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[siropa]

Getting some nice foam there.

I wonder if you should have used bigger holes on the bubble plate. what size are those?

 

[FFrankie]

Good foam dude!

 

[jtreefdweller]

I'm loving your tank especially the stand and canopy. Also that's an awesome DIY skimmer.

 

[customcolor]

that foam is from 3 galons of skimmate and 5 galons of salt water so thats y i have mega foam. now after break in the foam is more steady and not so explosive. plus i have the water level about half way up the cone to get the nece steady foam from just sycling 15 galons of water. the water was nice and green when i started and now its nice and clear! every time i add more skimmate to it it goes nuts for about 10 min so i cant wait to hook it up to the tank. but that will have to wait so i can fix one of our cars

the size of the holes i do beleave is 1/16. i was thinking about puting more holes in since i have the room for them. i just wanted to try fewer first to see how it reacts. thats the good thing about using a rubbermaid, i can just remove the top and make more or make bigger holes

 

[customcolor]

here is a quick vid of the skimmer in action and me adding some skimmate to kick it in high. i also tryed something new to the skimmer in the vid to see how it works <BR><BR>back ground noise is mostly the air inlets and its not realy that loud in person and the wattage draw i say in this movie is per dolphin pump.<BR><BR>

 

[saintperez]

Please excuse the newbie question, but what is skimmate? Reason, I ask is that I setup my tank yesterday and I'm noticing my skimmer is producing bubbles but they are not rising past the level of the output pipe. I adjusted the air intake to less air but still nothing. I have a sealife systems Impact skimmer, in case anyone has one.


Thanks,
Santiago

 

[customcolor]

skimmate to what i beleave is desolved organics (protiens) in the water colum in the tank. if a tank set up is new there wont realy be any desolved organics yet unless you put food in the tank or your live rock is not cured yet.
and for 2 if that skimmer is brand new it will take any where from 3 days to 2 weeks to break in. that means that there is a slime coating in the inside of the skimmer that will alow the bubbles to stay bubbles to rise and colect in the cup and pop there to leave behind the skimmate (dark or light green nasty smelling stuff)

 

[saintperez]

CustomColor, you just answered a very important question I was about to post. I just filled in my tank yesterday around 4 PM. I was looking at the skimmer today and it seems the bubbles rose at some point to the collection cup because there are some ghost bubbles up there but the current level was much lower. I was assuming it would have something to do with aging so I will wait a few days before I start freaking out.

Thanks,
Santiago

 

[customcolor]

i hope every thing goes good in a few days

 

[morrisgigantus]

bump...

just found this thread.. i read the whole thing.. nice work.
wondering if u have any new pics... n how is that skimmer working?

 

[customcolor]

thanks for the bump!!!!
i havent taken a fts in a wile so i may have to do that soon!
the skimmer did get hooked up and i ran it like it was for a few weeks hopping it was going to work good. it worked but it burped air alot and broke the surface destroying the nice foam head. i got sick of it having to have the water level so high. i took the pumps abart and mesh moded them (sorry no pics on that) with 4 layers of mesh.
i did not change any setting on the skimmer when i hooked up the pumps and holy @@@t they made super fine bubbles and the skimmer was overflowing. but after tunning it in its doing perty good, granted its not the darkest of skimmate but 2 gal of green tea in a week is perty good for me since the turbofloater was able to do half that in a month things are starting to look better in the tank.
<BR><BR> all for now

 

[customcolor]

some updated pics for you all

some updated pics for you all

my tank is over a year old now and the foam still looks great! most every thing is looking great! here the pics of my tank now mostly lps but i still love it!

 

[customcolor]

<BR>
its a 70w halide in there

 

[customcolor]

 

[T5PO]

Very nice!!!! Im still tracking

 

[customcolor]

at least some is.......lol

 

[hotwired99]

Im still here too. Like the choice of LPS. I tend to choose them also..

 

[boviac]

YEah nice pics, nice corals and what bulbs are you using?

 

[Young Frankenstein]

Custome ....I can only say ........... awesome work and my type of system........I love it good work !

 

[Young Frankenstein]

When I saw this .......... I thought I post a pic of my main displays light