coralife 125 super skimmer

When I cut the air completly off the water level is at the bottom of the collection cup. Does that mean I need to raise the skimmer?

 

Okay Tangster I get the overall picture now so I need to shut the skimmer down until I get more fish and then still wait a couple months then crank it up. Thanx

 

there is no need to raise or lower skimmer but make sure pump is near top of water. Also make sure all holes are free of debris. I had a snail get is my out put line and flooded my house. It is odd cause there was no way for him to get in there but he found a way

 

How does the skimmer inhibit coralline growth? And if it does, isn't that a good thing because then you don't have to worry about cleaning it?

Raising the skimmer up does two things though. It raises the pump up but it also changes the depth of water in relation to the skimmer. Same effect as running an in sump skimmer in shallower water. You can have the pump as high as you can get it and if the body is too low, it will flood. Sorry to disagree with you but I do.

 

Hey Danny, I just came across this thread.
I'll post some old pics I have of the 125, and maybe you could get an idea of the height where the bubbles should come up to in the skimmer's neck. However, as stated above by others, you'll need at least 3-4 fish worth of bioload for the skimmer to have something to do. Also, you'll get better skimmate at a higher salinity (i.e. 1.026 vs 1.022).

Here's when I just did the PVC elbow mod and cleaned the collection cup:



...and this is a day or two afterwards, but mind you I had 2 clownfish, 2 yellow tail damsels, a blue hippo tang, a leopard wrasse, (6 fish total) BT anemone, and a cleaner shrimp putting out a good amount of bioload.

I'll have to check my computer files to see if I have any others that I haven't uploaded yet, but this should get you in the right direction.

 

Yes, I should apologize. I said the bubble level should be at or below the red nut. I meant to say at or below the bottom of the cup. Sorry.

 

I knew what ya meant friend, I have it skimmin a good dry skim nowI only use it for a short time once a week or so since my bio load is so small it is on right now and workin good. Bogie do you still have the picture of the add on with the PVC cap with the hole in it for the air release. You might post it here and maybe others would use it also. Thats the way it is here now and the other pipe runs 7 inches into the DT from the T section....My SG is 1.026
Danny

 

I disagree with shutting the skimmer down. If you have liverock, sand, or anything there is something to skim in the tank. I don't want a bunch of disolved organics floating around my tank whether it be 1 month old or 6 months. Just my .02

 

Daniel, thats why you don't (and shouldn't) wait for fish before adding the skimmer. The fish are not the only bioload in the tank. Rocks, sand, corals, and CUC are all part of the bioload.

 

I know. I've ran a skimmer on a tub of live rock only during the curing process and have pulled a ton of gunk out. I think that waitiing to run the skimmer is allowing too many doc's to collect in the tank will eventually lead to nitrate issues