Skimmer Question on an Aqua C Urchin Pro

[Aimiel]

I have an Aqua C Urchin Pro skimmer with a Mag 3 pump, and wondered what others who use one set the overflow cup at... low, high, in between? ... what are the effects of using different height? I have been emptying the cup each day, due to the (phytoplankton?) that had made my tank into pea soup, but wondered if I should set the cup higher or lower for different effect. I've been keeping it around the middle setting, but would love to have any input from others who use the same skimmer; heck, I guess any skimmer, really, if there are adjustments for the overflow cup height. On this model, there's a tube that protrudes from just below the lid height level to about two inches below the bottom of the cup, where it joins a square (valve?) fitting that simply sifts the rising bubbles up into the tube. Raising or lowering the 1/4" O-Ring that wraps around the cup like a rubber band holds the cup at the preferred level, allowing the tip of the intake tube (bottom) to just touch the top of the created froth if lowered to the bottom of the cup or it can be pushed to the very top, bringing foam steadily into the cup. I'm new to this skimming business, and would like to hear all about it. So far my experimentation has proven nothing. I don't know if taking in only the topmost foam will clean the tank very well or if stickin' this puppy all the way down is what I need to do to try to get every molecule of pea soup that I can out of my fishy's breathing-water. Is it better to skim off only what floats up to the highest point or to catch everything the foam brings? Will the cup overflow in just a few minutes if I lower it too much? I've got the, "New-tank-jitters," I know, but I would like as much info as I can get.


In case you've never seen one:

http://www.marineandreef.com/products/RAC03531_LG.jpg

[Blindmelonbob]

Mine's set probably a couple inches from the top. It keeps the foam fairly 'dry' and gunky. I clean the cup about once/week, and it usually has about an inch or more of skimmate and a good layer of sludge on the sides and riser tube.

[ljosh]

I use the regular aqua c urchin with the mj1200. It looks identical to that. I keep it on the highest setting or else I get a fairly clear liquid in the cup. This may be due to the fact is on a 10 gallon tank and it is over kill. I do get a lot of gunk in the tube and have to clean it weekly, but as of yet I have never gotten a dark skimmate out of it.

[reefwisher]

Mine is set about 2/3 up from the bottom of the over flow box. I t work best for me. I get a wet dry type of foam and it fill up 2/3 full in 24 hours. I dump it once a day and clean the over flow box since I got it out. When it start to pull less out in 24 hours I have to run the brush in the spray injector to clean it and it back to normal. If it start to pull to much that it fill the over flow up to the top of the riser tube I'll adjust the o-ring down a bit. In time you"ll learn the fine adjustment. Hope this help you.

[Sk8r]

Set it middling until you get the feel for your tank; then adjust it to fit. It never will produce a dark skimmate...nor will a 10g tank.

Above all, don't unscrew the cleaning tap [the white one] while it's running, or have a mop handy!

You really shouldn't have to clean it that often: skimmers do get gunky, but if they're still running, don't worry too much.

[Aimiel]

Thanks, that helps. I have a 90 gallon tank, and the pea soup I had is about 75% gone in just 2 days of use. I know the reason I never had such a problem in a SW tank before was I never used LR OR LS, and all I had was eight to twelve inches of fish at a time, at the most; in a 55 gal. This thing's the bee's knees.