Reef Pack 200 (9002 w/ Clenaer) Trouble with Skimmer

[twodaend]

I have been using this skimmer now for the past 5 months and I find myself constantly have to adjust the air valve (blue knob). Whenever I clean the cup, I have to readjust until I see foam at the bottom of the cup. If I don't I the skimmer never produces and skimate. Sometimes with a slight adjustment, I get a cup full of water in about an hour so I have to back off a bit.

I have been reading a lot about the water level of the skimmer and how it should be at or just below the water line. Mine has be at or above the line. The reason being is because I have the cleaner attached. With the cleaner attached if I just use the water level on the skimmer, the cleaner has just enough water. Also, if the water is too low, I start getting bubble from the cleans since it is not enough water.

I was wondering how high should my water be in respect to the skimmer and cleaner being attached. Should I still use the line on the skimmer and just top off more often to keep it a a constant level.

Right now I have a 20L with 2 clowns, 1 firefish, 2 cleaner shrimps, 2 peppermint shrimps and few frags, mostly zoos.

 

[rvitko]

There is a solution to this, the holders that the magnet screws onto has too positions, you could stagger them so the filter is mounted lower than the skimmer and I think it would solve this problem. The skimmer is less finicky when it is raised up a bit. If you have kids and they have a toy tool set I would use the plastic screwdriver as it can be very frustrating to fight the magnet with a steel screwdriver. Alternatively, the pull tab from a coke can with work as an improvised screwdriver as well.

 

[twodaend]

I'll try to stagger them tonight and use the skimmer water line as my max. Should I always see foam raising in the skimmer cup. Sometimes after cleaning I don't see anything. If I don't adjust the dial, no foam or skimate is ever produced. produced. A few times after cleaning, I've left it for a few days without making any adjustment and nothing is every produced.

 

[rvitko]

Normally, it should start to have rising foam within a few hours after cleaning but not immediately. My suspicion is that when you clean the cup, water enters the airline and only by opening the screw do you purge the water out, once the water is out it takes in more air than before and overflows. Raising it will prevent this.