skimmer question

[optimus prime]

hi friends, me using a skimmer for the first time in 7 years. just bought a ORCA 30 skimmer with a 22/l air pump( BOYU BRAND ). notice that the bubbles seems not strong enough to reach the collecting area. why uh? any comments or anyone got experince in this? is there a stronger air pump?

[Achilles Tang]

hmmmm... hate to ask you this... but why did you buy this brand? I can hardly find any info on this skimmer? Can you post a pix? Is it new or 2nd hand?

[optimus prime]

i bought it as i read good preview about it on the net.cant post a pic as no DC. its a new one,bought at Rainbow. i read the box it stated it work on counter current method.i got a feeling my pump not strong, but mine the most powerfull i can find.anyone got a more powerful one?

[Phang]

Are you using the the wooden block airstone????

the ones that come with the Orca are standard airstones producing large bubbles....

[optimus prime]

you mean i need to change the air stone to a finer ones?

[harris]

yes, the bubbles produced by the airstone given with the skimmer is big n probably inefficient in removing the waste. u could buy the sanders airstone which is made of wood and produces much finer bubbles, it is selling at ard $2 per pc

http://www.aqua-sander.de/produkte/img/holz5.jpg

[clowntrigger]

If you could get hold of coralife wooden airstone, go for it. The outcome is much better than the sanders one. I have long discard the use of sander one after I used Coralife.

[optimus prime]

hehehehhe, thank you all for the help. will try to find the recommended air stones. appreciate if can tell where to buy. thanks again!!!!!

[clowntrigger]

Coralife Airstone can be bought at MarineLife at west coast and Sealife at Balestier. Call them up and check if they still have stock....

[bawater]

optimus prime- i don't get u on the bubbles not reaching the collection cup? if u follow the water mark as on the box it should reach the grill part-small or big bubbles(this is where it concentrates the foam & goes up into the cup). the ceramic airstone u have will work for 3weeks then u get big bubbles. should get the wooden airstone as standby to change, also requires monthly changing. u want the bubble chamber to be filled white with tiny mini bubbles.

u can also get sanders from clementi C328 & the marine LFS at chinatown.

[optimus prime]

point noted!

[cool water]

Always use a check valve on the inlet and the outlet of your skimmer. Water will flow back if you off the air pump without taking the sk. out from the tank. Less problem when you have to do a air stone change monthly.

If you are using a wooden airstone, install it ,ON the air pump B4 you place the whole SK. into the water.

If you find large bubbles coming out from the connection of the wood and the tube connector: Pull the connector out, use some white tape( pipe fitting use) go around the OD and fix it back, no more big bubbles.

i am new to this hobby, just like to shear something i know and it work, to you guy. Correct me if i am wrong, i still no the learning curve THANKS

[Achilles Tang]

Saw this somewhere... sorry Prism users..

I have a Berlin skimmer

{and I am not impressed at all with these skimmers to be honest. If you can get daily of almost daily dark skimmate out of this thing like clockwork (full cup 5-7 times weekly), then I'll agree that the skimmer isn't contributing to your woes. But most of these do not. Once you've seen a top shelf skimmer pull out foul liquid day after day in an otherwise pristine tank, you then realize how mediocre or poor many skimmers are (Berlin, Nautilus, Prism, Seaclone, etc). Good skimmers to consider: Euroreef, Aqua C, Tunze, Klaes. Idiot-proof and consistent skimmate production no matter how bad I abuse them } - Quote by Anthony Calfo.

[dodo]

Schuran skimmer not even mentioned...hmmmmm

[Achilles Tang]

So are fantastic ones like Aerofoamer, other beckett skimmers, and other good brands etc....

That quote was probably a few years old.... taken off the WetWebMedia.com site... The site's pretty old... but the info there is fantastic.

[dodo]

Ahhh...i see...old info lar...maybe Schuran not born yet?

[Achilles Tang]

Schuran is German.... and many good stuff from Germany are not marketed elsewhere because of the communication barrier and in fact there is either very weak translations or no English documentation online for German stuff.

MY HK friend is close to many German manufacturers and regularly sends me German additives and stuff for sampling. I am also using Schuran media for my Korallin Kalkreactor... phosphate free. He was the one to intro me to Schuran a few years ago... but I think the market only heard of Euroreef... now only people are switching to Schuran.

Now there is a new German range coming out... I'll keep you guys posted!

[dodo]