Bubble King Skimmer Club

[slief]

Thanks again Slief! I'm in the process of pricing out a 8ft long 3ft deep 30 inch tall tank to replace my 220. Sounds like I'll be border line between the supermarin 200 & 250. Do you think the 200 would still work? It'll be a pretty well stocked mixed reef. Your experience & knowledge are greatly appreciated!!! Thanks, Dominick

Filled display volume would be around 370 gallons in a tank that size not including live rock displacement. The SM200 will be a hard working skimming machine in a system that sized and will prove to be VERY consistent. You could go either way but if your load is lighter than you think and you have a substantial amount of live rock, the SM250 could end up being borderline too large or at the very least overkill where as your tank size will still be well withing the design range for a SM200 regardless of load. It's a tough call but you really can't go wrong with the SM 200.

 

[slief]

Oops. Duplicate post.

 

[Bigfish93]

Anyone know anything about the "slim line" BK skimmers? I was going to purchase a mini 200 but it was labeled slim line. Not sure what the difference is.

 

[UWUALineman]

Anyone have insight into the surging issues? My mini RD 600 in my Double Cone 150 is fluctuating up and down and I have tried everything to clean and adjust to solve this issue? Talked with Luke who is seeking info. I've gotten no response from BK up to this point.

 

[slief]

Anyone have insight into the surging issues? My mini RD 600 in my Double Cone 150 is fluctuating up and down and I have tried everything to clean and adjust to solve this issue? Talked with Luke who is seeking info. I've gotten no response from BK up to this point.

What is the sump depth the skimmer is in? How many turns out do you have the adjustable volute? How long has the skimmer been running? Did you disassemble to pump to make sure there was nothing in the pump such as a shell and that the impeller was clean and debris free? If you removed the impeller for cleaning, did you make sure the bearing/bushing was seated properly into the motor block? There is a small o-ring that holds the bearing into the block. The impeller should spin freely in the bearing. In some cases, calcium buildup in the motor could cause the bearing to stick to the impeller shaft. My guess is that your issue has more to do with sump level and or the volute adjustment but rather than go back and forth, I figured I would cover all bases so I can better help you.

 

[vinhle00]

hi slief,

i'm getting a elos 200xl soon. the display has 253 gallon. i'm not sure about the sump yet. the tank will be heavily stocked with fishes ( blue tang,yellow tang, clownfish x2, regal angelfish, blue chromis x3, Starcki Damselfish & maybe more small fishes), and corals mostly sps and some lps. I will be feeding daily with frozen food also I'm not planning on a refugium but will be running carbon & GFO.

which skimmer do you recommend? i'm currently looking at the BK 200mini gen 3, will this be enough or do i have to go with something bigger?

any help will be appreciated thank you!

 

[UWUALineman]

What is the sump depth the skimmer is in? How many turns out do you have the adjustable volute? How long has the skimmer been running? Did you disassemble to pump to make sure there was nothing in the pump such as a shell and that the impeller was clean and debris free? If you removed the impeller for cleaning, did you make sure the bearing/bushing was seated properly into the motor block? There is a small o-ring that holds the bearing into the block. The impeller should spin freely in the bearing. In some cases, calcium buildup in the motor could cause the bearing to stick to the impeller shaft. My guess is that your issue has more to do with sump level and or the volute adjustment but rather than go back and forth, I figured I would cover all bases so I can better help you.

Skimmer depth is around 7.5 inches without checking. I have the adjustment at 4 full turns. I've tried both different depths and different air mixtures to no avail. The only thing which I did not check was the bearing assembly in the motor block that you asked. I did a complete diluted vinegar bath to clean it to see if that was the issue, or any loose debris, which did not help. Aggravating to say the least. Awfully expensive piece of equipment to not perform as needed.

 

[slief]

Skimmer depth is around 7.5 inches without checking. I have the adjustment at 4 full turns. I've tried both different depths and different air mixtures to no avail. The only thing which I did not check was the bearing assembly in the motor block that you asked. I did a complete diluted vinegar bath to clean it to see if that was the issue, or any loose debris, which did not help. Aggravating to say the least. Awfully expensive piece of equipment to not perform as needed.

