Vertex Skimmer club

I'm still waiting on the IN-100's to get back in stock at Premium aquatics so I can swap out this Coralife 65 under my 40breeder. I'm starting to wonder if I should just settle for the IN-80 but I like the 6 inch diameter on the 100 model.
 
I got IN-250 for my net 140 gallon tank couple month ago. I have problem with pump making noise and the air/water line are not constant and sometime completely stop working. I have to take it out and clean it and try couple time before it started to work. My skimmer is sit in 9" deep water. After reading this thread, I realize mine is 1st Gen with Resun pump. I bought from LFS here, not at Premium Aquatics, so I don't know if Jeremy can help me with the pump or I have to deal directly with manufacture, because I still in warranty.
TIA
 
150er, my LFS told me to take the pump apart and put a small dab of vasaline in to each of the two rubber bushing or on each end of the shaft. This will help it to restart, run and stay silent. Not sure which pump I have but it is completly silent. Good luck.
 
great thread! looking to buy the Gen II Vertex Internal Pinwheel Skimmer 180 and im not sure if I should upgrade to the 250. my tank is 110g and sump will either be 44 or 55g. not sure on load but more lps and sps than fish, but that might change. do you buy a skimmer more for tank size or total water volume or bioload?
 
150er, my LFS told me to take the pump apart and put a small dab of vasaline in to each of the two rubber bushing or on each end of the shaft. This will help it to restart, run and stay silent. Not sure which pump I have but it is completly silent. Good luck.

I would stay away from vaseline on o-rings or other rubber products as it will break them down. Use plumbers grease sparingly.
 
I finaly managed to set up my In-250. I have a couple of questions that I'm sure have been anserwed before, but I couldn't find when skimming;

1) I am running in about 7 inches of water. Is this a good starting point or do I need a higher / lower level?

2) The pump is loud. should I expect it to quit down after it breaks in or is this just what its going to be? I'm surprised its so loud. When I ran it in a test tank (my qt) it was much more quite.

3) I am running it wide open. how long should I wait to close the pipe down so that it starts to work?

4) where do I want the water level in the skimmer?

5) How long should I expect to wait until I start to get skimate?

Thanks for the help with all the questions. Its my first skimmer, so I'm a little lost. I did do a large water change (about 30 gallons). How will the water conditioner affect this? how long will the affect last?
 
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hey schluffer, 7 inches seems to work best. When i first got mi in100 II it was also quieter in my test container and kinda loud in my sump. It eventually quieted down some in about 2-3 weeks (keep the water intake of the pump away from tank walls). it should start to work fairly soon, water level should be about 2/3 up on the collection cup tube.
 
Hi shluffer,
1) 7" should be OK, you may need to go to 8" or 9"
2) Make sure you are not touching any sides of the tank or try putting some filter floss around anything that touches the sides.
3) I waited about 48 hours and it was then starting to produce a light coloured skimmate.
4) My water level is just above (1-1/2") the bottom the colloction cup.
5) 48 hours to 7 days
I have had mine running for 5 days now and it is producing a light, wet skimmate but getting darker each day.

What kind of water conditioner are you using in your watwer changes?

Hope this helps,
 
That does help. I am currently using API stress coat, but will be switching to prime when it runs out. Shouldn't last much longer.

My skimmer has been running for about 10 hours now. I upped the water level to about 8 inches this morning. I am going to wait a couple days before making any more adjustments.

I was getting some skimmate this morning (a very light brown) but it seems to have stopped. It may just need more time.
 
stress coat will cause the skimmer to over flow or not allow you to properly adjust skimmer correctly, and why are you using it ?
 
How will these skimmers react to vodka dosing? Also, my sump level fluctuates during the day 1.5 to 2 inches as I dont have an ATO set up. How will this affect the skimmer?
 
it will badly effect skimming. do you have baffles in sump ? vodka doesnt negitively effect skimmer, actual helps bind stuff and skim's more efficantly
 
I have a stock tank as a sump, This is prob a dumb question but why is skimmer prefomance affected by the water level? I would think as long as the pump is submerged it should work right?
 
My IN-180 hasn't been working great. I disconnected the air valve from the standpipe and have it hanging on the side of the sump. I get more air draw and the pump runs much more quiet. I purchase a kill a watt meter and the pump is running at 32 watts.
 
I have a stock tank as a sump, This is prob a dumb question but why is skimmer prefomance affected by the water level? I would think as long as the pump is submerged it should work right?
The depth changes the back pressure to the pump, the higher the level the more the pump has to push. Keeping a constant level is essential for just about any internal skimmer while allowing the level to vary (no baffle) will make if difficult to adjust. Maybe you could find a bucket or square plastic tote that is near the correct height to place the skimmer in. The level would always stay the same in the container and act as a baffle.
 
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