Skimming wet: help me dial in my MR-2

pwest · 09-17-2006, 09:38 PM

I've got a 150 BB and I'm having a tough time getting my MR-2 to consistently skim wet. Here's my setup: the skimmer is mounted about 20" above the floor and off to one side of the sump. Water is pumped from the bottom of the sump into the skimmer injector via an iwaki md 55 rlt. The water then returns via the gate valve and drains into the sump. (The skimmer drain pipe exit is above the water level of the sump (not submerged)). In case it matters, it is an older MR-2, circa mid 2003 with a single beckett. Check out post #11 in http://thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71533 for a picture.

If I follow the standard MRC setup instructions, adjusting the water level so that it's a couple of inches up in the first riser (i.e. a couple of inches above the top of the black box), then I get very little skimmate in my waste collector, although I quickly get lots of thick crud all over the inside of the second riser and some very, very thick skimmate in the collection cup. If I want to get substantial quantities of skimmate like you BB guys want, I need to crank the water level *way* up into the second riser--in fact, it needs to be pretty close to level with the bottom of the skimmate cup. (When I say 'water level' I'm talking about where the water level would be if I were to fully close the needle valve so that there were no bubbles). Speaking of the needle valve, I generally adjust it according to the MRC recommendation closing it one full turn from the fully open position.

When I adjust my skimmer this way to get nice, wet, skimmate, I'm really taking a chance. Certain changes (not quite sure what...) can cause my 1 g/day rate to jump to much, much, more... Also, the skimmer sometimes just stops producing for a day or two (still plenty of bubbles, just no quantifiable skimmate production) tempting me to tighten down the gate valve a tad, which can be quite risky.

I've been draining into a milk jug, but I've just changed to a 5 gallon bucket to minimize overflow problems, and I'm working on an auto-shutoff.

Any comments on my configuration are welcome. Is what I'm seeing typical for an MR-2, or shold I be able to skim wet with a lower water level?

Thanks,
Phil

Fly Guy · 09-19-2006, 11:37 PM

I just figured since this post is getting ignored i would offer my experience with my MR-2.

I never could get the thing to skim how i wanted for more than a day or two without having to mess with soemthing to get it back to how i wanted it.

I am a competent as well as creative plumber and i tried many different things both from recommendations from knowledgable people and ideas of my own. Got tired of messing with it and sold it after using it only a few months. I am a happy owner of a Euroreef and a ASM now on different systems and they work great EVERY day, they skim whatever consistency i want and i dont have to touch them except to clean them once a week which takes a couple of minutes tops.

However, I know many people do love their MRC skimmers how. I have no problem with the fact that MAYBE i just never did it right. Non-issue for me now.

I have enough things to do on my reefs without wasting my time fiddling with the skimmers every day, even if it only takes a few moments.

Although my post didnt help you any, maybe it will bump it up and someone will answer your question with something that can work for you. Good luck

Wiskey · 09-20-2006, 12:21 PM

Oh, how did this thread slip past me?

I don't know about the older injectors but you are right, you need that water level really high. One thing that helps is to jack that injector up above the water level, that way there is no backpressure on it. I have not done this yet, but have heard it from others. Plus the Carbon air filter really helps keep smoke, cooking fumes, purfume, clone, etc from effecting your skimmer.

I have a vid of mine skimming wet, let me grab it.

http://media.putfile.com/wet-skimming

That should help give you a loose idea of what you are looking for anyway, note that I have not raised my beckett up yet in that vid.

I have never owned a better skimmmer than my MRC MR-2, I have been consistantly impressed with it's performance, and I can't see myself using anything but a Beckett in the future.

HTH,
Whiskey

Wiskey · 09-20-2006, 12:23 PM

Oh, another thing, if you are still using the Cotton ball air filter that comes with that skimmer it IS your problem. That thing cloggs so fast it makes the skimmer impossable to tune, and it constantly changes your settings.

Whiskey

Fly Guy · 09-20-2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wiskey

Oh, another thing, if you are still using the Cotton ball air filter that comes with that skimmer it IS your problem. That thing cloggs so fast it makes the skimmer impossable to tune, and it constantly changes your settings.

Whiskey

So Whiskey, WHYdid you not answer one of my agonizing pleads for help with my with my MR-2 before????

Why did MRC never mention that to me either??

I DID try taking that thing out as well as using different materials but the sound was too unbearable to leave for very long, even being in a vented closet next to my tank.
Anyway, obviously doesnt matter to me any more at this point, but i am curious what you did about the noise or what different kind of filter you put in its place.

I do have to say it is a little disappointing if the fix to the problems i was having is as simple as modding that little stupid air filter, and several posts asking for help, several other mods to the configuration, and more than several phone calls to MRC resulted in me giving up and replacing the skimmer as i was simply done wasting my time with it.

Oh well, i do know of a certain other TRT member who is the proud new owner of a slightly used MR-2. : )

Wiskey · 09-20-2006, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fly Guy

So Whiskey, WHYdid you not ever answer one of my agonizing pleads for help with my MR-2 before????

