Skimmer question/help ?

[scramer74]

Newbie here with a few questions.... I have a 20T with no sump. Only 2 weeks into cycling.

1. Question on my protein skimmer. I have a CPR bak pak 2. It's been running for about a week. I was still getting a lot of bubbles inside the tank from the return. I put some floss in front of the intake hole and that solved that problem. I can't seem to get it to bubble into the cup though. I did for a short time, but that was it. What am I doing wrong? ( see pics )

2. I'm finally started to get some algae bloom. Diatoms,that's good right? What would be the next thing to look for ( besides testing the water ) that I know I'm on the right path for cycling?

3. Do I need to maintain the saltwater salinity ratio while I'm cycling the tank? or just continue to top off with ro water? and should I just do that once a week?

You all are awesome and a wealth of knowledge!! Thanks in advance for help help!!

Sherri :fish:
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[mufret]

1. not doing anything wrong. There are not enough organics in the water yet for the skimmer to do what it does.

2. Continue testing. The diatom bloom will pass.

3. Yes, continue topping off as needed.

 

[northgahillbilly]

Make sure to remember, only freshwater evaporates, so you will ALWAYS be topping off with RO. I would do it daily untill you get tired of that and that and set up am auto top off

 

[scramer74]

Thanks Guys!! I'm glad I'm not doing anything wrong 'yet'!

 

[scramer74]

Another question, I want to add some additional natural bio filter into the other side of bak pak but when I put something in there it makes the water level go way up in the skimmer and over flows. Is the only alternative to reduce the amount of water in the tank?

 

[franciscosalazar]

Lower the height of the collection cup to wet skim...

 

[nickg]

No, you can't add anything to that skimmer... It will not work properly! You will have to do a separate HOB Refugium..

 

[scramer74]

The bak pak has a separate compartment for adding bio filter material, it came with some stuff, but when I added the floss to help with the air bubbles is slowed the intake way down. I already have the cup as high as it will go. I guess I would have to do wet skim, which I really don't want to do.

 

[franciscosalazar]

I pulled the blue stuff out of my SR3...
Not worth the detritus accumulation...

 

[scramer74]

Gotcha, thanks franciscosalazar!

 

[mwbeach]

My HOB skimmer did the same thing for a month or so. Lots of micro bubbles. It will go away.

As far as the media. I run matrix in mine. As long as you don't fill it full and restrict flow you will be fine. Put it in a media bag and drop it in

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

If you put material in the bio chamber, you should be able to remove the filter from the outlet. The bio material will do the same thing. The idea is to burst the micro bubbles before they can escape and usually anything in their way will do that. You're on the right track. Until you have fish, you probably won't see any skimmate in the collection cup. I use the same skimmer on my 40g frag tank. I have for probably 3 or 4 years.

Are you getting bubbles in the chamber below the collection cup?

 

[scramer74]

Yes, I have nice bubbles below the cup. I have it sitting about 1/8 above the bubble line. So its ok to have those bigger bubbles to be coming out of the output? I definitely want to try and remove that floss. How do you decide what the best setting is for the airflow valve also?

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

I let my airflow run wide open all the time.

 

[scramer74]

Thanks everyone!

 

[jennm]

It takes a while for a new skimmer to 'break in'. Also, it won't fractionate for a little while after you've had your hands in the water, or have fed the fish. The oils from your skin, or from the food, change the surface tension that forms the bubbles in skimmate.

I would skip the 'bio bale' or any other biological media in the skimmer. A bubble trap will help long-term with any bubble issues, but you can't really determine if there are issues for another week or two.

And the best time to dial in the skimmer is when you have not fed or had hands in the tank for a few hours.

Jenn

 

[scramer74]

Thanks Jenn!! That makes total sense. I actually had some foam this morning coming up in the cup. Whew who for foam!! Probably because I didn't mess around with it at all last night. Of course I discovered a small tiny leak in one of the pipes. I put super glue around the fitting. Hopefully that will do the trick.