Every skimmer I have operates like crap at the recommended water level. If it's overflowing and running like crap, raise it up. You want super fine bubbles but when at the right height those then into a nice foamy head.

This :)

Just about every skimmer I have ever ran runs better in less than recommended , problem is if your making a sump you can't lower a skimmer but you can raise one up so we tend to make the baffles higher and recommend putting something underneath

I run my csc450 in 5" of water and have 90 degree fitting on the inputs so it can draw water lower and not suck in air.

14" is unheard of .....

+2

I too have noticed that the recommended water levels (for the 4 skimmers that I've owned) have been crap. I've always had to effectively run them at a lower water level (or raising skimmer).

K.

Mine starts to surge if it's taken to far from the 9.5"

I run both of mine at about 8" of water.

A piece of neoprene (wetsuit material) would dampen any vibration of your stand. Without dampening, the noise from the vibrations may be annoying especially since your tank is in your living area, not in a fish room or garage.

Gotcha. I'll use extra pieces of my pond liner.

K u guys r awesome! Moved it up so skimmer is about 8" in water n it now works perfectly!! Barely any noise with egg crates plus it's in my fish room so can't hear in living room. But I will still put some pond liner on it TMR so it's fully silent.

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5pvremhg.jpg

What do you mean by starts to surge ?

You see the water level in the neck going up and down and you can also hear it from the pump.

Mine was doing that. Goes up down n super hard to fine tune. Even adjusting the tuner by a hair line will cause huge fluctuations in skimmer lvl. Found out that my pump was not in straight it was a lil crooked. It now doesn't fluctuate by tuning it is so hard. Is this normal for vertex IN series? Litterly 1 hair turns makes it either g half way down in bubbles or super overflowing