7.5" depth is at the very end of the depth range for that skimmer. Recommended depth is 6.2" - 7" deep. The surging is likely being caused by an excess of large bubbles entering skimmer combined with high water level. Closing the volute should decrease the bubble size substantially. If it were me, I would close the volute to 1.5 turns out to start and run set the skimmer at 6.5"sump depth. Let it run for several hours to see how the skimmer behaves and how the foam head looks. From there, I would open the volute in 1/8 turn increments giving it a couple hours or more between adjustments to settle back in. Depending on the foam level in the skimmer, I would close the wedge pipe as needed to raise it up. If closing the wedge pipe more than 50% doesn't increase the foam head substantially. I would raise the water level in the sump another 1/4" and repeat the process.

Regarding the bearing, take a look at page 6 (section 2.3) of the manual. While I doubt that is your issue, it is an area that is commonly overlooked by many BK users.
reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1

 

[slief]

hi slief,

i'm getting a elos 200xl soon. the display has 253 gallon. i'm not sure about the sump yet. the tank will be heavily stocked with fishes ( blue tang,yellow tang, clownfish x2, regal angelfish, blue chromis x3, Starcki Damselfish & maybe more small fishes), and corals mostly sps and some lps. I will be feeding daily with frozen food also I'm not planning on a refugium but will be running carbon & GFO.

which skimmer do you recommend? i'm currently looking at the BK 200mini gen 3, will this be enough or do i have to go with something bigger?

any help will be appreciated thank you!

I'd say the Mini 200 is going to be marginal size wise for you display size and stock. While it would work and would be very consistent, I might consider the Double Cone 200. While they have similar ratings, I think the Double Cone would perform better for you and it will be easier to service given it has a pump that isn't inside the skimmer body. If you have limited space then you may not have much of a choice and have to go with the Mini.

 

[UWUALineman]

7.5" depth is at the very end of the depth range for that skimmer. Recommended depth is 6.2" - 7" deep. The surging is likely being caused by an excess of large bubbles entering skimmer combined with high water level. Closing the volute should decrease the bubble size substantially. If it were me, I would close the volute to 1.5 turns out to start and run set the skimmer at 6.5"sump depth. Let it run for several hours to see how the skimmer behaves and how the foam head looks. From there, I would open the volute in 1/8 turn increments giving it a couple hours or more between adjustments to settle back in. Depending on the foam level in the skimmer, I would close the wedge pipe as needed to raise it up. If closing the wedge pipe more than 50% doesn't increase the foam head substantially. I would raise the water level in the sump another 1/4" and repeat the process.

Regarding the bearing, take a look at page 6 (section 2.3) of the manual. While I doubt that is your issue, it is an area that is commonly overlooked by many BK users.
reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1

Thanks slief. I have been tinkering with this setup over the last couple of days. Of all the adjusting I have done, it still surges with any combination I throw at it. I will give it a few more days but my hopes are fading. These pumps have an electronic component built into them as well correct?

 

[slief]

Thanks slief. I have been tinkering with this setup over the last couple of days. Of all the adjusting I have done, it still surges with any combination I throw at it. I will give it a few more days but my hopes are fading. These pumps have an electronic component built into them as well correct?

The mini 600 doesn't really have a control chip in it like the typical DC pumps. It has coils that cause the impeller to spin at a constant speed. When the blocks fail, they will typically just die so I wouldn't expect surging to be caused by a marginal block. While it's possible that you have a pump motor issue, I kind of doubt that is the cause. It could be an obstruction in the air lines or the silencer as that would cause an excess of water flow and not enough air flow. If you pop the cover off the silencer, you will likely find a foam filter inside the silencer. Try removing the foam filter. Get a cup of scolding hot water and pour it in the silencer. The pump should draw the water in which will help clean the air path. At that point you can either clean the foam filter and reinstall it or just leave it out. I generally remove them but this can make the skimmer a bit noisier.

If you recently serviced your pump, I assume you cleaned the impeller and motor block separately in vinegar? Did you inspect the venturi inlet on the volute itself? Salt Creep has a tendency to build up in the venturi inlet. This will restrict airflow and again, can cause an excess of water flow and not enough air which can cause surging. A tooth pick will work wonders on removing salt creep inside the volutes venturi intake.

If you have checked all of the above, I'd seriously look at your water level in the sump and try raising the skimmer.

