Skimmer Q&A Thread

[mojo~]

My 840 was very quiet. are you running the large or small wheel. what water level. You shouldnt be getting micro bubbles either. I assume you are running the large wheel. The small wheel is what it comes with installed. The larger wheels pulls more water and air but does push the skimmer design more to its limits.

As far as the alpha 250 for your system. I ran it stock. I didnt modify the pipe or anything like that. IT was on a very heavy stocked system with about 140g of water volume. Several smll fish,sps, and several tangs and larger fish as well. pretty dirty tank. I had to raise it up to 10 inches to get it to do anything at all. then it didnt skim all that much. it all collected in the too inch of the neck.
Now if you want to start cutting up your $1000 skimmer and make a shorter pipe you will get enough air to fill the neck. but many that have done so have reported microbubbles as well. So with that said. I would stick with the atb 840 v1.5 or go with the atb 1050A.
The alpha has some thicker material but never got the one I had to skim well at all. After I said that they werent pulling enough air to fill the neck and was told that the did. Ther changed the venturi pipe and raised the air intake on all the models. But, the bodies didnt get any change. So the air matches the neck. but the bodies are a little small for their numbers.

Just my two cents.
Mojo~

 

[GSMguy]

chris (gadgets) is getting those microbubbles because he is using the large pinwheel and restricting the air intake by using a small ozone tube in the top of the silencer, when i get back to VA i will help you get the T put in the Airline to setup that ozone correctly Chris.

 

[143gadgets]

Thanks Mojo and Nick.

I really don't think it's because of the ozone tube. I ran the skimmer without it for a few days and the results were the same. I also don't think its because of the large pinwheel because i ran it with the in the beginning small and had the micro bubble problem then. However the skimmer was very new so I attributed it to that.

I'm gonna swap them out tomorrow and see what the small pinwheel does. I have a bunch of fish now and I'm feeding about 6 cubes of mysis per day so I don't want to make a sacrifice. What do u guys think?

Stock list:
- Tomini tang
- Powder blue
- Yellow tang
- Barletts (10)
- Picassos (2)
- Glass Cardinals (3)

 

[mojo~]

feeding that many cubes wow. you will get a change in surface tension in your water for sure. Any of my skimmers will make microbubbles a short time after feeding as the oils and such from the food will change performance for a little while

 

[143gadgets]

True. I am feeding Hikari which seems to affect the skimmer performance very little. Honestly I don't even see a loss in foam head when feeding with it. I also rinse well before feeding.

 

[mojo~]

that makes a big difference. I feed 1 cube of PC mysis.

 

[143gadgets]

I tried PE mysis I hated it. It's too big for my anthias and it does a number on the skimmer I mean it puts it down for AWHILE!

Here's a vid of the skimmer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKMo20b7X3g

 

[143gadgets]

BTW. It was definitely quieter when using the small pinwheel.

 

[vanillagorila]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15259312#post15259312 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 143gadgets
I'm currently using the ATB 840. It works VERY well, but I really like the look and quality of my friend's Alpha 250. I'm getting a ton of micro bubbles in the display and its getting annoying. The Alpha is also much quieter. I have about 100g total water volume with a high fish and coral load. I was thinking of getting the 250, but it may be a little too much. So I may get the 200. Any thoughts? I may upgrade later so I don't wanna short myself. I was also thinking about the new 1050.

I'd stick with ATB, the 840 ismore than enough skimmer for a 100g, but if you have to get a alpha I'd go with the 170 a lot of people are oversizing their alphas and not getting good results.

 

[sjm817]

That is very wet looking to me. I'd open up the wedge and drop the water level down, but maybe you like to run wet.

Yeah P.E. Mysis is a real foam killer. 6 cubes would probably shut a skimmer down for a week lol.

 

[143gadgets]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15259639#post15259639 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sjm817
That is very wet looking to me. I'd open up the wedge and drop the water level down, but maybe you like to run wet.

Yeah P.E. Mysis is a real foam killer. 6 cubes would probably shut a skimmer down for a week lol.

Thats wetter than I usually run it. I had just done a water change before that vid and the skimmer bumped up a bit higher than normal. I do like to run it wetter than most. I using Hikari not PE.

SJM - What were your thoughts on the alpha? Do u still have yours?

 

[GSMguy]

haha scott i just said the same thing in another thread.

also i think that tiny ozone tube is really messing with it. when i was there i took it off the silencer and the foam level dropped over an inch that tells me it is really restricting the Air.

 

[vanillagorila]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15259689#post15259689 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy


also i think that tiny ozone tube is really messing with it. when i was there i took it off the silencer and the foam level dropped over an inch that tells me it is really restricting the Air.

+1

 

[mojo~]

i agree it could be pretty restrictive

 

[143gadgets]

I think you all are right, but I do have a very large hole cut out of the tubing to allow outside air in so there is little restriction. The whole in the side of the tubing is no smaller than the silencer hole.

 

[GSMguy]

the tube is smaller than the silencer hole. and long, the hole you have in it is not going to allow as much air as it would unrestricted, i really think a T is the answer. along with the stuff scott mentioned

 

[143gadgets]

Here is a vid I just took to show u how the skimmer actually runs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hxEL7OB7x0

 

[GSMguy]

that looks better, dryer than the other vid..

water level in the sump a might be the trick for the microbubbles i know i can run wetter than that and not get microbubbles, my skimmer does not shoot water directly at my return pump like yours does though.

another outside theory, the filter sock on your outlet is it still there? that might be causing some backpressure?

 

[143gadgets]

Would u suggest lowering the water level? I had the filter sock off for a few days, but I got tired of the micro bubbles and put it back on today.

 

[GSMguy]

the small pinwheel could also help, i know the large pinwheel really fills 840 body, but like i said im not getting the bubbles with the large.