Not so Happy w/my Bubble King 2nd Gen. 200

[rogerwilco357]

hmm

hmm

I use the Royal Exclusive with the same 1500 dragon pump and it rocks.. Now lately when I go into feed mode which means the RKE shuts the main pump and the skimmer off for 45 to 60 minutes depends on the option picked ..but when it comes on I noticed it starts off slow and takes over an hour to go full throttle if i adjust the pipe yeah it will over flow when it gets going ..I noticed that if I just tap the front of the pump it starts full throttle alot faster right on the spot not sure why but my sump is way to small to house this unit so might be to close to the wall of the sump ..how big is your sump ?

 

[kenghmoob]

I totally agree the the lack of customer service the bubble king has. i am currently using a mini 180 1st generation. The pump went out after two years. i expect something of that nature to last a bit longer, especially after paying that amount for it. No one has parts or has very little of it. You can't even call customer service because they direct you to the distributors which in turn has no parts. i was fortunate enough that a shipment was coming in with more pumps otherwise i would have to have waited a lot longer. my tank was down for 2 weeks before i got the skimmer up and running again. a word to the wise: save up for a new pump and get it as a spare so you can quickly change it out when your pump goes out

 

[dvsn]

So the Bubble King has settled into a predictable pattern in the early operational stages. At the first AM feeding it 100% shuts down. At about six hrs later it shows signs of some foam at the bottom of the cup throat but can't climb up. At the second feeding some seven-ish or so hrs later (PM) the Bubble King shuts down again having only recovered a small amount. The Bubble King only fully recovers sometime in the middle of the following night so that by morning there is about one inch of skimmate in the cup then the pattern repeats.

Unlike my EuroReef Skimmer which produced an extremely dark green product both in the cup, sides of the throat and inside the lid, the Bubble King produces a somewhat diluted version that is light brown in color. I say "diluted" but that is very subjective as I have no real way to test, relying only on the way it looks and smells.

I continue to have great respect for the Bubble King build quality and I really like the way the cup "throat" pops out for cleaning. Every now and then the standpipe sounds off like a trumpet but I just put my finger over the top of it and it stops.

I still remain "not so happy" with the performance but as mentioned here I'm willing to give it more time. I still have my EuroReef and with a new Sedra pump it will work like new if I need to go that route.

dave

 

[pencil3]

Hard to tell by the picture, but where is your water level at inside the skimmer? It looks like it is above the line and in the neck of the skimmer?

 

[dvsn]

Hard to tell by the picture, but where is your water level at inside the skimmer? It looks like it is above the line and in the neck of the skimmer?

Water level is 4-1/2" inches below skimmer cup outside the skimmer. It's difficult to determine water level inside the skimmer if I understand the question correctly. There is solid water (no mixing of bubbles about an inch above the pump and a bit more at the exhaust. I've experimented some with the water level an inch or so either side of this location. With adjustment of the stovepipe you end up with the same results. In other words the skimmer will operate properly at several different water levels (within reason) as long as the proper adjustments are made.

Just fed some about an hr. ago and as you can see in the photo where the water level is and skimmer chamber full of bubbles but the cup on top is dead.

 

[todd williams]

I have had a ETSS in the past and I always thought it was a great skimmer. I now have a BK and it has been running since Dec 08. It too shuts down after feeding but it usually recovers within a hour. There is is ebb and flow throughout the day. I don't think you should expect it to always produce. Maybe there is nothing to skim?
My skimmate is always dark greenish brown and the skimmate tube gets a thick layer of "mud" by the end to the week. I wipe mine clean weekly.
I don't pretend to know what is the 'best'. All I know is my water is very clean , my tank appears happy, my BK spins like a top 24/7

One think to check though. I had a experience with my BK once where it was not skimming well. The output dropped significantly and I was not getting a fine a bubble out of it like I remember. There was a sucking sound and water was being sucked into the air line making a gurgling sound. After confirming this was not normal by looking a BK working in the LFS, I sucked on the air intake line on top of the skimmer. There was a obstruction inside. Somehow some gravel had got lodged inside the canister. Don't ask me how it got there (???). I sucked on the tube and got a mouthful of gravel. (Yuk) Once I cleared all of the gravel I dialed in the water level and my BK came back to life. Good as new!! You might just check if you have a similar problem. There should be no obstruction in the air line, the line running to the Red Dragon should not have any water in it, and you should be getting a real fine bubble from the bottom. Something to double check. Good Luck