Royal-Exclusiv / Vertex Cone Skimmer Club

[Jeremy B.]

mine keeps overflowing with water or not making enough bubbles, its a 200. I try to adjust the wedge pipe and it all looks good but a few mins later overflowing again????

A couple things could be happening. You're adjusting the water level too high (at the time of adjustment it probably looks ok), but as the foam head builds, the water level also comes up some, and bam, you overflow. Set the skimmer in exactly 9" of water, and adjust the actual water level inside the skimmer to where it's right inbetween the collar and the bottom of the collection cup. Then let it go for at least 48hrs before making anymore adjustments. If this is still causing it to overflow, then make 1/16th of a turn open on the wedge pipe, and let it set for at least 2hrs before making another 1/16th turn if need be.

If the wedge pipe is wide open and the skimmer still overflows then it's setting too deep in the sump, or the skimmer is reacting with something in the system that is causing it to overflow.

 

[Jeremy B.]

Setting up a 300 fowlr will the alpha 250 be big enough and if I decided to go full reef will it be adequate?Also will be using a 75 gallon tank for the sump.

The Alpha 250 would be more than enough to handle this system. I am using the same skimmer on a heavily loaded 450gal - 500gal total volume system, and it handles that just fine.

 

[Jeremy B.]

I'm looking at picking up a alpha 170. I keep seeing this re-occurring problem, surging issues. Is there something I should know about this skimmer before dumping $800 on it?

The Alpha 170 no longer surges. The very first batch of them released had a surging issue in about 30% - 40% of them. The new version has a completely redesigned pump head and adjustable venturi that fixed this.

 

[JoeMomma]

Skimmer Issues

Skimmer Issues

I went away for work and left my parents to look after my tank. Every since returning my skimmer has not worked the same. I'm not sure if this issue has been brought up in the past but I haven't been here in some time and I'm not able to go over 30 pages that have transpired right now.

After about 2 days of skimming it my Aplha 200 overflows and bubbles are shot out of the output. There are no obstructions on the pump and no amount of changing the water level in my sump or in my skimmer has any effect. It will overflow completely wide open.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[rbnice1]

Did you pull the pump and look at it? Mine did that and when I pulled the pump apart it had 2 small snails shells stuck in the pinwheel.

 

[Walter Costa]

a couple of questions about ozone and the Alpha 200:

1- Do you need to use a air pump ?
2- Looks like the output of the skimmer would be below sump water level. How should I use GAC on the output?

 

[Eel-byte]

The Alpha 170 no longer surges. The very first batch of them released had a surging issue in about 30% - 40% of them. The new version has a completely redesigned pump head and adjustable venturi that fixed this.

Thanks Jeremy. I've been a Premium Aquatics guy for many years. Thanks for the great service!

 

[ScallopKing]

i am in need of help with my alpha cone skimmer. i'v read most of this and although did not purchase through premium aquatics, have bought a lot of stuff in the past. any help is appreciated.

first off i understand there are no instructions with this thing? even online would help a bit.

Second for the connections, I have the thick clear tube coming out of the red pipe on the skimmer connected to the large connection inlet on the pump, assume this is right?

I have the red skinny tube connected to red inlet on the pump and the red outlet (?) on the skimmer, assume this is right? what is the red skinny tubing for anyway? on top of the red outlet on the skimmer it looks like it has a small clear cap on it, should it be there? some pics i see it is removed on this thread.

Third, i was not able to get any foam higher than a couple inches in the skimmer body so i removed the white plug (?) that was screwed into the pump intake, should i have removed it and what is it for anyway?

Fourth, it is sitting in 8" inches of water, is this enough? i read here you need 10" to run?

Fifth, last night it was overflowing massively, and would not stop even when I turned the tube. Had to turn it off. was the foam too high?

Sixth, it is producing a lot of microbubbles, is this normal?

I will post some pics of the setup tonight when I get home. thanks a bunch.

 

[JoeMomma]

Did you pull the pump and look at it? Mine did that and when I pulled the pump apart it had 2 small snails shells stuck in the pinwheel.

Just cleaned out the pinwheel. There was 2 of the tiniest shells stuck in there. Turned the skimmer back on and it overflowed instantly.

 

[rbnice1]

Just cleaned out the pinwheel. There was 2 of the tiniest shells stuck in there. Turned the skimmer back on and it overflowed instantly.

