super reef octopus 1000sss question

[krusieski]

hey whats up im cycling my tank as we speak and almost enough water to put into my sump once i can fill my sump im going to run my return pump and put my heater in there and my skimmer i was curious if there was a certain way to tune the sro ? and rule of thumb on bubble production


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[C.Eymann]

This is a very temperamental skimmer, it absolutely needs to be set in the 5.5 " of water the manufacturer recommends otherwise you will get inconsistent performance and won't be able to tune it properly.
I have see some throttle back the air with some valves, not sure if they saw increased performance or not.
Tuning wise it is all about making a very small adjustment on the red gate valve and wait and observe for a few hours, repeat till you get it where you want it.

 

[krusieski]

ok great can it be submerged more than 5.5 or has to be exact 5.5


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[C.Eymann]

ok great can it be submerged more than 5.5 or has to be exact 5.5


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Shoot for as close to 5.5'' as possible.

 

[krusieski]

ok great thanks


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[xanthurum]

I have the regal 220sss and I love it. It was very easy to dial in but I have an ATO so my sump level stays consistent. In fact I haven't touched it since I got it dialed in back in Feb.

 

[CStrickland]

If you want the water in your sump deeper you can put something under the skimmer so it's raised up and only under the water 5.5"

Before you put the skimmer it it's a good idea to run it in the sink with some vinegar for an hour or so and then take it all apart and wipe down the parts. This way of something is chipped or a piece of glue got left behind you'll find it before you get it all set up in the sump, and it will remove any factory grease. You'll also know how it's put together. You clean it like this yearly or so.

It will take a while for the skimmer to break in. You can start running it right off the bat but it won't be consistent so you can leave to collection cup off so it just overflows back into the sump. It needs to build up a film of bacteria inside the cone for the foam to grab as its rising. For the first month or so it will be erratic and make more microbubbles, then it will settle in and you can dial in the water level more precisely.

 

[krusieski]

ok awesome thanks


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[ziggy2]

Does it take that long for all skimmers to break in?

 

[CStrickland]

Does it take that long for all skimmers to break in?

No. But you can't predict it so I like to wait a month before I start messing around with anything. Usually when people fight with their skimmers in the first month the issue resolved itself once it breaks in. So it's good to give it that long before you start looking for other problems or modifying anything.

 

[C.Eymann]

Considering OPs skimmer was discontinued a little more than a year ago I am assuming it was acquired used possibly, so maybe no need for break in

 

[CStrickland]

Why would a used skimmer break in differently from a new one?

 

[Reef Frog]

Are all models of Reef Octopus skimmers as finicky & fussy as the 1000sss models met joked by the OP? Virtually all accounts I've read seem to be highly complimentary regarding performance.

Are the "space saving" models equivalent in performance as those with the pump outside the skimmer body?

 

[C.Eymann]

Why would a used skimmer break in differently from a new one?

because the cutting oil residue from manufacturing would already be gone if it was a used skimmer.

 

[CStrickland]

Replaced by a grimy residue of dead bioslime I would think.

@frog - my old reef octo works like a champ. I think the space savers are a little more tricky to tune in because of the lost cone capacity and the weird way they configured the output pipe. I would guess that the next iteration will address the outlet, but lots of happy customers for these models too. Once they find the right level etc.

 

[C.Eymann]

Replaced by a grimy residue of dead bioslime I would think.

@frog - my old reef octo works like a champ. I think the space savers are a little more tricky to tune in because of the lost cone capacity and the weird way they configured the output pipe. I would guess that the next iteration will address the outlet, but lots of happy customers for these models too. Once they find the right level etc.

Bio slIme would actually help skimmer stability IMO.

 

[CStrickland]

To a point, and then not. For example, when people go overboard on carbon dosing and gum up the skimmer with bacteria floc. When you buy used equipment it's a good idea to give it a thorough cleaning / maintenance for a fresh start. Also you want to clean a skimmer on a regular schedule schedule anyway.

I guess if op bought the skimmer used and transported it wet, in the manner of live rock, they might preserve a film on it. But thats a lot of trouble to avoid a break in, an the downsides are missing the opportunity to clean it and inspect things like impeller shaft for defects before putting into service. It's not like it takes that long to break in, the effects of putting a dirty old skimmer in your tank could last way longer.

 

[C.Eymann]

To a point, and then not. For example, when people go overboard on carbon dosing and gum up the skimmer with bacteria floc. When you buy used equipment it's a good idea to give it a thorough cleaning / maintenance for a fresh start. Also you want to clean a skimmer on a regular schedule schedule anyway.

I guess if op bought the skimmer used and transported it wet, in the manner of live rock, they might preserve a film on it. But thats a lot of trouble to avoid a break in, an the downsides are missing the opportunity to clean it and inspect things like impeller shaft for defects before putting into service. It's not like it takes that long to break in, the effects of putting a dirty old skimmer in your tank could last way longer.

+1 solid advice, my original point was the lack of cutting oil residue that greatly effects surface viscosity of the water on brand new skimmers that " skimmer break in" typically applies to.

 

[Sk8r]

Just started using a 'used' skimmer, and it skimmed like mad right on setup.

OTOH in a new tank without much biology going on, no skimmer is going to skim. It's about biowaste.

 

[CStrickland]

+1 solid advice, my original point was the lack of cutting oil residue that greatly effects surface viscosity of the water on brand new skimmers that " skimmer break in" typically applies to.

For sure.
I think if I were ever fancy enough to buy a new skimmer I would run it in diluted vinegar for a while for that reason too. I feel like that would push off some of the oil? My skimmer takes a couple days to break in every time I clean it out with vin, but def not the weeks you hear about with new skimmers that still have factory grease on them. I was thinking about the biofilm-development sort of break in, not the new skimmer kind. I forget that people buy new skimmers, lol

When I got my current skimmer I had to run it in vin for some time. The previous owner had some heavy duty sump critters. Like the kind of cryptic filter feeders that make a tube. Dissolving all their dead shells, the coraline, and the vermetids, def got me off on the right foot. But obvi that's going to vary wildly based on who you're buying from. My kit was a 'take it all for cheap' situation. I really like my reef octo now that is sparkle clean