Adjusting DIY skimmer

[dwall174]

I have a DIY skimmer that I made about a year ago! I can’t remember where I got the plans from? Anyway, could anyone tell me the best way to adjust it correctly? I’m getting good dry foam from it right now but it goes crazy (wet foam & water) when I do a water change or add any supplements?

[Geoff]

if you are getting the foam you like right now then it is tuned properly. some like to run it a little wet to remove even more of the disolved organic materials.

whenever you change something in the tank, this includes suplements and water changes, the composition of the water column will change. usually after doing a water change a lot of the detritus is stirred up. this can cause the skimmer to go bonkers.

i know there was a thread like this somewhere in GRD. Tom wrote some explainations. i will try and hunt it down for you.

G~

[dwall174]

Yea I got it where I want it for now! I was just wondering which way is the best to control it just after a water change or adding supplements. I could turn down the water in-put, Turn down the air in-put, Open the water out-put, Or just shut it off for a day?

I plan to get a Euro Reef CS6-1 for a 90gal set-up I’ll be working on this winter, But then that will take all the fun out of it.

[Geoff]

here is the thread i was thinking about. Tom seems to think that this is a good thing. a quick way to help remove newly stirred up detritus. i would prolly just turn down the water in during this hyperactivity. just enough to still keep a wet skimmate being produced so that it will still remove the newly stirred up detritus.

G~

[dwall174]

Thanks for the link! Here's an idea what if I made a by-pass for the water out-let that way I could open it all the way up like a RO fast flush during a water change?

[Geoff]

i think i got it. sounds like a good idea. that way you will not have to readjust the skimmer after a water change. just close the bypass when things settle donw. PVC is fun.

how long does your skimmer go nuts after the water change?

G~

[dwall174]

It usually goes back to normal within a day, but then I have to readjust everything.

[j_c_a]

Why not just turn off the air? It won't skim/overflow w/o any air.

[Geoff]

Originally posted by j_c_a
Why not just turn off the air? It won't skim/overflow w/o any air.

the water level in my skimmers goes up whenever i shut off the air to the venturi.

G~