Considering RD3 50w and Mini 160...few questions

[neiltus]

Thanks guys-I am going to cut some pvc for a riser today. maybe 1".

 

[slief]

Thanks guys-I am going to cut some pvc for a riser today. maybe 1".

Yea, A 1" stand would be a good starting point. If it was working well before, you may not even need a stand if you have a really light load. Then again, if you raise it up, you have the wedge pipe to adjust the water level in the skimmer so you are safe even if you do raise the skimmer up.

 

[neiltus]

Thoughts on setting? If I close anymore I get water. I assume I just need to wait longer!

 

[slief]

Thoughts on setting? If I close anymore I get water. I assume I just need to wait longer!

This is a new system right? Skimmers need dissolved organics to produce good foam. Since your system is brand new, you don't really have any proteins in the water for good foam fractioning. Also, it takes a week or so for a skimmer to break in. You're going to need to wait a bit and also add some load. Until you get fish in there and feeding, that skimmer will not produce nor will you get good foam.

 

[neiltus]

It's a new system yes. It also has about 75# of TBS live rock in it.

It started producing last night. I opened the choke for overnight and will close it some today while I am around.

 

[neiltus]

I got a pretty good layer of scum on the bottom of the removable reservoir as well as the neck tube going up to the reservoir, not the neck in the reservoir.

I decided that buildup was preventing any accumulation above it. I pulled the skimmer, removed the reservoir and cleaned it (also had a powder from the live sand dust on the pump that I wanted to clean. I also noticed that my bubble creating horizontal circle thingy (nice name feel free to use it) was pushed off to the side.

After cleaning I put back in, ran it for 6 hours without reservoir (on a more open setting) and now am getting more scum. I am thinking I might have had a layer of sand dust the cone.

Anyway...pleased. It's getting some stuff, but considering there is no food load in the tank...I am happy.

 

[slief]

I got a pretty good layer of scum on the bottom of the removable reservoir as well as the neck tube going up to the reservoir, not the neck in the reservoir.

I decided that buildup was preventing any accumulation above it. I pulled the skimmer, removed the reservoir and cleaned it (also had a powder from the live sand dust on the pump that I wanted to clean. I also noticed that my bubble creating horizontal circle thingy (nice name feel free to use it) was pushed off to the side.

After cleaning I put back in, ran it for 6 hours without reservoir (on a more open setting) and now am getting more scum. I am thinking I might have had a layer of sand dust the cone.

Anyway...pleased. It's getting some stuff, but considering there is no food load in the tank...I am happy.

I think that "bubble creating circle thingy" you are talking about is the nozzle. Very happy to hear it seems to be performing better. Once you get some fish in the tank and some consistent waste for the skimmer to do something with, it will begin performing much better.

 

[neiltus]

Two week + 1 day and I am getting stuff up into the neck...it's a start.

The brown ring below the water max line...do I need to clean that off, or will it reduce the ability for skimmate to be produced?

My NO3 has been around 50ppm, PO4 around .5, No NH4 or NO2. I did a 50% water change last week to see how long the NO3 would stay down, I got a day, then back up to 50ppm. Since this was live rock that never came out of the water, I assume the die off will just continue to turn into NO3, so I started carbon dosing 3ml of nopox (much easier than chasing it with water changes) and will slowly work up if necessary.

 

[ReefClownMIA]

Go ahead and close the output/wedge tube some to bring up the water level inside the skimmer body. You'll want the transition, the part where water turns to bubbles right at the neck.... Right around where it shows the water line on the sticker. Every tank is different, but that's a good starting point.

 

[neiltus]

Go ahead and close the output/wedge tube some to bring up the water level inside the skimmer body. You'll want the transition, the part where water turns to bubbles right at the neck.... Right around where it shows the water line on the sticker. Every tank is different, but that's a good starting point.

I pulled the head earlier, and it appears my waterline is just about at the ***** mark on that sticker. Just can't tell in the photo with all the crud, unless I am missing something.

 

[ReefClownMIA]

You'll want to clean the crud out of there...

 

[neiltus]

...did it, and closed the valve a bit.

 

[neiltus]

This is about a week worth of crap...looking good. Lot of crap for no fish in the tank.