 

[thanhreef]

Extra Slim vs Standard

Extra Slim vs Standard

I am planning to order Mini Bubble King 200 DC pump. There are two versions:

Extra Slim (Dimension skimmer: 300 mm wide / 220 mm length / ~ 555 mm height)
Standard: (Dimension skimmer: 280 mm wide / 260 mm length / ~ 555 mm height)

The extra slim costs $50 more. Which one does run more efficiently?

thank you,
Thanh

 

[slief]

I am planning to order Mini Bubble King 200 DC pump. There are two versions:

Extra Slim (Dimension skimmer: 300 mm wide / 220 mm length / ~ 555 mm height)
Standard: (Dimension skimmer: 280 mm wide / 260 mm length / ~ 555 mm height)

The extra slim costs $50 more. Which one does run more efficiently?

thank you,
Thanh

I've never seen the slim offered by the US channel before. That said, i would go with the standard version if you have the space.

 

[thanhreef]

I've never seen the slim offered by the US channel before. That said, i would go with the standard version if you have the space.

Thank you, Slief. I saw it on Premium Aquatics online store. I called PA and I was told that they run exactly the same.

 

[slief]

Thank you, Slief. I saw it on Premium Aquatics online store. I called PA and I was told that they run exactly the same.

Interesting. As soon as you mentioned the slim, I went to the Premium website and looked but didn't see it. I guess I must have missed it then. You learn something new every day!

 

[UWUALineman]

The mini 600 doesn't really have a control chip in it like the typical DC pumps. It has coils that cause the impeller to spin at a constant speed. When the blocks fail, they will typically just die so I wouldn't expect surging to be caused by a marginal block. While it's possible that you have a pump motor issue, I kind of doubt that is the cause. It could be an obstruction in the air lines or the silencer as that would cause an excess of water flow and not enough air flow. If you pop the cover off the silencer, you will likely find a foam filter inside the silencer. Try removing the foam filter. Get a cup of scolding hot water and pour it in the silencer. The pump should draw the water in which will help clean the air path. At that point you can either clean the foam filter and reinstall it or just leave it out. I generally remove them but this can make the skimmer a bit noisier.

If you recently serviced your pump, I assume you cleaned the impeller and motor block separately in vinegar? Did you inspect the venturi inlet on the volute itself? Salt Creep has a tendency to build up in the venturi inlet. This will restrict airflow and again, can cause an excess of water flow and not enough air which can cause surging. A tooth pick will work wonders on removing salt creep inside the volutes venturi intake.

If you have checked all of the above, I'd seriously look at your water level in the sump and try raising the skimmer.

Slief, up to this point I have noted, if I turn the volute out 11 turns the surging greatly subsides. The less air I have entering the pump via the volute the worse it gets. I've cleaned the silencer and have also completely removed it from the tubing both with the same result. I've fluctuated water depths from 6.5 to 7 inches at this point. Small deviations made a big impact on skimmer water level within the skimmer, but nothing that effected surging.
I did inspect the air inlets for salt creep and all was clear.
I find this hard to understand as nothing changed within my sump, I initially put the skimmer in, adjusted it and it was solid performing, then out of nowhere it starts this.

 

[slief]

Slief, up to this point I have noted, if I turn the volute out 11 turns the surging greatly subsides. The less air I have entering the pump via the volute the worse it gets. I've cleaned the silencer and have also completely removed it from the tubing both with the same result. I've fluctuated water depths from 6.5 to 7 inches at this point. Small deviations made a big impact on skimmer water level within the skimmer, but nothing that effected surging.
I did inspect the air inlets for salt creep and all was clear.
I find this hard to understand as nothing changed within my sump, I initially put the skimmer in, adjusted it and it was solid performing, then out of nowhere it starts this.

How long was the skimmer working well before you noticed the surging?

 

[UWUALineman]

3 months roughly.

 

[slief]

3 months roughly.

Was this skimmer purchased new? Did you ever check the bearing seating? If not, I would remove that and reinstall it per the instructions and make you sure get it seated properly so that the o-ring is properly seated into the groove that the bearing seats in.

It looks like you have a 120g display. How is your stock load in the tank?

 

[UWUALineman]

I bought it used.
This skimmer is on a 60 gallon with 7 fish and SPS with a 30 gallon sump. I bought this with intention to put this onto my 93g build I have in the works, buy once, buy right.
Yes, I did check the bearing and I didn't see anything that I could tell that was of any concern.
Bubble King absolutely sucks with after the purchase support, so I appreciate your effort slief.