Sorry, didn't see them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fly Guy

Why did MRC never mention that to me either??

Andy is very proud of that thing, I don't know why, for the most part he is a smart guy. If you are trying to run dry like he reccomends it works fine provided the cotton ball is replaced twice daily, maybe that's why he likes it but for running anywhere near wet impossible.

It costs like $5 to build a carbon air filter/muffler.

Quote:

I DID try taking that thing out as well as using different materials but the sound was too unbearable to leave for very long, even being in a vented closet next to my tank.
Anyway, obviously doesnt matter to me any more at this point, but i am curious what you did about the noise or what different kind of filter you put in its place.

This is the muffler I built, it is attached to a 4 foot 1/2 inch ID hose and sits behind the tank. This is even quiter than the cotten ball, can be used to filter air before your recerc too. I highly reccomend this no matter what skimmer you use.

Well, I can't get photobucket to work, so you will have to wait a while until they get there server working again. Sorry

Whiskey

Wiskey · 09-20-2006, 06:13 PM

Oh, here is the thread on it.
http://thereeftank.com/forums/showth...ght=air+filter

Whiskey

gwaco · 09-20-2006, 06:19 PM

also keep in mind that beckett type skimmers are not really a set it and forget it type skimmer ! they will need some adjusting , and as some have found out it may be everyday ! its seems like the littlest things can upset it . even still ,with its few down sides i would not go back to a needle wheel (well that is unless something happened to the beckett skimmer , then i would throw the e.r. on till i fixed the other one ! ) .

Fly Guy · 09-20-2006, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwaco

also keep in mind that beckett type skimmers are not really a set it and forget it type skimmer ! they will need some adjusting , and as some have found out it may be everyday ! its seems like the littlest things can upset it . even still ,with its few down sides i would not go back to a needle wheel (well that is unless something happened to the beckett skimmer , then i would throw the e.r. on till i fixed the other one ! ) .

That is one thing i will not deny, WHEN the MR2 was working for me i very much do think it could pull more junk out. But i keep everything running pretty lean as far as bioload in the first place so the set it and forget it type skimmers such as ASM and euroreefs are probably the skimmers for me anyway as it kind of irritates me to have to mess with them very often.

Thanks for the links whiskey...hopefully it will help pwest.

Yeah, i never did have too much of a problem running the thing dry, but that of course was not how i wanted to run it.

Wiskey · 09-20-2006, 06:49 PM

I haven't messed with mine for well over a week, and it has only been on my current tank for 3 weeks. That is except for cleaning it and dumping what it pulled.

I used it for far longer on my old tank of course.

Whiskey

pwest · 09-22-2006, 08:33 PM

Thanks for resurrecting the thread, Fly Guy, and for all the good ideas Wiskey!

I do use the cotton ball, and probably tend to change/clean it whenever I adjust the skimmer. Then, a day or two later, the ball clogs a little and guess what?--no wet skimmate... This weekend, I'll build a muffler and raise the injector up a couple of inches.

Also, I might have a chance to get one of the new style injectors--is that likely to help much, or should I just stick with what I've got?

Thanks,
Phil

fade2black · 09-25-2006, 10:33 AM

I was wondering the same thing. I have the older style Beckett on my MR-1 and wondered if I would get better performance building a new injector.

Wiskey · 09-25-2006, 11:19 AM

Doesn't the old injector have a 3/4" input? If so I would change it just for that, the new one is 1"

Glad I could help,
Whiskey

skeety · 09-27-2006, 04:15 PM

Just as an addition suggestion for the silencer...

I just bough a 90° elbow, and added an extention so that the cotton ball was farther away from the water, and pointing away from it. This helped my cotton balls only need changed once a week, maybe.

I also noticed a HUGE difference in how efficient these things are if you have a rock solid water line vs a slightly fluctuating one.

Meaning...if you have a good auto top off installed, these skimmers will work absolutely amazingly for a week or two w/out being touched. But if you top off manually every day, or have a drip...the efficiency is drastically reduced.

But I skim in the middle of dry and wet (normal) and I only clean my cup out once a week, and change my cotton ball at that same time. I maybe tune the gate valve in a little bit once or twice during the week. And at the end of that week, I have about 2 gallons of green tea.

Wiskey · 09-27-2006, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeety

I also noticed a HUGE difference in how efficient these things are if you have a rock solid water line vs a slightly fluctuating one.

Meaning...if you have a good auto top off installed, these skimmers will work absolutely amazingly for a week or two w/out being touched. But if you top off manually every day, or have a drip...the efficiency is drastically reduced.

Oh, this is absolutely mandatory! You need a baffle in your sump so the water level in the skimmer compartment never changes, no joke. Also if you are running the skimmer out of sump you need a T right off the gate valve, then straight into a 45 down, that way you don't back up the drain which also makes these skimmers a little touch and go.

Whiskey