MRC Club

[vanillagorila]

Im sure its just that I don't have my skimmer dialed in right, but it only makes great skim when its dirty. after I clean it, it makes good foam, but it doesn't really start making a good amount of skim until its really just black dirty. does anyone else have this problem?

 

[rsteagall]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11402664#post11402664 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RGibson
if that air line gets stop up the water in the the skimmer will go down.

Good thought... I haven't taken my mr2 out of the box yet, but if it doesn't have a way for gas to escape except for the tube to the waste collector and that gets stopped up... it will build up pressure and do exactly what you mention. I've seen this happen on some skimmers i've had in the past where the air hole at the top gets clogged with skim.

 

[jaws_too]

Re: I love my MRC equipment

Re: I love my MRC equipment

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11386009#post11386009 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dca22anderson
I am new to this thread and would like to share my set up with you...This is my MRC Skimmer in action.

This is my fish room with the MRC Calcium Reactor on the second shelf. It's a dual reactor.

Great Thread! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with me!

NICE TANK!

 

[dca22anderson]

Thanks jaws_too!

 

[64Ivy]

In my case it WAS the pump that caused the problem. Installed a new one this morning (5000) and everything is back to normal.

 

[WeeJ]

Hi all - I just go my MR-2 so im a newbie in the club.

Quick question - due to space constraints... will the mr-2 work fine if i use a T and 45 directly after the output but it would be an 1" or 2" below the water line ?

 

[vanillagorila]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11518034#post11518034 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WeeJ
Hi all - I just go my MR-2 so im a newbie in the club.

Quick question - due to space constraints... will the mr-2 work fine if i use a T and 45 directly after the output but it would be an 1" or 2" below the water line ?

you just want to make sure and use a tee for an air-break.

 

[newsalt]

I'm still having a problem. It skims well for about a week and then bam, the water level in the main column drops.3-4 inches. I understand that sometime a skimmer stops skimming if there's nothing to skim or if you put your hands in the water, put having the level drop 3-4 inches in the main column? Something doesn't seem right. Can someone help?

 

[McLaughlin4]

I was wondering if you guys could help me get my MRC MR-1 with quick release set up correctly . My issue is the out take of the skimmer ( where the water comes out ) Does that need to be above the water line . I want to use it externally . So i assume the skimmer needs to be raised above the sump so gravity allows the water to fall into the sump.? And would you have it drain into my sump or into my fuge/frag tank, all of which are connected to each other and pumped back in to the tank. To reduce the ammount of micro bubbles . Hope that makes sense . Thanks in advance Jim

 

[SDguy]

The skimmer can be above or at the same level as the sump. The water level in the sump just needs to be at or below the recommended water level for a MRC1.

A decent amount of bubbles comes out of the skimmer, not sure you'd wnt that entering a frag tank or fuge really....bubbles sticking to chaeto will make it float too much. Bubbles sticking to frags probably not too good either.

 

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11546478#post11546478 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by newsalt
I'm still having a problem. It skims well for about a week and then bam, the water level in the main column drops.3-4 inches. I understand that sometime a skimmer stops skimming if there's nothing to skim or if you put your hands in the water, put having the level drop 3-4 inches in the main column? Something doesn't seem right. Can someone help?

Did you solve your problem? Assuming the water level in the area of your sump from where the skimmer pump is pulling, stays constant, then it sounds like you are getting debris in your pump and/or becketts, causing slight clogging, and reduction in water level in the skimmer.

When you set your skimmer, you should mark the height of the water in the skimmer (with no air being injected). Then after a week, if it has dropped again, close off the air again, and see if the water only level has changed. This will tell you if it is in fact the water level that is changing, or the amount of air that is changing, thereby affecting the perceived water level.

