it for a little without the cup, too many bubbles, so I left it overnight with collection cup on but open drain port so the water wont fill it.

16 hours in it won't stop overflowing, skimmer is fully open, so I can't slow it down any. Thought?

It's pretty soon but the key question is how deep it is in the sump. Also, if you have used Epoxy in the tank or new live rock, there could be a lot of dissolved organics in the water. If it's continually overflowing and the wedge pipe is wide open, you need to raise the skimmer or lower the sump level until you find a spot that the overflowing subsides. You want the line where bubbles turn to foam to be about 1" below the white pvc part that is bonded to the upper part of the body. There should be a line on the skimmer body to note that point.

 

[nvladik]

It's pretty soon but the key question is how deep it is in the sump. Also, if you have used Epoxy in the tank or new live rock, there could be a lot of dissolved organics in the water. If it's continually overflowing and the wedge pipe is wide open, you need to raise the skimmer or lower the sump level until you find a spot that the overflowing subsides. You want the line where bubbles turn to foam to be about 1" below the white pvc part that is bonded to the upper part of the body. There should be a line on the skimmer body to note that point.

It's in 11" of water, I read it was cool to go up to 12"? Is that correct?

I guess I will be building a stand today

 

[slief]

It's in 11" of water, I read it was cool to go up to 12"? Is that correct?

I guess I will be building a stand today

That is WAY too deep. Not sure where you read that but 22cm depth which is about 8.5" is the max recommended depth per the manual.. :thumbsup:
http://royalexclusiv.net/images/content/mbk/eng/mbk_operating_maintenance_eng.pdf

 

[ClownsRCoo]

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

What water height would be good for a DC200? I have a very light load for now and can't produce much skimmate at all at the moment. The manual says either 170mm or 220mm is preferred but I don't understand why they give 2 points.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[slief]

What water height would be good for a DC200? I have a very light load for now and can't produce much skimmate at all at the moment. The manual says either 170mm or 220mm is preferred but I don't understand why they give 2 points.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They provide a range because the ideal depth depends greatly on the load in the display as well as the pump speed. A heavier load requires less depth than a lighter load due to the fact that the more dissolved organics in the water, the higher the line where bubbles turn to foam will be since there are more proteins in the water for the bubbles to bind to. That results in more foam vs bubbles that just burst at the surface since they can't bind together to form foam. The higher the pump speed is run, the higher the water level. The manual states 20-25cm depth. In the case of a light load relative to the skimmer, you will want it at the higher end of that range so you don't need to close the wedge pipe too much. I'd suggest a pump speed of 28-30 watts and a depth of around 9". With a light load, I would aim to have the line where bubbles turn to foam about 1/4" - 1/2" above the white PVC collar where the cup attaches to the body. You will be looking for that line in the skimmers neck. Keep in mind that the skimmer will only remove the dissolved organics that are in the water to be skimmed out. If you aren't producing skimmate, it's because the amount of DOC's in the water are so low that there isn't much to produce. You can always raise the level up in the skimmer and run it wetter or run the pump speed higher if you want to have something in the cup to clean out. :thumbsup:

Page 2 of the manual discusses the depth ranges for the Double Cones.
http://royalexclusiv.com/images/content/bk_dc/eng/bk_dc_operating_maintenance_eng.pdf

 

[ClownsRCoo]

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

Thanks slief


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[vhuang168]

I have a relatively light load, with the DC200, I'm at 9" with the pump at 30w.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ClownsRCoo]

I checked last night and am at 9" as well with pump on 29w


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ClownsRCoo]

Pipe about 3/4 closed as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[slief]

Pipe about 3/4 closed as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That should be fine. You could increase the sump level another half an inch and open the pipe up some but if you increase your load in the display, you will end up needing to lower the sump level vs opening the wedge pipe.

 

[biecacka]

I run my dc200 in 9in of water on 34 for my tank.

Corey

 

[ClownsRCoo]

Ok I'm gonna slowly bump up my pump speed to see if I can get it to run a little more consistent even if it's wet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[badfinger]

Slief,

I am starting to run into the F8 code more and more often. I have the red ozone tube drawing air also now.

Tonight I raised the skimmer level from 9" to 8.75". To see if that would help. It did not.

I have cleaned out the venturi, almost weekly. Have opened the pump and cleaned that out probably 5 times in the 3 months I have had it.

Today I took the silencer off and just have the ozone tube and regular tube open with no ubstruction

I have to run the pump at 36 watts in order for me not to get the code. Anything less I get the code.

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[slief]

Slief,

I am starting to run into the F8 code more and more often. I have the red ozone tube drawing air also now.

Tonight I raised the skimmer level from 9" to 8.75". To see if that would help. It did not.

I have cleaned out the venturi, almost weekly. Have opened the pump and cleaned that out probably 5 times in the 3 months I have had it.

Today I took the silencer off and just have the ozone tube and regular tube open with no ubstruction

I have to run the pump at 36 watts in order for me not to get the code. Anything less I get the code.

Thanks in advance for your help

Hmm. I will PM you.