properly tune a skimmer - how to?!

Milad · #1 10-19-2010, 06:31 AM

someone explain to me how to properly tune a skimmer. These youtube videos arent helping. Ive been told to keep the bubbles really small but when they are really small they get shot out of the skimmer and a youtube video said you dont want that. Im lost!

whatcaneyedo · #2 10-19-2010, 02:04 PM

Restrict the air flow to get the bubble size you want. Then adjust the foam height to where you want by restricting the output. Once you get it perfect do not touch anything as its a PITA to find that sweet spot again... if for some reason your skimmer starts acting up it probably means you just fed the tank some oily food, something died, something spawned, or it just needs to be cleaned. Heres a little trick: run a decent amount of fresh water through your air intake weekly (I use a full 1 gallon bucket) to dissolve any dried on salt that forms inside. Here's what my Bullet 3 looks like. BTW what skimmer do you have?

Milad · #3 10-19-2010, 03:18 PM

i have a euroreef 250 right now with a gate valve

reefwars · #4 10-19-2010, 03:24 PM

tuning skimmers for me has always been a bit of a pan in the butt to find that sweet spot, i use a marker to mark where it is and i adjust it from that mark so as i have a reference point to work with.when your tuning remember it takes several minutes for your skimmer to really adjust so dont go nuts on your adjusting....my vertex is very sensitive like a quater inch turn makes a huge difference.you also need to decide if you want a wet skim or dry...i prefer dry skim but everybodys got their preference

Hangfire · #5 10-19-2010, 03:31 PM

Milad - have you watched the You-Tube videos done by LA Fish Guy when he goes to Reef Dynamics and talks to the owner? They're pretty good.

I didn't know you could adjust the bubble size in a skimmer. I thought that was set by the pin wheel, so by restricting air flow would only change the number of bubbles. I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination - my Reef Dynamics is still breaking in.

viperfish · #6 10-19-2010, 03:40 PM

Quote:

I didn't know you could adjust the bubble size in a skimmer. I thought that was set by the pin wheel, so by restricting air flow would only change the number of bubbles.

It looks like Whatcanyoudo has a downdraft or Beckett style skimmer which does offer some control over bubble size. The needle or pin wheel style skimmers chop the air into bubbles without any control over the size. The Euroreef that Milan has is a needle wheel style so there is no way of choosing the bubble size, only the volume of air supplied. Ultimately the goal is to have the bubble chopped as fine as possible with as much air draw as the pump needle wheel can "chew up". I think Milan was referring to "bubble height" and not size.

globaldesigns · #7 10-19-2010, 04:10 PM

I will leave this to the ones that can explain it best, but I will add that you need to try and make the bubbles as small as possible. I found the smaller the bubbles, the better the extract as there is more surface area for the protiens to attach to.

Milad · #8 10-19-2010, 04:17 PM

i put a "gate valve" on the air intake of my skimmer to reduce the bubble size. Was i not suppose to do that? I got the bubbles really small doing that.

What is the bubble height suppose to be? and what is bubble height?

whatcaneyedo · #9 10-19-2010, 04:39 PM

You shouldn't need a valve on the air intake. The bubble (foam) height is the level that the bubbles inside the skimmer rise to. If you want to skim wet adjust your output so the collection cup fills every couple of days with light colored watery skimmate. If you want to skim dry adjust the output so that the collection cup fills with very dark thick skimmate after several days. If you get a lot of buildup on the inside of the riser tube it means you could stand to have to foam height higher.

The episode 88 series is all about euro reef skimmers and how they work http://www.lafishguys.com/

Skimmerking · #10 10-19-2010, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

I will leave this to the ones that can explain it best, but I will add that you need to try and make the bubbles as small as possible. I found the smaller the bubbles, the better the extract as there is more surface area for the protiens to attach to.

All you have to do is ask. lol
Milad when i spoke to you about the skimmer, yes the bubble size will make a huge difference. On pretty much any skimmer you can adjust the size. Size matter's just not in Bubbles.

With a skimer the ideal bubbles are the ones the 1-2 mm in size to extract nutrients the nutrients and the proteins are caught in these bubbles causign the removal. However wht makes the skimmer works the best is the contact time. in the chamber. With your skimmer having a insump skimmer there isnt a change. Once you get the ideal bubble size by restricting the air flow to the venturi or the beckett. or what ever skimmer thaty oua re running. you then are going to raise the water level to achieve the proper contact time in the skimmer.

To much Water can cause it to over flow like feeding Mysis shrimp and cyclopeeze. in a skimmer having a pump that is to powerful can cause your skimmer to overflow.

HTH