Only other thing I have had is that I get a build up of white stuff where the air line connects to the impeller housing. I pull off the grey piece then soak it in hot water and use a small screw driver. I also had to pull off the air muffler or mine over flows. Not sure why, there is no water in it and if I blow through it there is no resistance.

 

[rbnice1]

i am in need of help with my alpha cone skimmer. i'v read most of this and although did not purchase through premium aquatics, have bought a lot of stuff in the past. any help is appreciated.

first off i understand there are no instructions with this thing? even online would help a bit.

Second for the connections, I have the thick clear tube coming out of the red pipe on the skimmer connected to the large connection inlet on the pump, assume this is right?

I have the red skinny tube connected to red inlet on the pump and the red outlet (?) on the skimmer, assume this is right? what is the red skinny tubing for anyway? on top of the red outlet on the skimmer it looks like it has a small clear cap on it, should it be there? some pics i see it is removed on this thread.

Third, i was not able to get any foam higher than a couple inches in the skimmer body so i removed the white plug (?) that was screwed into the pump intake, should i have removed it and what is it for anyway?

Fourth, it is sitting in 8" inches of water, is this enough? i read here you need 10" to run?

Fifth, last night it was overflowing massively, and would not stop even when I turned the tube. Had to turn it off. was the foam too high?

Sixth, it is producing a lot of microbubbles, is this normal?

I will post some pics of the setup tonight when I get home. thanks a bunch.

Fist the small red inlet on the pump is for if you use Ozone. If you dont use ozone nothing should be connected to that.

Second what Alpha do you have? My 200 runs in 8.75 inches of water. At 8 I dont get any skim and at 9 I overflow.

 

[JoeMomma]

Only other thing I have had is that I get a build up of white stuff where the air line connects to the impeller housing. I pull off the grey piece then soak it in hot water and use a small screw driver. I also had to pull off the air muffler or mine over flows. Not sure why, there is no water in it and if I blow through it there is no resistance.

Thanks for the responses rbnice1!

I took apart the skimmer and gave it a scrubbing. Plugged it back in and it didn't overflow but with the cup halfway full, bubbles started coming out out the output.

I've taken off the silencer in hopes that it will make a difference. If not than I'll try cleaning out the impeller housing again.

I just want my skimmer working properly!

 

[ScallopKing]

Fist the small red inlet on the pump is for if you use Ozone. If you dont use ozone nothing should be connected to that.

Second what Alpha do you have? My 200 runs in 8.75 inches of water. At 8 I dont get any skim and at 9 I overflow.

so that's what the red tube is for, makes sense. i pulled it off and still was massively overflowing. so i put the white screw in plug back into the pump inlet, screwed in about half way and it started working nicely. i raised the water a little bit to probably 8.5". i'd still like to know if i have this setup right. here's some pics. the tube is wide open right now too. the foam happened when i first turned it on and dialed the tube back to wide open. it crept downwards to about the bottom of the cup neck.

 

[Jeremy B.]

I would turn the white venturi all the way in to the right (clockwise) until it stops. Then turn it out 2 full turns counter-clockwise. This should be a good starting point for you. You shouldn't need to run anymore than 4 full turns out once the skimmer is broken in and producing.

 

[Eel-byte]

ScallopKing asked ghe question I was going to ask. I'm looking at getting the 170, my skimmer section has 8.5" of water in it. Will I have to make adjustments to my sump or will 8.5" be enough?

 

[ScallopKing]

I would turn the white venturi all the way in to the right (clockwise) until it stops. Then turn it out 2 full turns counter-clockwise. This should be a good starting point for you. You shouldn't need to run anymore than 4 full turns out once the skimmer is broken in and producing.

is it normal with the venturi in there to skim to the top then drop back down to the lower body, this happened after i said everything was working nicely. i went to bed with foam at the cup, come out this morning and it was back down. what's going on, still breaking in?

 

[ScallopKing]

oh yeah, i have the 170 too. thanks all.

 

[Jeremy B.]

Scallop King - I wouldn't even do much to try and dial the skimmer in yet. Give it a week or so in order to slime up and get broken in, then start adjusting.

 

[ScallopKing]

Scallop King - I wouldn't even do much to try and dial the skimmer in yet. Give it a week or so in order to slime up and get broken in, then start adjusting.

got it, i will give that a try. thanks for your help.

 

[Chris_SG]

I want to buy a alpha cone but I don't know which one I have to pick
I have about 200 to 230 aprox of water volume and I looking between the 200 and 250