Thoughts on my sump?

[Adam]

Bassett22;1088673 wrote: that looks right! the true test is the smell and the taste test. after that cup gets half full, give it a big deep sniff, and if you want to taste if after that, then it isn't working right.

:up: LMAO :sick:

 

[danh]

anit77;1088646 wrote: Also with the skimmer, open the valve on it so the bubbles are just getting to the bottom of the neck just below the bottom of the cup. Let it sit there while it breaks back it and gets a slime layer going. When that happens the bubbles will start to rise on their own. This way you can monitor it so it doesn't overflow. If you leave it all the way up there Murphy will make sure that it breaks in while you're not around and it'll overflow.

AHhh... I didn't think about the state of the inside of the cone being something the bubbles have an easier or a harder time climbing up. I guess that's the break in process huh? I am detail oriented. I must know the details. That, I think, was a key detail.

 

[danh]

Bassett22;1088673 wrote: that looks right! the true test is the smell and the taste test. after that cup gets half full, give it a big deep sniff, and if you want to taste if after that, then it isn't working right.

Let's see if I can convince my wife to do that!

 

[danh]

Skimmate smelled terrible. There was a lot of buildup inside the neck. I rinsed most out and rubbed some off with my finger. It felt like that was what I wanted to keep, but then thought about that upgrade to some skimmers that squeegies that area constantly, so I wiped most of it out.

Put it back together and turned it back on and it wanted to climb even less than before. It doesn't even get up to the neck much less to overflow in to the cup. There was a little bit of waste on the top of it but not much.

 

[danh]

You want to clean the thick crap out of the inside of the cone, not just the cup, right?

 

[firethorn77]

That's how I do it.

 

[picoreefguy]

Danh;1088831 wrote: You want to clean the thick crap out of the inside of the cone, not just the cup, right?

ideally you wont get any in the cone. that only happens when the water level stays too low for a long time. but yes if you get any in the cone of the skimmer than clean it as well

 

[jrhunter0000]

Bassett22;1088673 wrote: that looks right! the true test is the smell and the taste test. after that cup gets half full, give it a big deep sniff, and if you want to taste if after that, then it isn't working right.

Lol. I like how you think....

 

[danh]

I'm getting some skimmate but not much. It's still needing to stay almost completely shut though...

3.5 days of the sump and scrubber and I've got some decent algae growing on it already. I think I need to add a little bit more water flow to it. I've got a little bit of phosphate in it. Let's see how long it takes to obliterate it.

 

[danh]

Skimmer still isn't working very well. It's still almost competely closed and barely making it to the top.

I installed this scrubber on Monday night. Not bad.

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[jrhunter0000]

Who makes that sump?

 

[jrhunter0000]

Danh;1089158 wrote: Skimmer still isn't working very well. It's still almost competely closed and barely making it to the top.

I installed this scrubber on Monday night. Not bad.

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Do you have it set in the minimum amount of water height? That makes a huge difference

 

[danh]

I made the sump myself out of acrylic sheets I bought from a member.

I'll measure it but I think it's in 9" of water and 8-9 is recommended.

 

[axio]

Sometimes takes longer to break in. I've seen some skimmers take weeks. Depends on how much there is to pull out of your system as well.

 

[danh]

It's in 9.5"of water

 

[picoreefguy]

yea id say that theres probably not enough for it to really pull out yet if its at the top of the range for water depth and still needs to be closed all the way. with the ats competing for stuff to pull from the water you might not get it to pull skimmate easily until you get more livestock in the tank and/or start feeding a little more heavily.

 

[danh]

I cleaned the cup. Most of the nasty had stuck on the inside of the cone but it seems that it will overflow in spurts. The skimmate was definitely nasty.

I've got the pair of spot clowns, a diamond goby, lawnmower blenny, a decent size rbta and a small cuc. 5 hermits 3 different larger snails and 3 peppermint shrimp.


Yall really think it's not that the skimmer has a problem?

 

[danh]

Mainly feeding frozen krill. I need to get some mysis.

Would you say to add more fish to help the skimmer?

 

[Adam]

I would just set the level of the bubbles right at the bottom of the cup and leave it. As you feed over time it will rise on its own as it nutrients rise. Once it starts collecting then tune it.

 

[danh]

It will periodically build upenough large bubbles to go in to the cup.

I've got it plugged in to the apex. It had been pulling 24watts but now is pulling 28.