 

[drstupid]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11731518#post11731518 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by McLaughlin4
I was wondering if you guys could help me get my MRC MR-1 with quick release set up correctly . My issue is the out take of the skimmer ( where the water comes out ) Does that need to be above the water line . I want to use it externally . So i assume the skimmer needs to be raised above the sump so gravity allows the water to fall into the sump.? And would you have it drain into my sump or into my fuge/frag tank, all of which are connected to each other and pumped back in to the tank. To reduce the ammount of micro bubbles . Hope that makes sense . Thanks in advance Jim

i ran one of those for a long time. if the drain is submerged in the sump, the skimmer had a hard time running consistently. if the drain is totally above the water line in the sump, it's noisy and you get more bubbles. what worked for me was to have a 90 right at the water line, so sort of half submerged from the side view.

also, you will probably want to do the "U Tube mod" discussed in this thread to combat microbubbles. with the MR1 things are tight, you need to use a street 90 on the becket bulkhead and a 45 elbow directing the flow up to the chamber. search this thread, you'll see what i mean after you read up on it.

 

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11732757#post11732757 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drstupid
i ran one of those for a long time. if the drain is submerged in the sump, the skimmer had a hard time running consistently.

Just for further info, this would be due to a fluctuating water level to where your skimmer is returning. Higher level = more backpressure. This is why it is always recommended to keep the water level in the skimmer compartment constant.

 

[kimoyo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9784107#post9784107 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by skwirl
that mak 4 is a noisy pump.. a good pump, but noisy as **** get a titanium pump if you want silence, but it will cost you some $$$ and in a 140 about 1 degree in temp increase..
i didnt think you could do the u-tube mod on an mr1.. i though it was too small, but if you can, its a good mod.. dont do it if your not having a bubble problem though.. do you have the new style beckett? if so a t4 will do great on that skimmer..

Has anyone actually tried this before? Using a velocity t4 on a single beckett skimmer? Thanks.

 

[moumda]

I just got a MR-3R powered by a PW55 HD 150 PS Panworld pump and need some help (recommendations) on how to run it. I've got the water level about an inch below the top of the riser with the air off. When I turn the air on the level rises someplace in the quick disconnect, can't tell where. I need to do this to produce any skimmate at all. I've got a single dwyer rotameter that I move to each beckett injector once I have the skimmer set up. It turns out I'm only measuring about 11 scfh on each injector. When I drop the water level down in the riser section the air injection goes to about 30 scfh on each of the becketts but no skimmate produced. Way too much turbulence for that. Okay here are my questions:
1: My becketts are right on top of my skimmer box. Should I elevate them above the level I'm running my water level? I worry about back flow during a power outage.
2: Should I modify the becketts like in the Optimized beckeets thread in the DIY forum?
3: Should I try using just 1 of the becketts and see if my pump will drive 1 beckett better than 2?
4: Do I need a bigger pump for this skimmer?
Any input would be appreciated.

 

[tangafish]

what pump would you recommend for the mr-2r. My genex pc55 just started smoking and the motor seized up this morning for no reason. My feed pump and line are well below the water level. I assume the pump was just defective considering I have only had it a week. I guess that just happens but I still have no regrets with the skimmer itself.

So i need to get a new pump. I emailed Tim just havent heard back yet. I had the genex pc55 which was working great it really kept the water churning and I had more foam than i ever imagined I would. MRC also carries pan world, iwaki, sequence and reeflo. I dont have a clue which ones are good so I need your input please.

 

[SDguy]

At 1 week isn't the pump under warranty of any kind?

 

[p4ck37p1mp]

I'd get a Sequence. I've had my Marlin running my MR2 for over two years, no maintenance needed. The Marlin is overkill, but there are two smaller models. I got the Marlin as I wanted to run my return and fuge off a manifold with a single pump. Look for the Baldor motors, the general belief is that those are better than the others they sometimes use.

 

[Rouselb]

I run the genx pc55. It sure does the trick. Now if i could only get it to keep skimming without constantly adjusting the gate valve i would be all set.

 

[tangafish]

it does have a 2 year warranty. I am not sure yet if Tim will refund, exchange or worst case scenerio if I have to deal with the manufacturer on the pump. I would rather go with something different though in hopes I will have better luck with a different brand. I'll take a look at the sequence pumps. thanks.