neilc
New Member
Posts: 13
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Post by neilc on Feb 5, 2009 18:38:38 GMT -5
Thanks for all your help with my powerhead. I've put more water in the aquarium and it seems fine now. However, now my protein skimmer is filling up with water. I've adjusted it as high as it goes and it's still filling up 1/2 full after 15 minutes or so. Is this a problem, I presume it is-(maybe not ?) The skimmer seems very basic, though I'm far from being an expert. It's just a 3" diameter tube with open ends and a collecting cup and lid. A pump with air inlet is fitted about half way up the tube. Is this a proficient skimmer for a 50 gallon tank? And if so, can you please offer suggestions as to why the collecting cup is filling with water - or is this nothing to worry about? Thanks in advance, Neil
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Post by eve on Feb 5, 2009 18:44:53 GMT -5
where and how is your skimmer positioned?? is it possible to get a make and model on it??
if not is it possible for you to take a picture of it??
i assume this is a saltwater tank???
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neilc
New Member
Posts: 13
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Post by neilc on Feb 5, 2009 19:14:25 GMT -5
sorry, should have said....saltwater tank. It's located in the first chamber at the back of my aquarium. It's quite literally just a plastic tube with a cup on top, and lid. It has a filter feeding mixed water n air half way up, thnx
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Post by eve on Feb 5, 2009 19:27:31 GMT -5
not a problem at all neil will move this and the other thread into the beginner marine section
i'm not too familiar with skimmers, but as far as i know it takes a while for the skimmer to adjust and only filter out the foam
is there a flow adjuster on your skimmer?
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Post by Carl on Feb 5, 2009 20:26:32 GMT -5
Here is an article we have about Protein Skimmers, although it is more about than a trouble shooting guide: Aquarium Answers; Protein SkimmerWithout second guessing for now your skimmer size to your aquarium size, lets try and pin down the type you have. *Is it a basic air driven model with one or tow wooden air stone diffusing a fine mist? If so make sure you are getting large volume of air and if not blow through the air stones to see if they are clogged and check your air pump. If this is fine sometimes raising the Protein Skimmer out of the water in small increments until this problem ceases. *Is it a venturi style which uses a power head with special fittings to blow fine bubbles into the skimmer. This style is more complicated, and you may need to make sure that the bubbles are being created in very fine mist. As well adjusting the height of the skimmer may help as well *Another common style is the needle wheel which uses a specially designed impeller to "chop" bubbles". Again this may take some adjusting and once more the height of the skimmer in relation to the surface of the sump may need adjustment (slow a adjustment at that) Protein Skimmers can be a royal pain in the butt to adjust, so be patient and make small adjustments. As well some Protein Skimmers are just flat out junk as well, which can add to the adjustment frustration. Either way you need to keep in mind that for this to work you will need a VERY good counter current going against VERY fine bubbles with the collection cup at literally the perfect height to collect foam, but not water. Finally I should add you will NOT create foam in a new marine tank with no bio proteins in the water column, so you are fighting a losing battle to collect foam until fish or other critters have been in the tank for a few weeks. Hope this helps Carl
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