michaelp

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Manhattan
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I have a new ev-400 that has been running on a tank for 3 months now. The tank is about 250gallons plus another 70 in the sump. I?m getting lots of skimate on the sides of the tall cylinder, but hardly any in the very top. I can?t figure out how to configure it to get the bubbles to go higher in the column.

Basically I?m collecting a lot of skim on the sides of the canister but since the bubbles never build up enough, it doesn?t go into the collection cup. Any advice?

-Michael
 

ricwilli

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New Jersey
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You can control the height of the of the water in the skimmer by closing the gate valve. The more you close it, the more the water will rise. What type of pump do you have running the skimmer?
 

michaelp

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Its an 18 pond-mag which according to this chart and the height it is pumping to can do about 1200 gph.

I can raise the water level, but it's not actually supposed to be higher than the the clear part on the skimmer. I.e. it's not supposed to go up into the collection column (just the bubbles are). I read this on their site, and also when I do that, it leaks :)
 

charlie1225

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East Meadow, LI
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Its an 18 pond-mag which according to this chart and the height it is pumping to can do about 1200 gph.

I can raise the water level, but it's not actually supposed to be higher than the the clear part on the skimmer. I.e. it's not supposed to go up into the collection column (just the bubbles are). I read this on their site, and also when I do that, it leaks :)

There is a blue valve that controls the amoutn of air being sucked into the skimmer, is that opened all the way? You are correct, Aqua-C states that the water level should be where the clear part meets the body of the skimmer (the black part). Also, I would check/clean the injection of the skimmer, sometimes it gets clogged especially if you do not use a per-filter on your mag drive.
 

michaelp

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It's been running for 3 months. I adjusted the air flow to the max and played with the gate a little to raise the water just a bit.

Steve from AquaC wrote me:
Hi Michael,

Thanks for the message, I can help you out. As long as the skimmer is producing lots of fine, frothy bubbles in the reaction chamber (black box), it's working properly. Yours sounds like a situation in which the bioload may not be high enough for the skimmer to produce a consistent amount of foam - the skimmer will produce some foam, but will not be able to make enough to push the foam above into the collection cup. Let me know how heavily the tank is stocked (sizes and types of fish, corals, etc.), and if you have any other supplemental forms of filtration (live rock/sand, refugium, biomedia, etc.).
[FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He's probably right. I have a huge bioball filter, as well as a ton of LR and sand plus the refugium and about 400+ gallons of water with only about 12 fish and maybe ten small corals. (Still building).[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
 

NaCl H20

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I can attest to this, although mine is an EV-240 I get the same type of sometimes no froth and sometimes it slowly accumulates all the way up to the skimmer cup. I always do get scum collecting on the sides of the clear canister just above the black box that I have to clean in my maintenance routine. I also have a light bio load so this is probably the reason for it.
 

ari5736

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Teaneck, NJ
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I have 240 with Mag 18, and skim dry with gate on skimmers output closed half way and air all the way open. I think you need a larger external pump for the 400. I would like the Panworld 55 for my skimmer if I had room for an external, and would recommend at least that for the 400. AquaC usually underrates the pump needed. Also make sure your injector is clean this is usually the biggest problem.
 

latino277

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Long Island
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I have owned 2 ev skimmer and I have always gone one size over their recommendations.... for for this one I would use a mag 24.... I think that's the next one up.
 

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