Converting to a reef... Can I do it?

[Tswifty]

4:00am... and I woke up to that oh so lovely sound again...

Facts: Skimmer Ran from 3am Sun till 1am Mon pumping maybe 2 gallons of water out.... I think I finally have it pulling out skimmate at a normal rate, then BOOM!!!!

Between 1am and 4am this morning it pumped out probably 8 gallons of water!!!!!!!!!!!

I'VE HAD IT WITH THIS SKIMMER AS OF NOW!!! I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE!!! I HAVE IT INSTALLED EXACTLY THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO!!! THIS IS THE 3RD TIME I'VE HAD TO CLEAN UP WATER AND HONESTLY I'M ABOUT READY TO KICK THE HOBBY!!!

 

[Tswifty]

4:00am... and I woke up to that oh so lovely sound again...

Facts:
Skimmer Ran from 3am Sun till 1am Mon pumping maybe 2 gallons of water out....

I MONITORED IT ALL DAY, AND IT BARELY PUMPED ANYTHING OUT!!!

I think I finally have it pulling out skimmate at a normal rate, then BOOM!!!!

Between 1am and 4am this morning it pumped out probably 8 gallons of water!!!!!!!!!!!

I'VE HAD IT WITH THIS SKIMMER AS OF NOW!!! I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE!!! I HAVE IT INSTALLED EXACTLY THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO!!! THIS IS THE 3RD TIME I'VE HAD TO CLEAN UP WATER AND HONESTLY I'M ABOUT READY TO KICK THE HOBBY!!!

My reef conversion was about saving money, and the amount of money I've had to spend on overflows, water damage, renting carpet cleaners is now getting out of control. I'll have to rent a carpet cleaner again to get all this water sucked out ($30 per 3 hours)

I'm calling the manufacturer later today. I don't know... I just don't know.

wits end people...

 

[Tswifty]

ok... now I'm laughing... my 2 cats (yes both) just threw up all over the carpet...

seriously someone up there has a twisted sense of humor.

 

[chatyak]

hmmmm this really makes me not want to buy an aqua c skimmer now. i think ill look elsewhere

 

[Tswifty]

chatyak... Don't give up yet!!! haha... I talked to they guy who sold me the skimmer. He told me that there's a fine line to get the skimmer to skim properly, and it took him a while to figure it out.

Too high = No bubbles, overflow

Too low = Bubbles too large, overflow

I sent him a picture of my setup, and he showed me the water height he used for the skimmer. I have it set to that now, and we'll see what happens.

 

[chatyak]

I am following along as the preferred skimmer size for my sump would be this model or the 120. I hope it works cause I have my doubts for mine now lol

Do let us know the progress.

 

[Tswifty]

FINALLY!!!

After some good advice from the previous owner, I got the skimmer to work, and it is working GREAT!

Apparently I didn't have the water level HIGH enough. Funny, I was more worried about it overflowing from being to high, that I actaully made it more prone to overflow by setting the water level to low allowing for larger bubbles.

Anyway, thank gawd that's over.

Also, UPS guy dropped off the phos-ban reactor and the mini-jet today and I got them installed in the sump.

Hopefully I'll get some good water parameters this weekend.

 

[chatyak]

Great to hear. Do you have any video?

 

[Tswifty]

No, my camera died... I'm charging it now.

How do you upload video?

 

[chatyak]

You can put it on photobucket or youtube then just post the link. Easy peasy... but then again, Digital Media and internet marketing are my field Let me know if u need any help.

 

[Tswifty]

Here's a list of my expenses so far:

$20.00 20g long tank (Petco)
$12.00 1/4" glass baffles (Canton Glass)
$25.00 Plumbing supplies (Lowes)
$3.00 10g refugium tote (Lowes)
$8.00 Refugium light (Home Depot)
$3.00 Chaeto(?) ball for fuge (LFS)
$30.00 HOB Overflow (Ebay)
$150.00 AquaC Ev-90 & Mag 5 (RC - Doe)
$70.00 2 Hydor Koralia 3's (New - Amazon)
$45.00 Via Aqua return pump (New - LFS)
$70.00 Phos-ban reactor & Mini-jet pump (New - MarineDepot)

Total: $436.00

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11044366#post11044366 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
Here's a list of my expenses so far:

$20.00 20g long tank (Petco)
$12.00 1/4" glass baffles (Canton Glass)
$25.00 Plumbing supplies (Lowes)
$3.00 10g refugium tote (Lowes)
$8.00 Refugium light (Home Depot)
$3.00 Chaeto(?) ball for fuge (LFS)
$30.00 HOB Overflow (Ebay)
$150.00 AquaC Ev-90 & Mag 5 (RC - Doe)
$70.00 2 Hydor Koralia 3's (New - Amazon)
$45.00 Via Aqua return pump (New - LFS)
$70.00 Phos-ban reactor & Mini-jet pump (New - MarineDepot)

Total: $436.00

information from reef central-----priceless

 

[chatyak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11048607#post11048607 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
information from reef central-----priceless

lol