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Can anyone explain how to adjust a venturi-style protein skimmer? I mean, I get the general principle (opening the air valve) but I can't tell whether it's adjusted right. I can tell when I've opened it too far, because I get a watery foam that erupts like a geyser into the collection cup. So I start closing it little by little -- but I can't tell when I've gotten it to the right spot.

Right now I have it set so I have a thick layer of bubbles inside the skimmer itself, but there's nothing coming up into the collection cup. But the bubbles are white -- I don't notice anything that looks even vaguely like scum (although that could also be because the tank is only a month old.)

What should the foam inside a properly adjusted skimmer look like?

Sometimes it can take quite awhile to start collecting scum. it took mine about a month or two before i started to notice the scum. Do you have live rock in the tank? If so that will make it work quicker. As far as adjusting it you sound like you have it. haveing it foaming in the skimmer without dumping the bubbles into the tank. I would just be patient.

www.responsiblethrashers.com

It can take awhile for your skimmer to start producing skimmate....it has to build up the "slime coat" on the inside of the skimmer neck. It should only take a day or so for it to build up this slime..Mine starts to skim efficiently after cleaning in only a couple hours. You want to adjust the skimmer so that the foam is a dry foam and sticks to itself after overflowing into the collection cup instead of turning to a liquid right away. It will take some playing around with until you figure out how your skimmer works and adjusts. Try playing with the input and output of water from the skimmer also...sometimes that makes a big difference in the way the skimmer operates and the foam it produces.

You should clean your skimmer cup and the neck of the skimmer every 2-3 days if you want the best skimmer performance and want it to keep skimming good.

Here are some pics of the way a good dry skimmer foam should look The skimmate in the cup is one days worth of skimmate....and bioload doesnt really matter too much. The holding tank this skimmer is on is 150g and it only has one clownfish and close to 600lbs of live rock. Even with a low bioload there is still all kinds of stuff for a skimmer to pull out

Remember, not all skimmers are created equal....the skimmer I use is a LifeReef skimmer and cost $435 new minus the pump





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Last edited by DarkRealm Overlord at 29-Aug-2005 23:27[/font]

Those pictures dont count DRO! On a NORMAL day did your tank produce that much skimmate? :lmao:

I've been tweaking my skimmer a lot lately...it doesn't produce much skimmate but then again there's barely a bio load on my tank. Very frustrating...especially since I paid a lot for my skimmer too.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Those pictures dont count DRO! On a NORMAL day did your tank produce that much skimmate? :lmao

That is a NORMAL day.....I just took those pictures LAST NIGHT Hence the reason I said the only stock was one clownfish and live rock on 150g holding tank

Are you joking?! I thought those were from the move!!!

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Nope, not joking at all....a good skimmer that is properly adjusted and cleaned should have no problem pulling out a half a cup of skimmate a day. No joke, those are from last night and not from the move

I believe you now...

Why didn't you tell me to get that skimmer? :lol:

All that's in my tank right now is like 100 lbs of rock and one false perc.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

because its an almost $500 skimmer and there is a waitlist cause he only releases so many of them a year.

pfft...

I'm slowly but surely gaining connections...

hmm...

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish